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Very interesting to read about his transition from architecture to clothing. I like how he is so straightforward and communicative about what he is trying to do with his label.
HAUTE IMPERFECT PERFECTION (18/09/2006)
Far
from the elitism of the incessantly cruel masses, Haute is a healthy
shock to snobbism and decadence with a decisive and alternative
flavour. A small, precious collection for a demanding palette, but
totally unconventional. There is something unique in this successful
mix of rationalism and emotional decorum. Although simple in design, if
not minimum, these garments are contradicted by details and intense
interventions, brutally tactile: remnants of old clothes, bedspreads
and covers here and there, ribbons and rings from who knows where,
Ill-treated leather and exotic fabrics, all moulded until they become
beautiful once more. Haute is a hortus conclusus[/i] of
rarefied elegance, but not without its fair share of urban speed,
receding colours, thin silhouettes, a sinuosity that emanates an
organic allure, distinct. Almost unknown, but probably not for long,
Haute is above all one of the only real rewards to be found in the
fanatical world of the Milanese fashion scene. The author of this
project launched in 1998 (and to which a new men?s line was added in
2002), is Vincenzo De Cotiis, class 1958, architect and interior
designer. Stateless?he lives between Brescia, Milan and Fano?and
equally polyhedrical, De Cotiis creates with the same passion and style
private homes, hotels and boutiques. He created STRAF and then Atonia,
Sugar, Vertice, Joffre, limited edition furniture under the name of ?Progetto Domestico?[/i]
(Domestic Project), Haute and much more. De Cotiis is a man with a
strong passion for aesthetics; a concentrated inventor that follows a
roaming idea of imperfect perfection with a maniacal tenacity that
masterfully plays with the old and the new, the worn-out and the
integral, antique preciousness and the coarseness of rubbish dumps.
With a touch of obsession this designer is an authentic creator.
from the elitism of the incessantly cruel masses, Haute is a healthy
shock to snobbism and decadence with a decisive and alternative
flavour. A small, precious collection for a demanding palette, but
totally unconventional. There is something unique in this successful
mix of rationalism and emotional decorum. Although simple in design, if
not minimum, these garments are contradicted by details and intense
interventions, brutally tactile: remnants of old clothes, bedspreads
and covers here and there, ribbons and rings from who knows where,
Ill-treated leather and exotic fabrics, all moulded until they become
beautiful once more. Haute is a hortus conclusus[/i] of
rarefied elegance, but not without its fair share of urban speed,
receding colours, thin silhouettes, a sinuosity that emanates an
organic allure, distinct. Almost unknown, but probably not for long,
Haute is above all one of the only real rewards to be found in the
fanatical world of the Milanese fashion scene. The author of this
project launched in 1998 (and to which a new men?s line was added in
2002), is Vincenzo De Cotiis, class 1958, architect and interior
designer. Stateless?he lives between Brescia, Milan and Fano?and
equally polyhedrical, De Cotiis creates with the same passion and style
private homes, hotels and boutiques. He created STRAF and then Atonia,
Sugar, Vertice, Joffre, limited edition furniture under the name of ?Progetto Domestico?[/i]
(Domestic Project), Haute and much more. De Cotiis is a man with a
strong passion for aesthetics; a concentrated inventor that follows a
roaming idea of imperfect perfection with a maniacal tenacity that
masterfully plays with the old and the new, the worn-out and the
integral, antique preciousness and the coarseness of rubbish dumps.
With a touch of obsession this designer is an authentic creator.
What drew you from architecture to the fashion world?
[/b]Vincenzo De Cotiis[/b]
I? would say passion and instinct. As a self-taught man I think that
creativity should not have any limits, if not only the possibility for
experimenting. My progression was spontaneous, natural.
And the name Haute?
[/b]VDC[/b]
I disassociated the definition Haute Couture, while keeping a part of
the term. When one experiments it is fatal to create something that
takes refuge in common tastes: it must have an exclusivity that is not
sought-after, but rather inevitable.
Can you manage to define your style?
[/b]VDC[/b]
It?s difficult; I see it tied to my background, experience, and
perceptions. Things that have a certain logic, aren?t necessarily
stylish, but contain precise references that maybe end up defining it
as such. Aesthetically speaking, I prefer a certain liberty that is not
connected to the current social-cultural moment.
What is your working method?
[/b]VDC[/b]
Research is fundamental, vital. It is a continual search for new
concepts and references, from vintage to recycled clothing that sparks
off new ideas. I particularly like assembling different styles and
eras.
How important is chance, the accident, if not the incident, in your creative process?
VDC[/b] They are an integral part of research; they help you question what you are doing. I find them positive, absolutely.
Do you prefer the process or the product?
[/b]VDC[/b]
The end product. The process is a phase to enjoy, but only the product
is capable of giving you a clear idea of the work you have done, and to
set off that immediate mechanism where you desire to surpass what you
have just completed.
Haute seems to nourish
itself with nomadic influences, similar to your roaming life style. Do
you think that the place where you live and work influences what one
does?
VDC[/b] Places certainly
influence, but it depends, above all, on how much you are able to
perceive. The nomadic lifestyle has its advantages because it allows
you to pick up on the changes between places, styles, and social
attitudes.
How come so much interest for the old and worn-out, for something ruggedly precious and unpredictable?
[/b]VDC[/b]
All things that have suffered the passage of time seem to have retained
that time within them. However, I also like to reinvent a piece by
placing it into a modern-day context. I?m fascinated by all that is old
and authentic, but not fake antique.
How do the two creative practices of architecture and fashion intertwine?
[/b]VDC[/b]
Everything rotates around emotions. I use the same materials in fashion
as I do for architecture. It is the actual realisation of these objects
that differs, while the perception of colours, materials and surfaces
is very similar. I could never prefer one of these disciplines above
the other; one distracts me from the other in a pleasurable fashion.
Fashion today is driven by a
strange contradiction: it suggests an idea of exclusiveness, but at the
same time is designed to seduce the masses. Instead, Haute is the
complete opposite. It is for very few and is of educated taste.
[/b]VDC[/b]
I would never be able to produce a standardised product. Those who
appreciate Haute are not necessarily followers of fashion; it is a
heterogeneous user that buys my clothes with the same attitude as they
would purchase a book, modern antiques, or even in the same way they
would go and see a film.
Do styles and trends still exist?
[/b]VDC[/b] Fashion as it is understood on a common level is of no interest to me. My approach is personal, it is timeless.
Do you see yourself as an artist, artisan or experimenter?
[/b]VDC[/b]
I can not work with anything other than my hands, and this in a way
likens me to an artisan: I?m very interested in the manual aspect of a
job and the materials. In the near future I would like to dedicate
myself to activities that are closer to art, because an artist is
someone that experiments. At the last ?Salone del Mobile?[/i]
for example, I created two pieces of furniture with a strong plastic
impact. I also did this as a youth, but today, I am more cultured and
have more character.
Angelo Flaccavento[/i]
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