Fashion, for the most part, is split into two types of designer. There are the ones who revel in being OTT, extroverted, and outrageous, who often become celebrities in their own right, and then there are those who are much happier away from the public eye, doing what they do best in the studio, and staying as far away from social media as it’s possible to be (although whether they have a finsta or not is another story altogether).
Rising Paris-based designer and LVMH Prize semi-finalist Boramy Viguier seemingly falls into the second camp, as proven by a new short film he created in celebration of an exclusive capsule collection landing at Browns this season. “They wanted me to take loads of selfies as I was going about my day, with a selfie-stick and everything,” he explains. “I wasn't so into all eyes being on me though, so I switched things around and decided to strap a camera to my head and do it that way instead.”
Co-directed by Samuel Rixon, the finished visual is a surreal journey through a day in the life of Viguier, as he makes his way around the streets of Paris, gets down to work in his studio, and goes about the mundane tasks we all face day-to-day (at one point, he's even seen making a grilled cheese sandwich in a pretty unconventional way – RIP his toaster).
Elsewhere, personal clips of his travels in nature are interspersed with pop cultural references, obscure ecclesiastical and gothic imagery, and macabre anatomical sketches, as well as quotes from Viktor E Frankl – an Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor whose work centred around existential analysis.
The collection itself is also demonstrative of the designer’s unique approach to his creative practice. Having worked under Lucas Ossendrijver at Lanvin for just under five years, Viguier’s clothing is primarily utilitarian and meticulously crafted, with hidden details to be discovered throughout: oversized canvas parkas, streetwear-informed vests, blouson bombers, and classic button-down shirts feature sacred imagery and symbols embroidered to their cuffs and collars, while many pieces are finished with pockets with various Tarot cards inside.
According to Viguier, this penchant for mysticism has followed him throughout his life. “I’m very attracted to and interested in religion and the cult-ish,” he explains. “I enjoy going to churches, cathedrals, mosques, cemeteries, Japanese Shintoist temples, even the Buddhist altar at my mom’s, and I really like religious garments from every era. When I see how the pharaohs were buried with all the jewellery and the special outfit… that also turns me on. I guess I like when human beings create for the ‘eternity’, and when the purpose of creation is greater than humanity. I want to create garments that imply something spiritual.”
Watch the film below.