AUSTERE MENSWEAR

AUT 2018 Rookie Graduate Collection

My collection of contemporary menswear with a total of five looks explores the concept of austerity. Rooted in the clean lines of religious clothing, the collection encompasses both the rigidity and fluidity of menswear, with tailoring forming the foundation, with a hint of relaxed softness. I wanted to create a reaction towards contemporary fashion which I feel is dominated by chaos and playfulness. I felt austerity would help to ground my work, and capture its conventional perspective of masculinity, seriousness and the ‘formal’ aspect, which then would relate back to contemporary menswear. I interpreted religious clothing as having a sense of cleanliness, and in this collection, I developed that aspect through an elimination process. During this process, most of the conventional design features such as the lapel were stripped back to set focus on the silhouette and structure of my collection. My designs have a minimal aesthetic, which helps it to relate to a more contemporary time, yet it holds the visual aspects that reference the traditional garments. I mainly researched the proportions and silhouettes of the religious garments as I felt they were so pure and powerful. To create the same mood in my work, I felt the aspect of austerity would help me to keep a distance from religious clothing and shift away from taking references too literally. I used the foundation of tailoring to build a structure around the body. I added full canvas and shoulder pads, as well as different types of structured interfacings to help develop the 2D fabrics to fit the body. I think my collection is aimed at a universal point of wearability and desirability in menswear. The ideal vision of a person that wears my garments could be seen on the street in an everyday aspect. But they could also to go to formal events without feeling too casual and light.