Step into the future
Fashion Week had all the insiders abuzz with the design collaboration of hot new visionnaires Kermit Tesoro and Leeroy New. With a conceptual marriage of new shapes and experimental technology, the architectural products readjusted normal fashion sensibilities, taking futurism into the realm of mutation and science fiction fantasy. From vertiginous footwear of resin skull heels, to structural free floating forms. This is definitely not sartorial uniform for the safe. But don’t take my word for it, ogle and judge for yourself.
Ambiguity Leads To No Limitations
KERMIT TESORO: The collection is untitled. I believe that for a suggestive and conceptual art/fashion, the audience must be the one gathering all the visual perception. Of course it’s our responsibility as a designer/artist to provide the core value of the collection: which is genetic expectations traversed with sci-fi direction.
LEEROY NEW: Despite the absence of a title we seem to have had great synchronicity in terms of materializing the concept without setting too many structural constraints and rules. The concept explored antiseptic and clinical aesthetics, anatomical alterations largely inspired by sci-fi themes of genetic splicing and human-robot hybrids.
Complimenting The Complement
K: There are a lot of consultations and samples to begin with. The substructure of the garment exchanges between me and Leeroy and we play around it. Obviously we both have a different approach on clothing and the method behind it. Leeroy is responsible mostly for the unorthodox medium.
L: Since I employed more sculptural and alternative materials and techniques into the production of this collection, Kermit had to constantly balance the hardness with the fluidity with traditional fashion methods and materials like pattern-making and fabrics, etc.
Long Live Mcqueen
K: Manish Arora and Alexander Mcqueen are just so iconic. I must admit the late Alexander McQueen played a big role for his use of found objects.
L: Alexander McQueen has long been an influence initially because of the sculptural and innovative quality of his work. I’ve also been influenced by many other conceptual designers whose works exemplify the overlapping of the different fields of art and technology.
Play To Your Strengths
K: My strength comes from the whole preparation and the equal distribution of techniques. We have both identified our familiarity to different materials and its methods and we just make use of them, veering away from its usual execution.
L: My design strength lies in my sensibilities for sculptural forms and alternative materials and techniques as well as my desire to innovate. Having a common ground, which is our training in design and art, we can easily adapt to different means of creative production.
The Elusive Artistic Inspiration In The Local Scene
L: I haven’t discovered my muse yet.
K: Honestly, nobody comes to mind! I don’t know anyone who has the taste for the clinical. Catering it for a certain market wasn’t really on our horizon, maybe just for those who are like-minded and interested. Although there are pieces that are wearable.
The Deadly Cocktails
L: I use mostly industrial grade polymers and silicons fused with fabrics, found objects and acrylics. The techniques we employ range from casting to laser-cutting to assemblage.
K: For the body-con dresses, mixture of nylon, lame’ spandex, cotton lycra, pintucked auto leather and plastic rubber. I also used steiner (most often used for shoes as the substructure of leather; it softens when mixed with two kinds of adhesive) for leather’s underside and body installations, it was experimental, I say it isn’t the tried and tested thing to do but we gave it a go, Leeroy covered the steiner with resin gel and spray painted it. It worked. Steiner conforms to any shape that’s why most men’s leather shoes are quite hard and rigid. I used steiner for the armor brace of the long gowns and the base of other outfits. There are also the old favorites such as chiffon and organza fabrics for the inner wear of the long gowns. The shoes are made of nylon and auto leather, and its heels are made of resin.
Production Is A Bitch
K: Because we chose to work with a monochromatic palette, it was easier to manipulate the silhouette and style the whole collection. We both agreed that it might overload the look if we use other colors. We started conceptualizing last year. We practically worked for almost six months. There are a lot of revisions and editing. So it really depends on the medium and the design. The deadline threatened us to work faster.
L: Some pieces took longer to make than others and it mostly depended on the particular material and technique used to make them. Some pieces had three or more different stages in it’s production and would ideally take at least three weeks to a month to make.
The wearability of structure: seven-inch heels!
L: I think Kermit can answer that better.
K: It’s orthopedically correct, it’s a challenge for the flat lovers, but I think its workable to walk on those pairs. Limitation is relative. I know someone who can walk in 10-inch heels and there are people who easily trip with the regular low ones. But my limitation for wearability would be seven inches the highest, if we go beyond, it will be stilts.
Looking ahead
L: It’s time to top the last collection tenfold. In my case, there were a lot of first times and experimentation for this collection so I’m sure the next project would really be something else.
K: Brew another concept for the next show and look for more technologies to work on. But for now, a bit of rest and resume working on impending projects.
Any of the footwear sold?
K: None yet, but they’re on reserve. Shoes are just in demand like pancakes!
