BDMOTP recently had the pleasure of visiting AVOC, which is a French acronym which stands for ‘Architecture Vestimentaire Ornement Corporel’ which, in English, would be Clothing Architecture Bodily Ornament, and which, of course would need some serious explanation.

This is not exactly your average run-of-the-mill concept wear as there is not so much just one concept involved (like, let’s say, minimalist 3D printing with recycled materials to help the rainforest) as that there is an actual bit of performance art or ‘dialogue’ that takes place between the AVOC menswear itself and an architectural ‘installation’ in which features a certain story inside a setting of stylized interior design.

AVOC therefore, around since 2013 and founded by the French duo designers of Bastian Laurent and Laura Do, is not just only a clothing line or a brand but is simultaneously also an interior design and art direction agency which works with architectural installations mise-en-scène and set up with a story woven into it in which then an iconic piece of clothing resembling the scene will feature.

The overall concept thus is that the materials and style of the clothing line and collection is going to fit into the story as well as match the installation.

Imagine a kitchen in which both a man and a woman are having an argument. The stone cold tiles of the kitchen walls and floor are styled and shaped by reference to the emotions that are taking place during the scene (this is called scenography and is done by taking stylized photos). Perhaps that we could expect certain shades of blue for sadness or red for anger and sharp angles to the tiles in case the argument gets out of hand? An old TV set with a particular movie playing while the couple is wearing something not dramatic, but drab, dim, and bland indicating the daily slumber of life in general?

Key in this imagined scene above is that the iconic clothing items worn by the performance models both fit and match the SCENE and not just the person, the idea being of course that our personality today is not only shaped by what we wear (no hipsters please) but also by what happens to us at which point in time and where and how.

Our model Olivier AVOC – decorated as architectural avant-guardist

For this reason the collection of AW15 AVOC homme that we witnessed has, besides containing the very structural elements and materials which can be related to the architecture and interior decoration in the scene and the story (let’s say the gabardine of the furniture coming back in the overcoat), a very minimalist and functional look, while the colors used are basic and not flashy so that they can become part of many stories – your story, and many scenes – your scenes.

Oliver as architectural performance artist

The colors used for AW15 AVOC homme are basic Hooker’s (look it up, it exists) green, basic Independence blue, basic Battleship grey, and Taupe (very close to Beaver but not quite). Likewise the cut and the style of the collections remains basic, functional, and minimalist, so that in this way the items themselves become iconic – as if it were your beautiful oak front door with the old brass knocker in the form of the head of a deer, or your baroque cast iron fence around the house which keeps those pesky dogs in the neighborhood out of your yard, or your iconic retro Aston Martin 1977 –, all of which, of course, many stories do tell, and many scenes will remember.

The grand idea here, it must now become clear to you after this torrid and twisted explanation, is then that each piece of the AVOC collection can be worn indepedently as a bodily ornament or decoration – so that indeed, all explanations notwithstanding, it must be said that the items are beautiful to behold, nice to wear, and very special.

Post by Sandro, photos by Mous and modeling by Olivier.