The most striking thing about the Y / Project show here on opening day in Paris was how well the ambiance and location matched with the models and the collection, and when we then read that Glenn Martens (who is designer for the French brand Y / Project) hometown is Bruges in Belgium we put two and two together, because the old city of Bruges is without a contest probably one of the darkest and most medieval cities that Europe still has to offer today – a left over hewn in old stones from the dark ages. Something out of Nosferatu.

And that brings up vampires, yes, because the models all were so splinter thin – if not all so pale and / or ghastly looking – that they could only have been chosen with this very purpose in mind – that is to create some type of post-modern zombie shock, like many popular TV shows would have it for us today (the White Walkers from Game of Thrones for instance), so as to make an un-deadly serious statement of intent in style or in fashion. And if this were indeed the concept or the idea, then Y / Project succeeded rather well.

For the location of the event was the notorious Parisian rive droit underground & rave club ‘Le Gibus’, seated deep inside that dark part of town which makes you feel that if you had to live there, that the sun would never shine. And so it was. The red-light underground, the low ceilings, the industrial 19^th century steampunk setting outside, the black and dark-clad guests and visitors to the show, the limited lighting – gothic and dark elements all, conspiring to show something quite unique and beautiful – a very nice collection Y / Project SS16 worn by eerily thin shuffling models on a runway where the sun don’t shine (in case you are asking – no, they did not crawl).

It thus attests to and proves that good fashion design, even in the darkest places, can still create things of such sartorial beauty, that no matter how ghastly the environment or the setting is, that we are still drawn to beautiful creations in the way moths are drawn to the lamp outside in the evening, or flowers to the light of day. And for this we have to thank Glenn Martens creating for Y / Project. Because he made a wearable and versatile collection of surprising beauty given the dark inspirations taken (the press release speaks of ‘gothic architecture’ and ‘medieval structure’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Sandro and photos by Mous.