CMMN SWDN Fall 2019With the intriguing title of “Rushing. Stand Still.” Emma and Saif Bakir designing under the label CMMN SWDN sent out a high concept menswear collection that mixed traditional fabric with ultramodern ones.

But the fusion is not traditional. It looked haphazard, but it was designed that way. The designers after all are trying to show the effect of this era’s preoccupation with speed. You don’t believe it? Just check out the box office success of “The Fast and The Furious” a movie franchise that literally was built on speed.

But I’m being simplistic. The CMMN SWDN’s Fall/Winter 2019-2020 collection “serves as a reaction against the ‘rushing standstill’, a term coined by French philosopher Paul Virilio to describe our accelerated present day.”

To achieve that, Emma and Saif Bakir took a slower approach to the design process, with AW19 playing a necessary extension of SS19’s dialogue of promoting conscious design. They looked at the importance of being comfortable in one’s skin.

Just like their SS19 collection, pre-loved garments continue to serve as a focal point of inspiration – the well-worn fabrics evoking feelings of nostalgia and familiarity that offer an insight into the biography of the wearer.

The collection serves as a celebration of imperfections by highlighting the landscape of damage to a garment. Treasured hand me downs are reimagined through tailoring in knowingly awkward proportions and elongated lengths. This collision of unexpected pairings provides CMMN SWDN’s signature aesthetic for AW19.

As finalists for the International Woolmark Prize 2019, knitwear has become a natural focal point as unraveled knits are mapped out over tailoring and monofilament knitted vests float over shirting.

Photos courtesy of CMMN SWDN

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