PARIS, Jan 20, 2011 / FW/ — Debuting in Paris with plans of exploring the different faces of masculinity, RA turns into a seamless and lively interaction between art, fashion, music and performance.
DEAREST
The offspring of designing duo Simon-Pierre Toussaint and Alice Knackfuss, DEAREST is a tailored, menswear line with clean shapes and precise cuts.
Alice and Simon-Pierre are Brussels-based, but met at the Festival d’Hyères in 2009. They quickly realized they could work on a new project, bouncing ideas off each other and combining their strengths.
The result is a controlled, elegant line, with stylish sporty pieces, crisp shirts and reworked jackets. their ideal man has a feel for formality, but cannot bear the stiffness. Cotton, wool felt and supple leather drape the body, adding a layer of softness to constructed garments.
A desire for warmth and connectedness defines what they do. “DEAREST is a word in English that stands for something or someone that is truly loved. Our pieces behave differently on each body, in an intimate, creative and rather sensitive way.”
ANDREA CAMMAROSANO
Andrea Cammarosano knows a thing or two about sex. The Italian, London-based designer, draws inspiration from the aesthetics and codes of S&M, imagining hyper masculine men ready for action.
Trained at the royal academy in Antwerp, Andrea worked as design assistant for Walter van Beirendonck before launching his own line last season.
His first collection, named “I am a Monster”, offered an exciting array of prints, sportswear shapes and fetish gear. Andrea loves highlighting flesh, playing with contrasting fabrics that can be rough or fluid.
Some of his extreme shapes may not be for the fainthearted, but they don’t lack a sense of irony either.
He will present four new silhouettes in Paris, which are guaranteed to please voyeurs and exhibitionists alike.
Andrea’s life philosophy is fairly simple – “It’s just like the gym: some people are fit for fun, some are fat, and some others will just never fit.’
FREDERIK HEYMAN
Antwerp-based photographer Frederic Heyman has a knack for creating bizarre situations in his images. Drawing upon nature, disasters, bodies and youth as key sources of inspiration, the Belgian creates elaborate “mises en scenes”, which are both primitive and sophisticated.
Frederic enjoys working with designers, using fashion and clothes as meaningful expressions complementing his own visual obsessions.
The absurdly surrealistic feel of some of his pictures can be pleasurable and unnerving, conjuring up forces of the unknown, as well as pagan forms of ritualism.
He will present selected images and an exclusive video from two neighbouring projects, the rooftop and the weather. Protection and danger are key themes, as well as personal struggles against the strength of the environment.
