Designers Toyosi Sanni, Laolu Sanni and Bryan Nkemdiche pose for a photo Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014 in Oxford, Miss. (Photo courtesy of Alexandria Presley)
I am a person who strongly believes in taking advantage of attending every event I can that requires you to dress up. Especially if, in taking that chance, I get to support a growing fashion community here in Oxford.
Last Saturday, the Immortal Vogue fashion show was held at the Powerhouse. The show was the first for Timeless Generation, a label headed by design trio Laolu Sanni, Toyosi Sanni and Bryan Nkemdiche.
Before viewing the show, I spoke with Toyosi Sanni to get an inside look at what went into creating the collection, specifically the design process and where he drew inspiration.
According to Toyosi Sanni, the collection had many “multi-cultural, Indian, Japanese” influences. They were also concerned as to what will look good in the future and tried to convey this in their designs.
“We hope people gain new creativity, culture and knowledge,” Sanni said. “We want people to grow with the pieces – you have to wear it a certain type of way.”
As a fellow designer, I was incredibly interested to hear what goes into creating a collection for them.
“(It’s) like something falling from the sky. I quickly grab a sketchpad any time I get an idea. From there it continues and grows.”
When I spoke with Toyosi Sanni, I sensed a true passion and a love for clothing that is vital to creating any decent work of clothing.
“Ever since I was little … I liked putting on clothing and seeing how the colors matched,” Sanni said. “I thought, ‘If I have to dress, why not dress the best I can?’”
Let me preface my critique of the show with the confession of a reality I cannot deny: I am hard to please. I have high standards.
The show opened with a lengthy string of videos creatively compiled to introduce major themes that would recur throughout the show. A mixture of music, pop culture and nods to different cultures appeared on screen. I could tell that it was well thought-out, pulling fashionable quotes and scenes from Sex and the City, the Matrix, Kanye West and – always my personal favorite – A$AP Rocky. The opening was a bit lengthy, but the creative direction I sensed made up for that.
Emcee Jared Boyd introduced the show as, “not a fashion show, but a movie.” An interesting concept, as designers are always trying to reconfigure the “fashion show” into a new and innovative form.
For example, Spike Jonze and Jonah Hill have written a short play to be performed at the Spring/Summer 2015 Opening Ceremony show. Also, label threeASFOUR enlisted the help of a digital video designer to create a masterful online video showcasing their Fall/Winter Ready-to-Wear 2014 collection.
In the middle of the show, there was a pair of dancers who performed while wearing looks from the collection. Stylish and fascinating, I was amused. However, the act could have been cut a bit shorter.
The collection consisted of both women’s and men’s wear.
I was not very impressed with the first look, a red, white and black dress adorned with the brand’s logo. I generally do not like logos on clothing, only on accessories. The most promising of all of the women’s looks was a Japanese-esque long top. I would have liked to see it a little more modified though, perhaps something that makes it stand out amongst other kimono-style blouses. More high fashion than most of the others, another women’s look I enjoyed was a drop-crotched, glossy, black jumper somewhat reminiscent of the work of Rick Owens, a master of draping.
On a more optimistic note, the menswear was quite supreme.
It was fresh and on-trend; I loved that the designers were not afraid to take risks. A novel sailor look was at first displeasing to me, but the more I studied it, the more I understood it and appreciated the way it was styled and detailed. These men’s looks were not for the faint of heart. In fact, I sensed a feminine air to some of them.
I am not complaining about this; it was not overdone by any means and worked to make the collection a bit more fashion-forward.
I admired especially one look worn by one of the designers that was styled with an earring in only one ear – a trend actually reported on in a feature in the June issue of Vogue.
The true climax of the show was the last look that walked down the runway. A long-sleeved turtle-necked patent leather long shirt paired with pants that were tight to the leg was an avant-garde look that left a strong impression. It was styled with the perfect pair of trainers, the crucial fashion item of the moment. To top it off, the model stopped at the end of the runway and struck a pose identical to A$AP Rocky’s at the Fall/Winter 2013 show.
Overall, I was entertained by the show. In fact, something about the energy of the looks reminded me of the Fall 2014 Ready-to-Wear Marc by Marc Jacobs collection.
For the duration of the exhibition, I felt that I was not in Oxford. It was pleasing to see that perhaps there is an ever-growing community of people who share a love of fashion and the arts. In some aspects, the show was a tad rough around the edges, but for an introductory presentation, it showed great promise. I am eager to see where Timeless Generation will rise.
-Alex Presley
