She is an elusive character, an ever-changing persona of questionable motive and undeniable fantasy. She is Amber, the fictional muse of the Arnhem Mode Biennale 2011 – an abstract personification of fashion in all it’s forms.

Coercing the viewer to question fashion as artistic expression, the Biennale’s curator JOFF stripped fashion back to it’s most fundamental elements for this large-scale exhibition. From its atmospheres (film, photography, sound & smell), to its tools (hair, makeup, shoes & accessories), the exhibition is a whimsical journey through fashion, that finally arrives at the overall ‘visions’ of many international designers.

Many of the most impressive installations came from within Coccodrillo’s stable of designers, including three silhouettes from the MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA‘s artisanal collections (including the ‘Kite Dress’, above) simply posed on pedestals – allowing the meticulous handwork to speak for itself.

A.F. VANDEVORST moulded 250kg of wax into the form of a sleeping girl, echoing the show concept of their 1999 ‘Individuals’ collection. An Vandevorst lit the candle for the first time on Tuesday, and it will burn for the entire duration of the Biennale (until July 3rd).

PRADA offered three colourful looks from the South-American inspired Spring Summer 2011 collection, installed within the architectural structures that Rem Koolhaas’s OMA constructed for the show.

 

RAF SIMONS collaborated with Brussels-based filmmaker Pierre Debusschere, creating a rotating column installation that focused on the oversized zippers and other details of his Spring Summer 2011 collection, incorporating the graphic, industrial aesthetic that encapsulates Raf’s visual codes.

 

NICHOLAS KIRKWOOD offered styles from his Keith Haring collaboration housed within a surreal monochrome cube, with Haring’s signature line prints highlighting the fantastical shoe designs lavished in Swarovski crystals.

 

Looking to the FUTURE, the Biennale proposes “Prologues” as the beginning of many new stories and ‘visions’ from young designers. Silhouettes include works by Hyeres winner Alexandra Verscheuren, Coccodrillo Prize 2010 winner Mariel Manuel & Andrea Cammarosano.

 

Find out more about the Arnhem Mode Biennale 2011 (1st June – 3rd July) here!

Tags: Arnhem Mode Biennale, Maison Martin Margiela, Nicholas Kirkwood, Prada, Raf Simons

This entry was posted on Friday, June 3rd, 2011 at 10:00 am and is filed under A.F. Vandevorst, Journal, Maison Martin Margiela, Prada. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.