![\"Vetements,](\"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/YS_VETEMENTS_0080.jpg\")
Vetements, photo by Roy Beeson<\/p>\n Vetements, photo by Roy Beeson<\/p>\n
At the time, it was difficult to know what to make of Vetements\u2019 debut runway show in spring 2014.
\nAt first glance, their work was good but nothing out of the ordinary. Featuring floor-length bodycon dresses, ruffled bolero cardigans, turtlenecks worn with washed-out jeans and wide wool coats; their range was diverse but manifestly preoccupied with the early Noughties obsession for wearability, and initially felt like a leftfield reiteration of staple runway looks.
\nThen there was the name, \u201cVetements\u201d. The French word for \u201cclothes\u201d, it was reminiscent of the anonymously blank anti-branding style of the Belgian designer Martin Margiela, who pioneered this approach decades before \u2013 an interesting reference but hardly a groundbreaking stance. Given the location \u2013 the home of haute couture \u2013 such a low-key collection felt like a strange choice for their first catwalkshow. Why weren\u2019t they making a bigger statement?
\nPerhaps they were. Scrape beneath the veneer of familiarity and there\u2019s a sophistication about Vetements that thrives on subtlety rather than grandstanding. While they certainly weren\u2019t trying to reinvent the wheel in Paris, their bizarre touches to standard designs \u2013 elongated sleeves here, warped hemlines there \u2013 were so unique yet understated that the effect was difficult to describe. Indeed, it was this eye for nuance that doubtlessly earned them a nomination for the LVMH Prize as well as the adulation of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West prior to their debut in the French capital. Nonetheless, for a label whose success seems so reliant on a sense of je ne sais quoi it begs the question: Just what is it that makes Vetements so special?<\/p>\n
![\"Ethan](\"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/V1.jpg\")
Ethan Assouline. Film still from Vetements AW15 show, Paris, Novembre Magazine<\/p>\n
THE ONE VS THE MANY<\/strong> \nThe first answer lies in its attitude to creative direction. While their nondescript branding isn\u2019t unique, it runs counter to the trend among leading fashion houses that, in recent years, have become more and more eager to make their identity as tangible as possible. One way in which labels have done this is by appointing big name designers as creative directors. Whether it\u2019s Hedi Slimane at Saint Laurent, Nicolas Ghesqui\u00e8re at Louis Vuitton or Raf Simons at Dior, the idea is that these iconic fashion names will subsequently become synonymous with the brand and boost its sales figures. Moreover, while the structure of Vetements\u2019s organisation may be similar to that of the relationship between a creative designer and their label at a major fashion house, Gvasalia argues that this resemblance is only superficial, since decisions at Vetements are made in a democratic way rather than at the behest of a single individual. For example, the design process normally starts with long, roundtable talks, and everyone in the company \u2013 from the designers to the admin \u2013 are involved. \u201cSometimes we end up arguing,\u201d he says. \u201cBut I think that\u2019s important and healthy. We are very different from one another and all have different cultural backgrounds, so it\u2019s only natural that we have different opinions, too. What\u2019s important is that we share the same sense of aesthetics and the same goals. And unlike those big labels, we also have the luxury of inventing a new story for our house. It\u2019s very liberating not to have to stick to old rules.\u201d THE PEOPLE\u2019S WARDROBE<\/strong> \nThe fact that Vetements is entirely focused on its end product is evident from its name. However, the moniker also implies the divide between everyday clothing and fashion \u2013 a distinction that the label tries to challenge. As Gvasalia suggests, the starting point of its creative process begins with research trips to high street stores, discount chains, military surplus centres and charity shops \u2013 ordinary places that nonetheless determine the way we appear in day-to-day life. \u201cWe are in constant dialogue with the contemporary and we work with what we already know and love,\u201d he says. \u201cWe try to reframe it and imbue it with a second life.\u201d The people that inspire Vetements\u2019s collections are the ones that live in that ‘other’ Paris, far away from the luxury of Haussmann\u2019s grand boulevards, and out into the banlieue beyond the ring road \u2013 a place where, as central Paris becomes more expensive, an increasing number of creative but poor Parisians are going to live and party; a place where they can meet like-minded people and create new networks. Vetements, photo by Roy Beeson At the time, it was difficult to know what to make of Vetements\u2019 debut runway show in spring 2014. At first glance, their work was good but nothing out of the ordinary. Featuring floor-length bodycon dresses, ruffled bolero cardigans, turtlenecks worn with washed-out jeans and wide wool coats; their range…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":22582,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[656,21,2854,2608,2855,2856,2734],"class_list":["post-22581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fashion","tag-celina-plag","tag-fashion","tag-oliver-hadlee-pearch","tag-print-features-2","tag-roy-beeson","tag-sleek-46","tag-vetements"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nHowever, Vetements