A giant tongue and cut-out holes
Henrik Vibskov has been pushing the boundaries of fashion since he began designing clothes. Starting his career working with Bernhard Willhelm, he has gone on to create his own aesthetic, looking to oversized silhouettes, intriguing print, layers and most of all, a sense of fun. This collection was no different, conceptual at its core and wearable in its materialisation. Set in the courtyard of a grand Parisian school, the show was a casual and relaxed affair and caused the audience to break out in smiles at the end of a long day – a good thing! The menswear and womenswear had references to ethnic tribes coming through in print detailing on suiting and hole cut-out pieces. Models, an all black casting, walked the runway alongside a giant inflatable abstract tongue, which featured a number of figures entwined in it, moving fluidly throughout the show. Dazed Digital caught up with the designer afterwards to get an explanation of this season's concept and how it related to the designs he produced...
Dazed Digital: What was the concept behind the show?
Henrik Vibskov: We worked with the tongue as a theme, I was interested in how the tongue is the cleaner of the body. The whole thing was set up around the idea of the way in which a tongue kind of emerges from the body and then recoils.
DD: How did that transfer into the clothes?
Henrik Vibskov: We put the idea of the taste buds and the movement of the tongue into the prints, and the taste buds became the polka dots that you saw. It is quite a free process for me so I start with an idea and then it mutates throughout the design period.
DD: There was also something quite farmer-like about parts of the show?
Henrik Vibskov: Yeah, I don't quite know where that emerged from. I guess I like the hats that are a part of that whole aesthetic and I was reworking them this season. I also worked with bamboo systems that the models carried on their backs. There was a handcrafted feel. I'm not sure how it all relates but I know I wanted the guys to be carriers. That was very important.
DD: You cast black models exclusively. Was there a political reason behind that?
Henrik Vibskov: In the past we haven’t been that focused on the models, so I wanted to work with just one skin colour. It gave a good starting point for the clothes to sit on. I thought it would be nice to work with the contrast of that skin tone. It wasn't political at all, I think they are the best models in lots of way. Especially in the way they walk. White guys just seem to plod along while black guys really take control of the runway.
