Every season I start an M2057 collection with an inspiration that gives me order and boundaries—this becomes a mantra for my designs, so to speak. Sometimes there's a direct line between a garment and a particular building or detail that I find interesting; other pieces spring from a deeper, unconscious place in my mind, which begins to filter through every decision.
For Spring 2018, I was taken with the dual inspirations of Brutalist architecture and a Pop Art color palette. I was drawn to Brutalism’s mix of purpose and rawness, and how volume takes shape from those ideas. My story board focused on several structures by the likes of Corbusier, Louis Kahn, Bertrand Goldberg, and Lina Bo Bardi. Inspired by buildings like Kahn’s National Assembly Building in Bangladesh, the collection’s dresses, jackets, tunics, skirts, and tops transform voluminous, geometric silhouettes into feminine, wearable shapes while examining the relationship between positive and negative space.
VENDELA Jacket + MELBA Tunic
Across the collection, I tried to explore different balances: masculine-feminine, solid-void. The MELBA tunic takes the shape of a traditional man’s shirt but with steps at the sleeves and hem, shadowing the wrist and legs with a geometric boldness that flatters the female form. The VENDELA jacket’s triangular cutout neckline and cropped length create voids that balance out its strong horizontal energy.
I'm also very excited about a new laser-cut stretch fabric (that is still machine washable, of course!), which further evokes the play on negative and positive spaces, as seen in the window designs of Bo Bardi’s SESC Pompeia in Sao Paulo.
OLANNA Dress/Coat + ZOE Minidress
This new fabric defines the shape of the OLANNA dress (which can also be worn as a jacket), which is constructed from solid and transparent pieces that thoughtfully expose various parts of the body. Similarly, the ZOE laser minidress lets you create positive or negative spaces depending on what you choose to wear underneath: a strapless top and boyshorts captures a young, playful mood, while a minimalist slip dress gives the look a more classic feel.
CARLI Coat
I needed a bold color palette to complement these graphic designs, and I immediately gravitated to the primary palettes of pop artists like Keith Haring and Roy Liechtenstein. In a boxy jacket like the CARLI, Atom red and Electron blue define the strong, solid shape, while a new circle print, the black-and-white Kusama Dot, adds depth and energy to the simple fabric surface—much like how Goldberg turned the exterior of Chicago’s Marina City into an expressive pattern.
What's also beautiful about this collection is how versatile it is—layer pieces now while it's still chilly, then let loose when it gets warm!
I hope that you have a wonderful day!
Until next time,
MARIA