Nearly 700,000 Swarovski Crystals Hit The Runway During New York Fashion Week
NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --Swarovski Collective designers Creatures of the Wind, Tome and Rosie Assoulin showcased stunning Spring/Summer 2017 collections featuring over 575,000 Swarovski crystals this New York Fashion Week. In the first season of collaboration for 2017 collections, the Swarovski Collective designers received financial support as well as the opportunity to experiment with Swarovski's extraordinary crystal range.
Creatures of the Wind's collection, titled "Angel," was inspired by ideas of polished beauty and the concept of the angel as an idealized entity, a representation of detached perfection, and a play on the use of 'angel' in pop music from the 1950s. Hand-embroidered Swarovski crystal appliques were developed from Victorian mourning jewelry playing off a custom lace pattern and floral print that were used to create a visually dense, optical illusion of layering. Sew-on stones were also blended into patterns, demonstrating crystal use as a design component rather than strictly as an embellishment.
Drawing inspiration from the optical art illusions of Bridget Riley and the women depicted in the work of Malick Sidibe and Seydou Keita, Ryan Lobo and Ramon Martin of Tome used custom hotfix transfer designs and Swarovski crystal fishnet banding to accentuate the geometric patterns in their collection.
Using the summer season as her inspiration, Rosie Assoulin created bold color blocks with Swarovski crystals in a variety of colors on a dress which included more than 142,000 crystals alone. Swarovski crystal beads were incorporated into fringe elements on a top, shoes, and a hat and the phrases 'thank you have a nice day' and 'wish you were here' were written out in custom crystal designs on tops.
Collaborative product support was provided to Tanya Taylor and Area.
Founded in 1999 following Nadja Swarovski's collaboration with Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow, the Swarovski Collective encourages emerging and established designers to explore the creative boundaries of crystal use and craftsmanship. The latest edition of the Swarovski Collective program spans New York, London, Paris and Milan fashion weeks, offering the designers year-long financial and crystal product support, plus the chance to win the annual Swarovski Collective Prize, the winner of which will be announced in May 2017.
Creatures of the Wind: Runway Show on Thursday, September 8 at 46 W 24th Street
"Each season is an exercise in recontextualization, and this season we chose to approach the crystal application through a psychedelic exploration of 1950s pop music. As with every other component that goes into the making of the collection – fabric, silhouette, color, texture, treatments – each season brings the challenge of making these components new, relevant, and beautiful. It's a constant challenge to move further than the season before. With Swarovski, specifically, it's about using the crystals in a new way, ideally proposing something that hasn't been previously explored in crystal." – Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters of Creatures of the Wind
Tome: Runway Show on Sunday, September 11 at The Dock, Skylight at Moynihan Station
"While there is always continuity season to season, this collection is the first time we have dedicated an entire runway collection to bold print. The Swarovski crystal elements suggest movement this time around, and there is a lot of movement, quite literally, in the collection." – Ryan Lobo and Ramon Martin of Tome
Rosie Assoulin: Presentation on Monday, September 12 at 450 W 14th Street
"Swarovski crystal elements take our garments to the next level and capture movement. It's the extra 'oomph!' Finding new applications in the garments comes naturally – it's figuring out how we make it our own that is the most interesting part. We're constantly pushing the craftsmen we work with to try new things with us and the result always is so fun and exciting!" – Rosie Assoulin
Backstage images (Photo credit – Eli Schmidt): https://we.tl/0BaNh5KSTv
Runway images (Photo credit – Dan Lecca): https://we.tl/m3UOMYMfGi
Video content (Credit – Atif Ateeq): https://we.tl/8GB20gSY20
SWAROVSKI
Swarovski delivers a diverse portfolio of unmatched quality, craftsmanship, and creativity. Founded in 1895 in Austria, Swarovski designs, manufactures and markets high-quality crystals, genuine gemstones and created stones as well as finished products such as jewelry, accessories and lighting. Now run by the fifth generation of family members, Swarovski Crystal Business has a global reach with approximately 2,560 stores in around 170 countries, more than 25,000 employees, and revenue of about 2.33 billion euros in 2014. Together with its sister companies Swarovski Optik (optical devices) and Tyrolit (abrasives), Swarovski Crystal Business forms the Swarovski Group. In 2014, the Group generated revenue of about 3.05 billion euros and employed more than 30,000 people. The Swarovski Foundation was set up in 2012 to honor the philanthropic spirit of founder Daniel Swarovski. Its mission is to support creativity and culture, promote wellbeing, and conserve natural resources. www.swarovskigroup.com
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160914/407796
SOURCE Swarovski Collective
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