CATWALK by Marco Bertani
GUESTS by Steffan Rachou
BACKSTAGE by Luca Rossetti
BACKSTAGE by Anton Bj�rkman
Milano Moda Uomo 21-24 June 2014
TOM REBL SPRING / SUMMER 2015
Perfectly balanced between opposites that attract and repel, between East and West, between femininity and masculinity. An interplay of symbolic cross-references inspired by the ambivalent figure of the goddess Kali, the Hindu divinity embodying darkness and light, good and evil. Such is the inspiration behind the Tom Rebl S/S 2015 collection, the avant-garde fashion brand made in Italy.
A transversal journey of contaminations which rewrites contemporary fashion and defines new forms of clothing for men and women. Volumes become generous and fluid, only to unexpectedly reacquire their former sleekness. Iconic Tom Rebl garments such as biker jackets, trench coats and double-breasted robe coats are given a new twist and the sherwani, a long Indian jacket, comes to terms with the Western tailoring tradition.
Outerwear and pants, along with knitwear and robes, reveal a contemporary-mystical aesthetic code in which garments no longer possess a precise identity and their preciousness is enhanced by original fabrics sourced in India. Garments are made up from vintage silk brocade saris, which come to life again in a sort of Hindu reincarnation.
There is plenty of washed, distressed or painted denim, extremely lightweight micro modal jersey or embossed jacquard fleece, as well as linen, strikingly glossy chintz wool and elastic net fabrics. Manufacturing processes tell of the on-going punctilious research carried out by the stylist who shows a preference for high-tech laser techniques to create original surface effects that reinterpret the drapes of Indian saris.
Black in every possible shade predominates the collection, interpreted in chiaroscuro effects deriving from unusual textural weaves and the combined use of different yarns. Everything is illuminated by the presence of oxidized metal inserts and trims that recall the Indian stylistic tradition with stylized motifs worked into the fabrics.
Tom Rebl’s fourth runway season once more reveals a highly effective equilibrium between Italian haute couture tailoring and impacting stylistic contents. The traditional lines of men’s clothing have been broken down and reinterpreted in a new innovative language, poised between experimentation and provocation. Tom Rebl’s artisanal vocation is underpinned by the Bomb-Ray eyewear that constantly appears on the runway, combining a rust-effect or used look acetate with burnished or polished metal.
Alongside Tom Rebl Man, a Woman’s capsule collection of 25 models is being presented for the first time which, stemming from the collection for him, has borrowed some of its garments. The result is a mix between a feminine silhouette, outlined by figure-hugging garments, and a masculine one that is decidedly softer. A new figure that looks ahead while moving freely between the genders.
Volumes are generously defined and remodel the figure with proportions that go beyond any fashion stereotypes. The drapes already seen on garments for men recall those of saris whilst knitwear investigates new territories with pieces that are asymmetrical, revisited and reinventable. To complete the collection, a line of body jewellery, the sculptural hats from Zena, a Milanese artist who continues to work with Tom Rebl, and the shoes of decidedly underground inspiration signed by Alain Quilici.
The Tom Rebl show is a conceptual experience accompanied by the music of Sergio Carnevale, drummer of the Bluvertigo, and a performance by Angelo Orazio Pregoni, alias O’DRIÙ, artist and perfumer who recovers the sense of rituality as an antidote to contemporary banalization with Bomb_Hay, the India-inspired fragrance created especially for the occasion: mysticism has the scent of a sacred perfume (per fumum),