Monday 8 February 2010

Fashion show? Hire an architect!


[photo by Fabrizio Marchesi]

Fashion designer Neil Barrett collaborated with architectural studio AquiliAlberg to present his Fall/Winter 2010 Iconic Hybrid Collection on January 17th at Milan Fashion Week.




AquiliAlberg studio designed a multi-layered prismatic installation, which acted as a gate between the catwalk and backstage, while also creating quite the interesting background for Barrett's minimalistic creations.




I love it when fashion and architecture meet in such a well-thought and impressive, yet simple and elegant way.

But, wait. You don't know who Neil Barrett is? Well, you'd be impressed! Wikipedia to the rescue:
After graduating from Central Saint Martin's and acquiring a Master's degree in men's fashion design by the Royal College of Art in London, Barrett started his career in Gucci in the early 1990s, where he was quickly promoted to senior menswear designer. After five successful years, he presented a project to Prada, proposing the launch of the company's first designer menswear collection. Under Barrett's direction, Prada became renowned among fashion insiders as the forerunner of "minimalist" menswear.Barrett started his own label in 1999, which was met with great success. He was able to open his first, free-standing Neil Barrett brand store in the central Tokyo Aoyama shopping district in 2001. In 2002 he joined the Milan Fashion calendar with his men’s collection and in 2006 he introduced his first women’s collection in New York Fashion Week.
neil_barrett
[photo from here]

Well done, Mr Barrett!

On this latest collection, architectural website ArchDaily reads:
The Neil Barrett AW10 collection highlights the designer’s specific style by cutting garments up and splicing them together in new ways, horizontally, vertically and from back to front to create HYBRIDS. Set against the sculptural backdrop designed by AquiliAlberg, the collection is also a nod to the myriad ways that architecture influences dress.
This isn't the first time Neil Barrett collaborates with an architect.
[photo by designboom.com]

Back in 2007, Barrett worked together with star-architect Zaha Hadid on the creation of a concept store that opened in September 2008 in Aoyama, Tokyo.

For more info on the Neil Barrett/AcuiliAlberg collaboration read the article ArchDaily article here and the Dezeen article here.

[photo by Fabrizio Marchesi]

To see the AcuiliAlberg's installation in action, don't forget to watch the entire Neil Barrett Iconic Hybrid Collection FW10 video on neilbarrett.com. His collections are available online at yoox.com, luisaviaroma.com, thecorner.com and in Greece, at Carouzos Sketch.

15 comments:

daisychain said...

fascinating post Lopi :)

_nafsika said...

wowwowowowow!
and that's a very 'fashion architect' post

Κωνσταντίνος Μπούγας said...

Beautiful!!! Neil Barret is one of my favorites designers!! But his clothes are too expensive :S
The installation is amazing!
A very nice post!

Alkistis said...

Good one! :)

battered couture said...

way to go lady. thoroughly interesting and enjoyable and tha whole time I was thinking "this is what you should be doing!!"

Ivan McK said...

WOW! What an awesome post....I wanna know more! Anything that mixes the technical with the creative has me hooked :-)

+8!3

wilfred said...

Randomly came across your blog and this entry is truely fascinating! I'm also a firm believer of fashion and architecture and this show is the perfect example of the hybrid between the two.

Anonymous said...

asxeti vlaxara,tora emathes poios einai o neil barret?kai anarotiese an kseroun poios einai.alla ti na perimenei kaneis apo kapoia pou ntinete apoklistika me........zara?

Lopi said...

Ανώνυμε, το Barrett γράφεται με δύο t.

Dimitra -Next Top Model said...

Αλλά παραμένεις βλαχάρα. Τελευταία!

Lopi said...

Κύριε Χατζηστεφάνου, εσείς?

paisley dresses said...

Brilliant post! Really interesting read

efi said...

εγώ δεν τον ήξερα αυτόν τον κύριο μπάρετ, οπότε το ποστ ήταν ιδιαίτερα ενδιαφέρον.

@ anonymous: που το κακό να ντύνεσαι με ρούχα από τη ζάρα? ίσα ίσα τρελή μαγκιά πουκόμα και με πιο οικονομικά ρούχα, η λόπη είναι πάντα very stylish! άλλοι τα σκάνε και πάλι δεν τα καταφέρνουν....

fashionist__ahead said...

krimaaa pragamtikaa p autoktonisee..itan apla teleios...

tzela said...

mou 8ymizei ligo to cabinet of dr. caligari sto poly pio sygxrono
http://randomcrusader.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/caligari3.jpg