The method behind Vetements' madness is simple: Take clothing no one would ever expect to be desirable, and turn it into exclusive, high-fashion goods that go viral almost immediately.
Creative director Demna Gvasalia is the first to admit this: In Sunday's issue of T: The New York Times Style magazine, he tells writer Alexander Fury of the label, "It’s ugly, that's why we like it.”
But Gvasalia isn't the only talent turning fashion on its head. The interview gives insight into his life, as well as that of Gucci's Alessandro Michele, both of whom were little-known names slightly over a year ago. Today, they're two of the most talked about, most innovative, and most influential figures in the biz, disrupting an industry that has recently been struggling with over-saturation and exhaustion. In the interview, they discuss the hidden beauty in the unexpected, the fine line that exists between something that fulfills creativity and something that's sellable, and how their iPhones have replaced their sketchpads.
But what's perhaps most intriguing (and most "Demna") lies not within the extensive feature, but in a photo caption. In an image of the duo holding onto the leash of a German Shepard, the text reads: "Gvasalia (left) borrowed a nearby security guard’s T-shirt, a reference to his own sold-out Vetements look from last fall that reconfigured a similar sweater." Now, not to be totally presumptuous, but given his track record with finding inspiration in the strangest places (see: the red and yellow label of Germany shipping company DHL), could this security guard's polo be the next big thing to hit the runway? Come September, will fashion folk be sporting an oversized, luxury version of this top with their frayed jeans and Gucci slides?
Weirder things have happened. And if there's one thing we know for sure, it's that Gvasalia is always ready to be the king of making ugly clothes cool — security guards shirts included.
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