Working generic garments through the upcycling lens is Rave Review’s remit, this season plying what designers Livia Schück and Josephine Bergqvist described backstage as somewhat preppy tropes into, well, their exact opposite.
As much as the eco-minded practice of sourcing deadstock fabrics, Rave Review’s punkish elan enhanced by the consistent DIY vibe of their collections has been ingrained in the brand’s DNA since its inception in 2017 and through to being shortlisted as finalists for the LVMH Prize for Young Designers in 2020.
In a backstage scrum after their second show during Milan Fashion Week, Schück said: “I think [we have been] working with quite generic garments and just putting them into a new life, but also maybe quite generic characters, and then just twisting and turning them.”
Patchwork tartans and checkered flannels were worked into captivatingly messy, layered looks, from the bias-cut, collegiate-evocative miniskirts, belted with grommeted neckties and worn over flared pants and matching tops, to the argyle vests paired with pants and paneled overskirts.
After parading some convincing outerwear, including their own take on the varsity bomber jacket, here lined in animalier teddy, as well as yeti-like faux furs and a humongous, belted parka with knit lining, the lineup veered toward sensual subversion in the tank dresses cut on the bias, sometimes made of tartan strips held together with see-through tulle, or in the ‘90s lace and silk elongated shirt and mid skirt combo.
“It feels like we’re contributing to [the city’s fashion week] with something that Milan didn’t really have,” Bergqvist said.
Milan has actually birthed and drawn some other local and international up-and-coming talents as of late, but an unconventional Swedish voice was indeed missing.
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