Quick Take: Komono has announced the continuation of its partnership with the fashion department at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp for the third year in a row. KOMONO worked with five masters students in the creation of a pair of sunglasses linked to each students’ personal work; the resulting capsule collection is part of a new project, KOMONO NEXT, a continuous experiment exploring the boundaries of fashion accessories and a platform for some of the world’s most creative talents.
Specifics: The five designers are Julie Kegels, Luca Holzinger, Kaya Gayoung, Mohammed el Marnissi and Ingmar Patton Plusczyk. Kegels’ frames reference lace blindfolds, and take inspiration from The Dinner Party, an installation artwork by Judy Chicago from 1979. Holzinger’s frames are an ode to his grandmother, who broke free from an abusive relationship. He plays with themes of water and swimming, and uses Lycra, commonly used on swimsuits, on the frame front. Gayoung Lee took inspiration from The Color of Pomegranates and the photography of Viviane Sassen to create frames that play with shadows and angles. El Marnissi references an Arabian myth about two conflicted lovers who built a labyrinth to keep their relationship a secret. The frames feature a double layer, with two frame fronts placed on top of one another. Finally, Patton Plusczyk references Marchesa Louisa Casati, a wealthy and extravagant aristocrat who suddenly lost all of her wealth and fled to London where she began looking through trash for clothing and accessories. Patton Plusczyk combines the luxurious frames with the look and feel of a trash bag.
Selling Point: The new KOMONO NEXT collection is bold, fashion forward and experimental.
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