Story

februar 22, 2016

Text Maren Serine Andersen Photos Luca Sorheim

As he appeared from the dark and frosty evening outside, the silhouette of Knut Bry synchronized with Maren Serine in enthusiastic fist pumping to the beats of Nightcall. After keeping on going a while longer than usual for ironic dancing, the playful and exuberant photographer greeted her with his characteristic crab-like handshake.

Knut Bry is awarded for his powerful work that includes fashion editorials portraying icons like Grace Jones. He also contributes with humanitarian projects like «Water for Everyone» which aims to illuminate one of the results of global warming: the challenge of clean water accessibility for all people. Knut Bry has also appeared in front of the camera himself. His fashion model debut was nothing less than wearing one of the first men’s collections by legendary fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. Now he was curious about the fashion shows that mon Dieu had covered at Oslo Runway and wanted an update.

First Maren Serine showed him the official promotion video shot by her friend, Wesley Garcia on the main venue, The Oslo Opera House. She told him to pay attention to the guy in the video that is soon to be the newest member of mon Dieu Personae.

Then she told him about the show at F5 Concept store. She described how the intimate store space, as well-balanced contrast to the quite overwhelming main venue, and the collections of the resident designers felt contemporary, fresh and effortless. When the beats of Begging you stopped after the show she was both thrilled and relieved for the Krystad Marthinsen brothers and Filip Wibe, founders of F5 Concept Store and designers of the brands GRAA and ARCT. Set aside the joy of seeing these friends and mon Dieu collaborators succeeding, the ARCT logos sprawled over a denim jacket had made her feel an extra glow of pride for Art Director of the brand and mon Dieu Editorial team member, Luca Sorheim. And some curious footwear showpieces that gave an illusion of soles floating under feet down the catwalk by resident designer Aúma was a detail that also had to be mentioned.

Knut Bry suspiciously guessed that Maren Serine had been placed front row to promote the show so gloriously. His wary frown transformed into a grin as she explained that this was a mystery forever to remain obscure as she had been late and the doors had been closed at her arrival. The grin advanced to laughter when she revealed that she on the other hand had been smuggled inside through the backdoor and ended up with a really great spot to see the show. However, his front row comment reminded Maren Serine of something interesting that happened.

There was one show where the mon Dieu editorial team was separated, and in a funny way it resembled being picked for football teams in gym class more than being there together to create a presentation of the fashion event. One editor was placed on front row, one on second row, while one was actually left to stand in the back until the event organizers wanted to fill the empty seats on the edge of show start.

Knut Bry with long experience in the fashion industry laughed, rolled his eyes and cooed: «Look at me, look at me!». He explained that the front row is often more about hunger for fame and money than about reflecting over the collections based on interest for the aesthetics and fulfilling important responsibilities of an influencer, like promoting sustainability solutions as a top priority. Coincidence or not, Maren Serine could confirm that the mon Dieu Editor placed on front row was actually the one that had gathered most attention on social media, and so the Fashion cliché was revealed to be real. A following silence moaned their mutual discontent.

Maren Serine broke the silence by describing the most aesthetically pleasing experience of them all. «Nothing can cure the soul but the senses», as this effect has been called – and just like that, the mood brightened at once. She explained how Admir Batlak’s Show in the Opera House Foyer was intriguing for several reasons. Luckily the designer offered quite liberal seating options so that the mon Dieu Editorial team got a great spot from where they could document and discuss the collection. They placed themselves right in front of the fascinating installation «The other wall», by artist Olafur Eliasson that elegantly embraced the neon resembling extremities of Admir Batlak’s harmonizing color palette dominated by cold shades.

Knut Bry was familiar with Olafur Eliasson and started to explain Maren Serine about the installation that consists of white and green light panels integrating daylight, artificial light and shadows. In this way the geometric patterned wall is capturing individual movements and the notion of temporality. She assured that the installation made a poetic and natural backdrop for Admir Batlak’s lively, idiosyncratic collection. Even though nothing was done else than showing the collection with attention focused towards the installation, this created a unique visual dynamic that involved everyone present in the surroundings. When Eliasson’s installation was brought up, fashion was quickly forgotten, and they went over to admire photos of other amazing art installations.

The recently late David Bowie simultaneously concluded their conversation: Fashion, turn to the left, fashion, turn to the right.

The Chronicles from Copenhagen Fashion Week F/W 16 and Oslo Runway F/W 16 is coming up.