Take Ames

I have a slight obsession with all things 20's and 30's from furniture and ornaments to clothes and art. It was a very exciting period in history where perceptions of many things changed and I think many of todays liberal attitudes, in particular women's fashion, owe much to that time.

Post war, Walter Gropius created the Bauhaus school of art, design and architecture. The Bauhaus style is characterised by it's stark geometric shapes and students were always encourage to create their art with consumerism in mind; a controversial stance, but one which Gropius believed heavily in since the German economy was in post war turmoil. He taught that function was every bit as important as form and that still stands true today.

The Bauhaus style has been a constant influence on fashion since it's origins and I am always excited to see a designer interpret the movement. That's why the work of Matthew Ames is so appealing to me. He has taken the stripped back ethos of the Bauhaus movement - that respect for materials - and incorporated the geometric shapes to great effect. The result is an exploration of circular and diamond patterns in monochrome and warm reds.

The beauty of Ames' work is that rather than throwing a curve ball each season, he prefers to hone his own look and seems unswayed by trends. If you buy an Ames piece this season the you can be sure that it'll still work next season and all season's after that. That ideal seems, intentionally or not, to reference the Bauhaus movement too.

I am absolutely loving the exaggerated sleeves, which we also saw at Lanvin A/W07, and the overall feeling of being accessibly avant-garde, which seems a contradiction in terms, but it works. It'll be no surprise to you either that Ames names Rei Kawakubo and Martin Margiela as two of his heaviest influences.

Queen Michelle

Comments

[leah]

love the clothes and the model!

[Miss White]

Love your addition of the red circles (it is your addition?!), they illustrate your point perfectly!

[Queen Michelle]

Miss White the red spots are indeed my addition :)

[elaine]

This is really inspiring, I love bauhuas and the whole modernist era, great to see designs influenced but such a great movement. And it really works, so wearable. I need that white shirt/skirt combo. Oh and those red dots are perfect!