Gabriel Vielma is known for his keen eye for colour, texture and shape. This, when combined with his expert cutting skills, results in pieces which are truly beautiful and special, always striking the perfect balance between elegant and fun. The Gabriel Vielma woman is independent, vibrant and unafraid of the new – and his Autumn/Winter 2016 collection presentation was a true testament to her.
For this collection, Gabriel Vielma sought his inspiration from the soothing waters of the sea – think vintage sailor imagery, navigation maps, aquatic flora and fauna, and the infamous Wes Anderson movie titled ‘The Life Aquatic.’
One of the most interesting things about this collection was the setup and the background, which was made to look like the interior of a submarine, with electric blue piping, periscopes and iPads highlighting the models’ eyes as they moved around.
The collection features a pleasant mix of warm and cool shades, like saffron, khaki, deep blue and black, underpinned by ocean-inspired glittery socks worn with leather sandals. Suede was definitely the standout fabric for this collection and featured heavily on outwear pieces, in combination with sailor braids, as well as nautical knots on dresses and tops. Seabirds circling the ocean were the most prominent motifs, followed by the contours of navigation maps.
A memorable trip to the seaside, indeed!
This collection combined the elegance of Victorian romance with darker nuances of enticing Gothic culture. The clothing was initially inspired by a gothic novel but somewhere down the line, Tim Walker’s photography further nuanced the designers’ approach. In a certain sense, Three Floor’s “Curious Labyrinth” combined conflicting principles of aesthetics to create outfits that were in my opinion, quite striking and wearable.
It’s very interesting how Tai chooses to set himself apart from the mainstream by creating clothes exclusively for the unconventional woman of today. Perhaps his own personality – self-proclaimed bookworm and awkward lad that he is – propelled him to foray into the fashion world with his unique, innovative aesthetics. His work won him the inaugural Chloe award at the 2012 Hyères Festival when he first debuted his collection. He then received sponsorship from his Mercedes-Benz and well, the rest is history. Over the past 4 years, he has won many awards and much attention for his quirky clothing at various forums.
Today, Tai enjoys a cult following of people who can’t be bothered with a long list of fashion norms and conventional trends. His collection at the LFW 2016 appealed to the sensibilities of these very people. It projected the “steventai girl” as one who “feels tired before the party starts” and just wants to “curl up before her Netflix”. Thus, his apparel used fabrics and textures associated with “granny clothes”. Corduroys in soft shades, voluminous, comfy silks and patchwork detailing were used generously used to fashion outfits that were nerdy yet edgy.
His collection was a breath of fresh air in the midst of high couture creations that were predominantly “contemporary chic”. I may not have a Steven Tai creation right now but I totally get his appeal. What do you have to say about his nonconformist style?