(New?) Leather
My sincerest apologies for the notable absence from blogging. I am afraid that I have no better excuse than the perennial blogger's answer of everyday life. I was not entirely at ease with sharing half-baked posts and falling behind on commenting merely to keep updates on time. Thankfully however I am now hopefully back to blogging and commenting as usual.
It is perhaps the harshness of the concept of Winter (what with the particularly mild December we have been having in London), that has had my thoughts turning towards leather these past few days. I have always viewed leather as one of the most primal of materials, joining the ranks of fur and wool, as having a rich and detailed historical and cultural history. The usage of leather for shoes, belts, wallets and bags, to name a few examples, has always left me marveling the deft handiwork and intimate skill of those who choose to work with such a versatile and excellent material.
And yet my thoughts of leather when considering clothing, have more often than not conjured up images of men wearing ill fitting leather blazers with sloping shoulders and cuffs barely leaving traces of the hands cloaked underneath. For all of the skill and beauty of small leather goods and footwear, the idea of men wearing leather for primary garments has never quite sat at ease with me.
However to think in such narrow terms is always dangerous, and indeed there are and have been a number of fashion designers who work with leather, not only to create avant-garde pieces, but truly understand the material. They are thus able to craft visions of everyday beauty. As with most fashion, it is the complex matter of cut and finish. I have never really been a fan of using leather in such a way that there is attempt to disguise the material. And it for that reason that I suppose I always find leather garments which really play with cut fascinating.
In terms of finish, I suppose I am intrigued by designers who are able to use leather in such a way that one would not assume leather would be able to be used. By this I mean designers who are able to work with leather as one would ordinary cloth - draping, twisting, pleating and so on. This is not in an attempt to hide what the material is, but rather to celebrate its diversity and show innovation.
I chose to share this editorial from Dazed & Confused Japan, purely out of amazement for the looks of leather. Certainly shedding any notions of ill-fitting and misplaced applications, these contemporary takes using leather are both beautiful and interesting. Focusing a shoot on materials rather than a certain theme, or indeed garment type, is always an unexpected direction. I was fascinated by the potential within the shoot to truly go into a multitude of directions. Whilst one may not necessarily consider a re-imagining of the iconic bikers jacket and a pair of geometric Gareth Pugh trousers as part of a singular coherent theme, they are here united by virtue of material. Indeed united by something more primal that speaks both with and beyond the fashion contained therein.
I have never really been one to wear any great amount of leather, however this editorial really does compound how leather was and is still relevant to menswear. Discussions about fashion are, and arguably rightly so, focused on design more than material. Yet this shoot really does raise questions as to how one goes about considering clothing, with an angle which is both broad in what it encompasses and yet highly focused in its approach. This is to give no mention of the beauty of the black and white photography itself. I was particularly taken by the simplicity of the backdrop, with the draped sheet giving a subtle texture and depth which complimented the visual tactility of the leather. This editorial really did make me rethink how I approach leather as a material and its place in menswear.
Currently playing: Solar Midnite - Lupe Fiasco
xxxx
It is perhaps the harshness of the concept of Winter (what with the particularly mild December we have been having in London), that has had my thoughts turning towards leather these past few days. I have always viewed leather as one of the most primal of materials, joining the ranks of fur and wool, as having a rich and detailed historical and cultural history. The usage of leather for shoes, belts, wallets and bags, to name a few examples, has always left me marveling the deft handiwork and intimate skill of those who choose to work with such a versatile and excellent material.
And yet my thoughts of leather when considering clothing, have more often than not conjured up images of men wearing ill fitting leather blazers with sloping shoulders and cuffs barely leaving traces of the hands cloaked underneath. For all of the skill and beauty of small leather goods and footwear, the idea of men wearing leather for primary garments has never quite sat at ease with me.
However to think in such narrow terms is always dangerous, and indeed there are and have been a number of fashion designers who work with leather, not only to create avant-garde pieces, but truly understand the material. They are thus able to craft visions of everyday beauty. As with most fashion, it is the complex matter of cut and finish. I have never really been a fan of using leather in such a way that there is attempt to disguise the material. And it for that reason that I suppose I always find leather garments which really play with cut fascinating.
In terms of finish, I suppose I am intrigued by designers who are able to use leather in such a way that one would not assume leather would be able to be used. By this I mean designers who are able to work with leather as one would ordinary cloth - draping, twisting, pleating and so on. This is not in an attempt to hide what the material is, but rather to celebrate its diversity and show innovation.
I chose to share this editorial from Dazed & Confused Japan, purely out of amazement for the looks of leather. Certainly shedding any notions of ill-fitting and misplaced applications, these contemporary takes using leather are both beautiful and interesting. Focusing a shoot on materials rather than a certain theme, or indeed garment type, is always an unexpected direction. I was fascinated by the potential within the shoot to truly go into a multitude of directions. Whilst one may not necessarily consider a re-imagining of the iconic bikers jacket and a pair of geometric Gareth Pugh trousers as part of a singular coherent theme, they are here united by virtue of material. Indeed united by something more primal that speaks both with and beyond the fashion contained therein.
I have never really been one to wear any great amount of leather, however this editorial really does compound how leather was and is still relevant to menswear. Discussions about fashion are, and arguably rightly so, focused on design more than material. Yet this shoot really does raise questions as to how one goes about considering clothing, with an angle which is both broad in what it encompasses and yet highly focused in its approach. This is to give no mention of the beauty of the black and white photography itself. I was particularly taken by the simplicity of the backdrop, with the draped sheet giving a subtle texture and depth which complimented the visual tactility of the leather. This editorial really did make me rethink how I approach leather as a material and its place in menswear.
Currently playing: Solar Midnite - Lupe Fiasco
xxxx