With shows and presentations coming with their own hefty price tags, fashion month can be as exclusive for the labels wanting to show their collections as it is for the hordes of fashion fans wanting to get their hands on a ticket. As fashion evolves, digital grows, and show schedules get shaken up, many designers are choosing to eschew fashion week all together in favour of collaborative zines, slick lookbooks or short films that recreate the world of the collection in an alternative way to the traditional runway.
These labels are proving that taking a collection away from the catwalk has no bearing on a brand’s relevance – and in many ways, the creative work that emerges in their stead makes them stand out for forging their own paths.
Here are some of DAZED’s favorites.
ARIES
Designer duo Sofia Prantera and graphic artist Fergus Purcell joined together for this label, whose name, and accompanying rally-cry “Aries Arise” is a playful riff on the star sign’s creative connotations and the hippy kitsch of astrology. Drawing inspiration from an 80s mindset where the line between streetwear and fashion are blurred, they define their aesthetic as a blend of trash culture and anti-fashion youth movements. This season, they’re choosing to showcase their new collection via a short film, details of which have not yet been revealed.
MADEME
“MadeMe is for the girl who wears clothes for boys or Supreme.” Having spent ten years at Supreme, designer Erin Magee has been channelling her credentials into the riot grrrl-inspired label MadeMe. Through her creations, she’s resurrecting the sensibilities of Kim Gordon’s X-Girl, directing her punk attitude into collections that have so far drawn on bondage, 70s glam rock and female rock icons such as Courtney Love. For previous seasons, she’s showcased her collections with lookbooks, collaborated with Petra Collins on a zine and teamed up with Me and You for a collection that Sam Guest turned into a short film.
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