The Swedish School of Textiles is located in Boras, a region that has been for so long the centre for manufacturing of clothing and textiles in Sweden. The School, the only one of its kind in Sweden, has close to 3,000 students and over 100 employees. It's prestige sees it boast amongst its facilities one of the very few full-scale textile manufacturing environments within a third level institution.
This afternoon at Fashion Scout we got to witness a taste of the creativity, diversity and uniqueness that flourishes inside the School as 15 students revealed their designs for SS15.
Seeking to answer what the driving force behind fashion is, while also to uncover what new methods can be uncovered in design, the degree collections touch on folklore and cheerleaders among others. The rich flora of detail, including intricate braidwork and sash pleats, blend well with a focus on body, function, weight and movement.
The display opened to an incredibly high standard thanks to Felix Roll and '3-6 Sec of Movement'. Clothing the body in a bubble form reminiscent of lampshades, Roll pushed the boundaries in his design process allowing minimal styling to let the beautifully ornate garments to shine. Swedish edge at its best.
Following this structured look, Johanna Billeqvist contrasted things in her work, which draped the female form. Working to explore the potential of fusing pumps and archetypical garments through material manipulation, Billeqvist created a futuristic look for SS15.
Turning to menswear, Miguel Lucas De Simas Martins used products as his muse in designing. Describing fashion as packaging for the body, his bold collection had elements of 3D while retaining wearability in its construction.
Linda Dekhlas's 'Inlay' contrasted nude with black and showcased her impeccable ability at merging knitting, weaving and texture with tactility, structure and shape.
For Anna Johansson, models were introduced to a chorus of 1920's Prohibition style music, setting the tone for her modern take on the Flapper movement. Signature baggy dresses, accompanied by covered hair, are now worn longer and decorated in linear prints.
Gabrielle Vallejos Castro combines hologram material with grey wool in her collection of looses dresses with metallic insertions. Ribbing and fringed seams create tension also, allowing design to create itself when gravity and movement occur.
A unisex collection was delivered by Majli Af Ekenstam, who describes it as an "epic sensation twentyfourseven." Fluid prints and material make up 'Bryt!', which is about new approaches to print and the sensation of colour.
As Sara-Lovise Ewertson's models appeared, to a soundtrack that felt like we had entered
a notorious techno club in Berlin, rawness and texture were obvious motifs in her work. Named 'Snow Beast Laser Tornado', Ewertson's work was outlandish and fantastic in its onslaught on spectators. Stripper heels and faceless masks made it especially daring.
Tight fits were juxtaposed against diversified tufting with Karin Mellqvist. Exploring that technique with the aim to investigate fringes in different materials and lengths, Mellqvist focuses on it's ability to create shape and texture in womenswear.
'Fruit Core' by Hanna Freese saw gentle draping awakened by slash-pleats. Mellow contrasts in colour allowed new expressions to be developed in womenswear through volume and placement.
Per Hanson's male showcase was titled 'Braided Body, Strings that Move.' Playing on the masculine aesthetic of a fisherman, Hanson created a new take on contemporary menswear through his use of tubular braiding, which was often akin to fishnets.
Joanna Karlsson wanted to surprise the viewer for SS15 in her collection of 3D, retro and pixelated designs. Inspired by folklore and fairytales we see giant butterflies and Red Riding Hood-esque head pieces, along with hints of canine and rabbit intervention, placed on the catwalk as she attempts to create new expressions in dress.
The showcase closed with Master students from the School, the first of whom was Ina Hjelte. This collection showcased garments that had been reduced of all unnecessary cuts and seams, but rather highlighted the interwoven delicate fabrics crafted through cuts and layers.
Andreas Eklof's rugged designs were created with the outdoors in mind. Merging fashion with action, Eklof used sticky tape as the basis for this work. Using corporate logos, neons and high-vis material, his collection makes huge statements, in both boldly and underlying manners.
Closing proceedings, Emelie Johansson's collection, 'Motion Blur' highlights the dynamic between prints and garments. Each print motif is highly alluring and is complimented greatly by the movement in each piece's construction. Beautiful sheens contrasted against matte fabric ensures the intricate patterns don't verge into the kaleidoscopic.
By Clarissa Waldron (@thisisclarissa)
Photos by Florian Schauder