Lafayette148 New York's 2023 spring series draws design inspiration from the material properties of paper and the possibility of changing from the art carrier to the art itself. High-end textured fabrics are selected to give them a meticulous structural structure, presenting various forms of ethereal and poetic characteristics like paper.
2001, when Lafayette 148 New York creative director Emily Smith set foot in New York, she was already a well-trained visual artist. She had been lingering in professional paper stores on Chelsea West Street to search for inspiration and tools for artistic creation. In 2022, when Emily came out of the contemporary art gallery she often visited and walked to Chelsea West Street, she found that there was only one paper store left in the past. At that moment, she was touched by the short life of the paper, but the eternal and stunning texture, and started to create the 2023 Spring Series. She used the "blank canvas" on paper as a metaphor, obeying the natural beauty and functional properties of the fabric, freely exploring the elegant interaction between lines, silhouettes and body movements.
"All of these exquisite papers have become the creative starting point of this series, which feels good." Emily Smith said, "Through fabrics and handcrafts, we are committed to accurately simulate and reproduce the natural touch of paper; we try and handle different fabrics - folds, folds, cuts, layers... In the brand philosophy of Lafayette148 New York, fabrics are always the most important design core - this is our own true and appropriate 'blank canvas', not a decorative object that can be put away."
With the help of years of garment technology and cultural accumulation, The 2023 Spring Series explores the shaping potential of paper materials in a variety of forms. From the light cut of delicate and soft translucent tulle on the workplace suit, the light stretch of silk paper is whisked; to the retro feel of the cocoon-shaped linen blended trousers and CarCoat jackets, opening up the artistic imagination on craft paper. Italian Napas sheepskin adds delicate and natural folds to create a delicate and neat leather suit, just like parchment that transcribes ancient poems, which is translated into a motto about women's gorgeous self-confidence at this moment. linen and wool blended dress presents the lively rhythm of origami with sharp and stylish knife pleats. Sculptural pleats and intricate pleat structures give the dress and sweater an aesthetic that is artistically tensioned, and pays tribute to the handmade paper work of New York legendary artist Isamu Noguchi. The spring series of
2023 uses a large number of neutral tones, wrapped in the texture of the dunes and the mist-like haze, evokes the wonderful associations of natural creations, and dreams land and witnesses reality as charming. The most iconic decor of the paper – the Matisse cut – creates the highlights of the season’s colors: the cool neutral style and the highly saturated green and lemon colors. Solid color smudges achieve advanced advancedness in layered outfits; color blocks conflict and blend in printed silk to unlock your own multi-faceted personality.
art not only defines the 2023 spring series; it also defines the Lafayette148 New York brand itself - from Emily Smith and her studio to New York, where contemporary art is the most concentrated display, its rich culture and diverse lifestyle have always become a fertile ground for art nourishment. Born in Soho, New York in the 1990s, Lafayette 148 New York always has a tacit connection with the place with its same name. At Chelsea, it is also the filming location of the 2023 spring series, and it has also witnessed the original intention of Emily Smith's artistic pursuit over the past 20 years.
