Dear Shaded Viewers,
As Vetements marked its tenth anniversary with its Fall/Winter 2024 collection, it was clear that Guram Gvasalia has not only inherited the brand’s mantle of provocation but has also refined it with a masterful touch. This season, Vetements, under Gvasalia’s stewardship, presented a collection that was a deep dive into the oversized, the exaggerated, and the unabashedly bold—a symphony of design that both challenged and celebrated the norms of fashion.
The show was a grand affair, with the fashion world’s glitterati in attendance, signaling the enduring appeal and cult status of the brand. Guram Gvasalia’s vision for the collection was nothing short of revolutionary, pushing the boundaries of traditional tailoring and silhouette to their absolute limits. The designs were a defiant exploration of volume and form, with gargantuan suits and endless pant legs that seemed to mock the very concept of practicality. Yet, therein lies the genius of Gvasalia’s approach: a willingness to engage in the art of fashion as a form of social commentary.
A standout moment of the collection was the collaboration with Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, particularly the reimagined teddy bear coats. These pieces were not only a nod to the nostalgic but also a vibrant testament to the collaborative spirit of fashion. Merging JCDC’s pop-art brilliance with Vetements’ signature oversized aesthetic, the coats were a celebration of creativity unbound, serving as a visual reminder of the collection’s playful defiance.
The use of materials in this collection also spoke volumes, with innovative elements like padded tubes transforming garments into architectural statements. The daring application of Swarovski crystals added a layer of opulence to the collection, blurring the lines between everyday wear and couture. Yet, it was the collection’s engagement with cultural and societal commentary that truly set it apart, with designs that wittily critiqued everything from family dynamics to media consumption.
Expanding upon the narrative woven through the Vetements Fall/Winter 2024 collection, Guram Gvasalia infused the lineup with a series of thought-provoking T-shirt slogans that served as a commentary on contemporary culture and the fashion industry itself. Beyond the cheeky “Not Mom’s Favorite,” the collection paraded a repertoire of slogans that oscillated between the humorous and the deeply reflective, further emphasizing Vetements’ role as a provocateur in fashion.
One T-shirt boldly declared “Fashion Clown,” a self-aware nod to the industry’s sometimes circus-like spectacle and perhaps a wink at Vetements’ own disruptive presence within it. Another, featuring the phrase “Eco not Ego,” pointedly critiqued the fashion world’s slow pivot towards sustainability, urging a reevaluation of priorities.
The collection also didn’t shy away from more pointed cultural references, with a T-shirt emblazoned with “Offline is the new luxury,” challenging the digital era’s grip on our lives and proposing a return to a more disconnected, perhaps authentic existence. This piece, in particular, captured the zeitgeist of our times, reflecting a growing disillusionment with the always-online culture and the yearning for genuine human connections.
Each slogan served as a narrative thread, contributing to the collection’s overarching commentary on society, the fashion industry, and the digital age. Gvasalia’s use of these wearable statements wasn’t just fashion; it was a conversation starter, a critique wrapped in the accessible form of a T-shirt. Through these pieces, Vetements continues to blur the lines between fashion, art, and societal observation, proving that a simple T-shirt can be a powerful medium for expression and discussion.
Later,
Leticia
