LUKE ARCHER
As the aim of this collection was to capture the luxury and elegance of Alfa Romeo cars within my garments, I have made sure that I use materials that also represent these qualities. I have combined silk satin to create deep and vivid colours and soft lines with neoprene to give structure and density to the garments and a sense of modernity. As these vehicles are a tribute to modern technology I have also used Aluminium to give sharp lines and drama. I have included beadwork and crystals to give lustre and to include otherwise potentially unnoticed beauty that these cars possess.
Alfa Romeo’s cars are undeniably sexy, elegant and combine femininity and masculinity. These are also my fundamental guidelines while designing so it was important that the garments contained all of those qualities, I want the women that wear these clothes to intimidate, to be graceful and draw gasps of awe.
I believe it is important that fashion design is not just restricted to fabrics and should branch out to any material that you see appropriate. This collection is not a commercial collection nor is it a high street designer collection, this collection called for high fashion and couture and I believe with the materials and techniques that have been infused into these garments i have achieved this goal.
GEORGE JENKINS
A recurring theme of my work is sensuality and feminine sexuality, so for the Alfa Romeo collection it was very much about combining that sense of a powerful woman in charge of her sexuality with the power of the engine and being in control of an attractive machine.
The headpieces and accessories were designed with Alfa Romeo in mind, taking the luxurious, stylish reputation of the brand and combining it with the curvaceous nature of the cars. I've chosen to reflect the iconic colour schemes of the brand in my pieces and chosen materials which will call to mind the stylish extravagance of the autos. The headpieces lend a sense of power and eye-catching dynamism to the wearer, a similar experience to driving an Alfa Romeo.Crystals and lights reflect the shine and glamour of the sports car while luxurious fabrics give a sexual, sensuous edge.
Glamour and style is often dependant on subtle finishing touches, my aim was to accentuate Luke’s designs while also mirroring the same inspiration which emerged from the Alfa Romeo brand.
KATYA ENCHEVA
When I started my designs for the Alfa Romeo competition, I kept thinking about the leather interior of the car. Most of the time, people get inspired from the exterior, but this time I wanted to go further, beyond the shell and to look inside.
So I was examining the leather and the way it was stitched and I was thinking that I have to translate this onto a dress. The car is very sleek, classic. When I look at it I imagine stylish dinner parties with beautiful mysterious women, with long hair covering half their pretty faces. All dressed in black, as if they are ready to escape in the dark night and you will never see them again. The leather fixed perfectly into this concept of a free-spirit woman, ready to escape, to be different and to be spontaneous.
I guess not many people know how hard it is to use leather. On the technical side it is a nerve cracker. You have to have special needles for your machine, because it is leather, it stretches. Then it gets stuck, it doesn’t want to slide through the machine, but I know this trick – I take hand cream and I spread it on the leather pieces, where I need to stitch. The leather gets soft and slick. And the hand cream? It soaks in and leaves no traces.
You have no right to make mistakes when using leather. When you want to unstitch something, the needle leaves small holes and you can’t hide them. For the very same reason you can’t use pins. I hand-stitch everything to fix it together and then I stitch it again on the machine. But as my grandma used to say, “Hard work pays off” and in the long run I hope I end up with my mysterious dark woman coming alive on the catwalk.
Sketches by Luke Archer