Story

desember 13, 2015

Text Fredrik Austad Photos Luca Sorheim

Wednesday evening the students at Oslo National Academy of the Arts invited us to experience their pre-collections: staging a presentation that combined their diverse use of fabrics with contemporary dance and deep vibrating tunes.

This year’s showcase was a collaboration between the third grade BA Fashion Design students and the Academy of Dance. We can only imagine the intimate work process between the designers and the dancers, making a piece that both presents the depth of the design concept and also the feelings created by the beautiful movements of the contemporary dance choreography by Tonje Lorgen Kirkholt and Magnus Haals.

Designer Karine Næss showed garments in different hues of blue reminding us of the diverse nuances of the ocean. Trousers with flares made of plastic and blue nail polish accompanied each other on stage presenting a collection Næss called “Nothing feels like home”.

“No one sees like you” gave us an impression of a strong emotional connection between the male dancers: passionate and aggressive with a need for proximity. Rough fabrics and layering were key elements for the menswear collection by Thalia Steffensen, also showing shirts and t-shirts with the ability to change silhouettes (hidden wires in the fabric?), supporting the reuse of garments in times where the fast fashion mentality among the consumers is highly questioned.

Magdalena Mikaelsen’s dancers wore long sleeved tops in neutral colors putting the focus on the draped skirts in pink, black and purple in her collection named “Pocket2bagpocket”. Integrated in the pieces were small pockets that came to vision in the choreography. Shown side by side in the opening act the draped skirts came off as a colorful bouquet with delicate pedals draped on the dancer’s bodies.

A black dress that sparked like the diamonds on Damien Hirtst’s skull piece “For the Love of God” got our attention in “Pust” by Eldbjørg Skved Skottvoll. The designer also showed an interesting color palette painted on one of the dresses letting the different body movement showcase her design.

We wish to congratulate the student at Oslo National Academy of the Arts and we are looking forward to see more in the near future.