Old Truman Brewery, London. June 9th, 2019.
Bianca Saunders collection for the next Spring Summer goes under the title of ‘Character’, once again delves deep into the male identities surrounding the designer, bringing together research conducted over the past three seasons. The starting point was Bianca’s recent 2019 film, ‘Unravelling’, which features a group of Saunders’ male friends talking about what masculinity means to them. This time around, the subjects also include women like stylist PC Williams and artist Rochelle White, who offer an alternative view. In particular, her friend and interviewee Eldon Somers. The designer was inspired by Eldon’s disregard of the power of his self-expression. His clashing dress sense often makes others question social constructs and gender boundaries, as the artist and DJ usually performs in formal clothing, yet, Eldon himself notes: "I don’t see myself as challenging anything". In Bianca’s newest collection, expect to see a modern take on formal dressing and Bianca developing signature of fabric manipulation throughout.
Subtle colour references, sparked by Barkley L Hendricks are also interlaced. Hendricks was known to infuse fluorescent colours within the background of his paintings to contrast his center figures. Similarly, Bianca has noticeable accents of vibrant hues displayed within the set design, including a vibrant red and a yolk yellow. The set was designed alongside George Lewin to create a relaxed, structural atmosphere, mimicking Saunders designs with the exposure of frames, imitating the action of lifting up the walls. The sound piece performed by Eldon Somers is a collection of one-off compositions, field recordings, originally sourced sound and personal favorites. His style influences consist of global inspiration including West Africa, Jamaica, Harlem and London. Using the the comfort of familiarity, collectively the musical set provided by Somers is intended to create a serene sound arrangement, as though catching escaping notes and frequencies from a male bedroom.
Photographed by Silvia Draz
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