Vejas AW15

Initial reaction:

The last girl standing in the post-apocalyptic, post-gender world of Vejas. “I was interested in the idea of the girl who survives at the end of the horror movie, the final girl,” designer Vejas Kruszewski explained. “She’s been through shit and hell – it’s about resilience.”

Representing the real world: 

In a refreshing move, Kruszewski selected a group of transgender and diverse models for the presentation, including Dazed 100’s reader favourite, Hari Nef. “I have a ton of transgender friends and often they don’t get much representation,” the designer explained. “I feel like fashion gets really white-washed and I just want to be as inclusive as possible, because this is representational of the outside world.” The collection itself disregarded outdated ideas of gender in its twisted take on Americana, featuring jersey jumpers with holes revealing flesh and distressed shearling with leather straps, bound around breasts.

The atmosphere:

In New York, it’s interesting to see how younger brands like Hood By Air, Gypsy Sport and Eckhaus Latta have gained such big followings in recent seasons. With a guest list that just about covered an A4 page, Vejas felt different. Around thirty people stood at the edges of the Johannes Vogt Gallery, the space filled with car tyres overflowing with flowers and a Yves Klein blue oil patch on the floor (the work of set designer Jessica Kwok). It’s rare these days to feel like you’re witnessing the birth of something – especially at a time where the next generations of designers emerge at breakneck speed. Vejas was one of those rare moments.