GLEAM PRESS RELEASE – MARCH 2010

MARCH 2010

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WHEN I STARTED THE F/W11 COLLECTIONS FOR MEN AND WOMEN, I KNEW THAT I WANTED TO CREATE SOMETHING MORE OPULENT. BUT OPULENT IN A ROUGH, PRIMAL WAY. 

I ONCE FOUND A PHOTOGRAPH OF A PARK WALL IN BERLIN THAT I'VE ADOPTED AS A PERSONAL MOTIF. ITS GEOMETRIC BAS RELIEF CONCRETE LOOKS PRIMITIVE AND FUTURISTIC AT THE SAME TIME. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS WALL REALLY IS, BUT EVERY TIME I GO TO BERLIN, I KEEP A LOOK-OUT FOR IT. 

I'VE DONE THIS MOTIF IN SHAVED MINK, IN WOOL BROCADE AND IN ALLIGATOR PATCHWORK IN THE PAST. FOR THIS SEASON'S WOMENS COLLECTION I DID IT AS 'SEQUINS' IN HORN, AND IN BLEACH-RESIST DENIM. 

I'D BEEN TOYING WITH THE IDEA OF SEQUINS FOR AWHILE AND FINALLY FOUND A WAY TO DO MY VERSION OF THEM. I FOUND AN ARTISAN IN PARIS WHO SPECIALIZES IN DOING CUSTOM WORK IN SPECIAL MATERIALS; MICA APPLIED TO WALLS, CUSTOM IVORY DOOR HANDLES FOR VINTAGE CARS, THAT SORT OF THING. GAVE HIM MY BERLIN WALL MOTIF AND HE CREATED GEOMETRIC SHAPES WITH HOLES IN THEM TO HAND-LACE ONTO SHEARLING COATS. 

FOR THE BLEACH-RESIST DENIM, I TORTURED MY DENIM WASH HOUSE BY HAVING PANELS OF DENIM SEWN WITH GEOMETRIC PATCHES, STONEWASHED AND BLEACHED, THE PATCHES TORN OFF AND DIFFERENT ONES APPLIED, THE PANEL OVERDYED, THESE PATCHES TORN OFF AND DIFFERENT ONES APPLIED, AND OVERDYED AGAIN. I WANTED SOMETHING LABOR-INTENSIVE IN A RAW WAY. A RAW LUXURY. 

THESE WERE MY VERSIONS OF SEQUINS AND EMBROIDERY. 

THE FURS I USED THIS SEASON WERE A BEAUTIFUL GREY KANGAROO, MY FAVORITE PEKAN, AND RUSSIAN SABLE WITH A NAPPA FINISH. I ALSO INCLUDED A FABRIC I HAD CUSTOM-MADE FROM STERLING SILVER THREAD, USUALLY USED FOR ROBE EMBROIDERIES FOR THE VATICAN. I HAD THE THREAD OXYDIZED BEFORE WEAVING IT TO DARKEN AND MUTE THE SHINE. 

THE MAKEUP FOR THE SHOW HAD TO BE HARD AND ARTIFICIAL IN A KABUKI WAY, SO AS THE INSPIRATION I LOOKED TO MY OLD FRIEND KEMBRA FROM THE BAND THE VOLUPTUOUS HORROR OF KAREN BLACK. 

I USED AN ACHINGLY ROMANTIC BALLAD FROM GLAM ROCK-ERA QUEEN THAT TRANSITIONED INTO RELENTLESS HARD TECHNO AT THE VERY END (SORRY, I JUST COULDN'T HELP IT).