do things a little differently. For starters they shy away from big name endorsements and play their cards close to their chest. Indeed, until summer 2014, no one knew who was behind this outfit. As it happened, it turned out to be founded by Demna Gvasalia, a graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts who had previously worked for Louis Vuitton and Martin Margiela. The collective is also made up of eight other people: three designers Gvasalia met at Margiela\u2019s studio, plus five colleagues who are mainly responsible for product development and sales and marketing. Gvasalia defines his role as the brand\u2019s spokesman rather than its creative director. \u201cWhen we started out we decided that one one of us would speak on behalf of the entire team,\u201d he says. \u201cMany of us are just not used to being in the public eye, it\u2019s not everybody\u2019s thing.\u201d
\nSo why the anonymity? \u201cVetements started as a weekend project,\u201d he continues. \u201cAt the beginning we were all still employees at other companies, meaning that we weren\u2019t allowed to publicise our names.\u201d Elsewhere, Gvasalia also admits that while this anonymity initially played in their favour, it\u2019s never been an intentional marketing strategy. If anything Vetements\u2019s raison d\u2019\u00eatre is about turning the spotlight on the clothes rather than the people who make them. \u201cAnd it\u2019s not like we have to hide anymore either,\u201d says Gvasalia.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/LOOK1.jpg\")
Vetements SS15, photo by Oliver Hadlee Pearch<\/p>\n
\nSuch horizontal leadership schemes testify to Vetements\u2019s desire for genuine exchanges between creative professionals at a time when social media may appear to have levelled the playing field, but can sometimes merely disguise certain social, racial and gender inequalities and promote meaningless interaction (the ‘like’ economy). In a highly individualistic society, this non-hierarchical form of collaboration reflects the growing number of freelancers for who working in a team is as important as having one\u2019s opinions heard. \u201cThe final product can only benefit from a prolonged process of discussion and debate,\u201d says Gvasalia. \u201cThis way, much more attention is given to polishing individual details.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/LOOK34.jpg\")
Vetements SS15, photo by Oliver Hadlee Pearch<\/p>\n
\nVetements thus creates a conceptual counterpoint to fashion\u2019s eternally fleeting but constant promise of renewal through its simple and familiar collections. Indeed, by making no claim to absolute originality, Vetements seems to be holding a mirror to the face of fashion\u2019s visual fatigue and market driven direction, while also declaring a return to essentials, like craft and ingenuity. \u201cFor me, fashion is a business that\u2019s about making clothes that people can wear,\u201d says Gvasalia.
\nWomen who wear Vetements belong to a new generation that refuses to be forced into seasonal uniforms and think about fashion as a wearable expression or their lifestyle. \u201cWith our designs we want to give the wearer an attitude that matches our aesthetic,\u201d he continues. \u201cWhile coming up with designs, we tend to be inspired by women who have a strong sense of individuality and a real opinion about what they\u2019re wearing. Vetements is not bound to any age, but to the autonomy of its wearer\u201d.
\nConsequently, its creators also explicitly want people to wear their clothes with items from other labels. Unlike big fashion houses and their intricately constructed, ‘total’ looks, Vetements is about simplicity, the idea being that you could throw their clothes on while wearing a blindfold and still look good in them. \u201cWe want for people to wear our fashion the way they want,\u201d says Gvasalia. \u201cAnd mixing our stuff with things from other labels totally reflects our idea of a ‘democratised fashion’. Vetements is actually a wardrobe.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/LOOK30.-Ollie-Vetements_c814971f46.jpg\")
Vetements SS15, photo by Oliver Hadlee Pearch<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe live in the real Paris,\u201d says Gvasalia. \u201cMany people think the city is very elitist and conservative, and this is true in many ways. But our Paris is different. And right now there\u2019s something special in the air, everybody can feel it. Maybe it\u2019s a new subculture, who knows.\u201d He may be right. Vetements\u2019 clothes are not only created through collectivist efforts, but are being welcomed by a new type of consumer who is implied and has autonomy in that process, too. As such, a new community is emerging in fashion \u2013 one that challenges its drive for innovation and distances itself from empty spectacle and commerce. And this is exactly what makes Vetements so worthy of our attention.
\nVetements is available at The Store in Soho House Berlin<\/a><\/strong> \nText von Celina Plag<\/a><\/strong> \nMore: Read other Print Features<\/strong><\/a>
\nMore: Iain Ball\u2019s Rare Earth Elements<\/strong><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"