Dear Shaded Viewers,
Y/Project’s deconstructed garments may seem complicated at first, but thankfully the brand has given us a lesson on how to wear them.
The creative director Glenn Martens expressed that these past months provided him the time to reflect and question the core of his brand, what it stood for and how he can bring the emotion out again. In these tough times, we are indeed in search for joy and optimism, and the designer’s recent Spring/Summer21 collection showed determination to continue taking risks and pushing forward no matter the difficulties.
At the core of Y/Project, you can always find versatility in the way garments can be worn, thoughtful constructions and risk-taking designs… Glenn Martens’s designs have always followed a democratic approach. With the use of snap buttons and drawstrings, the garments can be manipulated to take various shapes and silhouettes. The designer doesn’t dictate how the garments should be worn, but instead allows the wearer to freely decide whichever way they would like to wear it.
For me, though the elements of creative expression and individual freedom are always present in Y/Project, after watching the tutorial video, I wished this approach was followed through in the collection’s presentation.
I would have liked to see the models dressed themselves instead of standing like dolls. It would have been more intimate to watch how the wearer explored the garments, how they felt inside it, how they moved in it. Because that is what’s absent in fashion today…emotion, movement and intimacy.
