MICHALSEBASTIAN

Mesdames et messieurs – Off Couture How limited our outlook on art can be; how subjective the views on commonly accepted beauty? What for one is art for another may be nothing but kitsch or monstrosity. In truth, nothing is ugly; there are no ugly people or things. I learnt my craft in charity and second hand shops, I was mesmerised by beauty and artistry of clothes that used to please the eye once and of which the best times were long gone. When we look at people and things superficially, we see what we want to see. Unfortunately, not many make the effort to see beyond the ugliness or evident beauty, to discover the full potential in something. Not many people turn their garments inside out to appreciate the seams, the lining, the invisible underclothing, the forgotten button hole and a little pocket hidden somewhere in the lining. We miss out on these little gems which see the day light so rarely. In the creative process of sewing and tailoring threads, scissors, the chaos of the multitude of fabrics are the imperceptible and inconspicuous parts of the new collection. These are extremely colourful and inspiring. I would like to draw the attention to the most emancipated and beautiful parts, the androgynous of dressmaking and tailoring. Elements that are often left out, that go unmentionable, les eminences gris of the couturier’s laboratory: linings, trimmings, corsets, girdles, corrective undergarments. I want to show what source of inspiration they were to me; all these allegedly ugly bits and bobs found in couturier’s workshop. I wanted to break the silence and glamorise them, introduce them to the world of high fashion because they form an inseparable part of the classic style of Mesdames et Messieurs. Style, which we can find in the old-fashioned and perfect stitching of the clothes now hanging in charity and second hand shop. I want to prove the fallibility of our perceptions and draw the attention to the beauty hidden between linings, hidden in every detail and every thread; beauty concealed in every single piece of garment and in each and every of us.