After a slew of punk-vibing collections, designers Livia Schück and Josephine Bergqvist seem to have turned the page.
In their ongoing quest to elevate upcycling to progressive and meaningful fashion, their Rave Review spring show was a display of modest fashion at its highest — and sometimes lowest.
Taking quite literal cues from the “simple life” of rural Sweden, as show notes read, the duo reimagined generic garments adding twists, at times inventive and smart, at others unflattering.
In the former category fell the tank dresses made of patchworked tank tops; the see-through organza pencil skirt and shirt ensemble embroidered with coral red threads that formed a checkered pattern; the mannish fabrics plied into patchwork numbers, from the waist-nipping pantsuit with an overskirt and floor-skimming trenches to the bias-cut primrose frocks and skirts.
Scrap dolls and wooden knickknacks were turned into charm necklaces, brooches and other accessories, while the Speedcat sneakers from Puma — the show’s main sponsor — were DIY-ed with similarly playful embellishments.
Domestic life-inspired balloon skirts made of tablecloths sewn to a waistband weren’t exactly fascinating. Ditto for the vintage dishcloths forming a drapey top.
By their own admission, this was the designers’ celebration of handicraft and an effort to “put magic back into the disenchanted modernity,” they said, quoting sociologist Max Weber.
If magic in fashion means desirable, the mission was only partially accomplished.