GOSHA RUBCHINSKIY
Up-and-coming Russian designer Gosha Rubchinskiy held his first show during the Spring/Summer 2015 Paris menswear season. His collection, entitled Arctica, reflected street-wear and sportswear elements, inspired by his childhood and youth, growing up in Russia during the 90s. Rubchinskiy has been on the forefront of the Russian creative scene since 2008, when he designed his first fashion collection. Since then, his quirky universe, which features Russian emblems, skateboarding and underground music culture, imbued by a sense of rebellious communitarianism, attracted the attention of many well-known international retailers and brands, such as Opening Ceremony and Comme des Garçons. The latter supports the young designer since 2010, and controls his production and distribution. The rough and bare Soviet aesthetics of Rubchinskiy are filled with a youthful delicacy, thus proposing a fresh and promising contemporary style.
ETUDES STUDIO
Études Studio is a French artist collective, which emerged from the fusion of the clothing label Hixsept and the independent publishing house JSBJ. The brand was established in 2012 and is based between Paris and New York. Études Studio puts its focus on experimenting with classic men’s pieces, while adding a sports inspired functionality to its garments. Combining experimentation and timelessness, the young label is slowly but firmly making its marks in the ever-growing men’s fashion scene. An intense color palette, maxi prints and clean cuts became the brand's signature style over the past years. For the Spring/Summer 2015 season, Aurélien Abert and Jérémie Egry, the designer-duo behind the brand, presented their new collection during Paris menswear, which was inspired by energy drinks and motocross detailing.
CHRISTIAN PELLIZZARI
The Treviso-born young designer, Christian Pellizzari, is one of the luck few designers to be supported by the iconic Italian couturier, Giorgio Armani. In fact, he was invited was invited to present his very first runway show at the Armani Theater on June 21st, during Milan’s Spring/Summer 2015 menswear season. “It’s incredible to do my first runway show under the patronage of Giorgio Armani,” Pellizzari told WWD in an interview prior to his show. The designer graduated with a fashion degree from Florence’s (Polimoda} and started his namesake fashion label in 2010. “I like to mix and match different ideas and styles—for example, I tend to revisit traditional sartorial pieces with unconventional fabrics,” he added, emphasizing that his new collection will be focused on outerwear. In fact, the young designer has already a considerable experience in designing men’s casual and formal tailoring, as he sharpened his skills at the Italian heritage brand Tonello, before moving to Paris and learning the nuances of French versus Italian design, at Vionnet and Jay Ahr.
LIAM HODGES
Liam Hodges was born in Kent, but lives and works in London. The Royal College of Art graduate, declares that he is primarily interested in "expressive, polysyllabic masculinity", emphasizing that his collections are offering "big shapes and hard workwear silhouettes’’, while expressing his passion for “cultural overeating”. For this Spring/Summer 2015 season, Hodges received the support from MAN—TOPMAN and Fashion East’s leading designer showcase—in order to showcase his collection at London Collections: Men for the Spring/Summer 2015 season. Hodges often clashes unexpected elements and symbols of contemporary subcultures, with an almost dystopian take on design. Using a wide range of techniques, such as dye applications, graffiti prints and traditional patchwork, Hodges puts a focus on both, distinctive aesthetics and high-quality functionality.
Cecilia Musmeci & Elisabeta Tudor @ MODEMONLINE
Pictures courtesy of NOWFASHION / Gosha Rubchinskiy, Études Studio, Christian Pellizzari and Liam Hodges.
