From the DENIM BRANDS TO WATCH Interviews from J'N'C Magazine N°70 / 4-2017, Interviews: Thorsten Osterberger & Cloat Gerold
Creative director Antonio Haslauer founded his label in 2017 and wants to expand the fashion boundaries of denim.
Why, of all fabrics, do you believe that denim is such a perennial favourite in the fashion world?
I think most people have an emotional connection to denim. Probably no other fabric carries such an iconic legacy, yet it presents itself with such a level of familiarity and ease that it is difficult for people not to relate to it, to feel comfortable in it, to aspire to and to experiment with it. As we are seeing a major shift in lifestyles and a certain commodification of fashion trends, denim presents to the fashion world (and to consumers, for that matter) a safe harbour of enduring style amidst the cacophony of fast trends.
As a designer, how do you deal with the rich heritage of this fabric?
It is certainly exhilarating to work with an icon. My perspective on denim is to push its boundaries beyond conventional expectations. Denim is not a banal medium. It has a life of its own and responds to design more intensely than a cut of silk charmeuse ever could. Washings, shrinkage and ever-changing textures, resulting from these processes, dictate their own rules. My work is to romance the intersection between fashion design and the richness of denim as a material.