Lela Jacobs Launches Cross-Pollination of Cultures
Media Release
Wednesday, 4th
September 2013
Lela Jacobs Launches
Cross-Pollination of Cultures at New Zealand Fashion
Week
Photographer: Ishna Jacobs
From The Keep of Karangahape Road, Lela Jacobs launched her Autumn/Winter 2014 collection, De yesterday at New Zealand Fashion Week.
Showing for the first time at New Zealand Fashion Week, Lela Jacobs received an overwhelming response to her eleventh collection. Ryan Harte, one half of Wellington band, Sunken Seas injected a brooding, ambient soundscape throughout the industrial shell of Shed 2.
The De collection represents the manifestation of a personal culture; drawing on the exploration of fibre, texture and innovation. Jacob’s minimal approach to the aesthetic considerations of strong design and form does not disappoint this season.
Lela Jacobs was inspired by strong cultural elements of traditional dress and uniform. De invokes the cross-contamination of culture through fabric.
The label, Lela Jacobs reflects high quality fabrics that are wearable yet experimental. With an emphasis on versatility, the De collection is thought-provoking to the eye, encouraging the androgyny of fashion wearing at a conceptual level.
Jacob’s used natural fibres, with a carefully considered affinity toward those of Italian and Japanese origin. From NZ wools, cotton-linen and silk-bamboo wadding and slubbing vintage silk, all garments are finished off with Jacob’s trademark linen-binding.
De is a celebration of texture over colour; the collection shows off texture through a one-dimensional palette. Embracing the monochromatic spectra, the collection is dominated by the deconstruction of black and their trailing silhouettes.
Each piece is a cherished statement within the De collection.
Jacob’s key pieces on the runway included raw silk 1920’s style dress shirts and Italian woollen black kimonos.
With a fresh approach to the adornment of furs, Jacob’s collection showed of the deconstruction and re-working of an assortment of vintage furs into bespoke pieces.
Embellished with digitally fabricated fine metal pieces, some models on the runway held bespoke symbols from local designer, John-Troy O’Sullivan from his label Abnumeral.
Lela Jacobs open-studio and concept space is based on Karanghape Road, Auckland at The Keep.
Ends
Lela Jacobs acknowledges the following sponsors for New Zealand Fashion Week Otakiri Reserve, Stephen Marr, MAC and A Good Thing Shoes.