m.a+ (Maurizio Amadei)

[lowrey]

another view of the same garments:

[Chinorlz]

Mmm, very very lovely.

Thanks Runner and Arto :)

This is the kind of work that really drives me and keeps me interested in guys like Grandma. A much greater emphasis on fabrics, fabric development/sourcing and the utilization of it. That combined with deceptively "simple" construction that looks/feels natural is devastatingly effective.

Absolutely wonderful.

[KM80]

Those pants look like they would be so nice to wear on a hot day like today. Are they really as light as they seem, or are those background light pics deceiving?

[hobo]

Mmm, very very lovely.

Thanks Runner and Arto :)

This is the kind of work that really drives me and keeps me interested in guys like Grandma. A much greater emphasis on fabrics, fabric development/sourcing and the utilization of it. That combined with deceptively "simple" construction that looks/feels natural is devastatingly effective.

Absolutely wonderful.

Exactly, this is the beauty. This is what makes it wonderful. This is the Zeitgeist!

...But this is not new. 50 years ago Coco Channel was creating functional design that revolutionised women’s fashion. 20 years ago Yohji Yamamoto did it again with design and Issey Miyake with fabric.
This kind of paradigm shift always follows a period of stagnation, as we experienced 10 years ago, then came Maurizio Altieri. Now we have m.a+, Label Under Construction, Forme d’expression, Augusta, Boris Bidjan Saberi and many more who feel that they can do it alone rather than going to one of the big Italian fashion houses and being swallowed up by the machine!
Exciting times!

[philip nod]

hobo,
what do you think of ccp in relation to the paradigm shift? i feel like he has paradigm shifted himself out of the current paradigm (or actually vice versa) and will cease to be as relevant for the time being unless functionality and wearability become greater concerns. ccp has really done it alone, but can one overdue it alone? is mystery and the hype it builds still relevant in this paradigm?

[Chinorlz]

Exactly, this is the beauty. This is what makes it wonderful. This is the Zeitgeist!

...But this is not new. 50 years ago Coco Channel was creating functional design that revolutionised women’s fashion. 20 years ago Yohji Yamamoto did it again with design and Issey Miyake with fabric.
This kind of paradigm shift always follows a period of stagnation, as we experienced 10 years ago, then came Maurizio Altieri. Now we have m.a+, Label Under Construction, Forme d’expression, Augusta, Boris Bidjan Saberi and many more who feel that they can do it alone rather than going to one of the big Italian fashion houses and being swallowed up by the machine!
Exciting times!

Heheh, agreed that the concepts behind the motivation of those such as grandma et al is not a new one, I just particularly like their approach. Like you said, the small scale aspects of all of them are a big part of what intrigues me. The designers themselves can then oversee and directly work with the materials. This translates to a more precise execution of the designers vision of each collection.

Hard for me to put a finger on it but the Maurizios and Luca to me have a great balance between fabric research/choices and construction. They seem to put equal emphasis on both which results in a seriously cohesive garment (along with some failures along the way of course).

Something for all of us to aspire towards and be mindful of when constructing our own work.

[hobo]

Those pants look like they would be so nice to wear on a hot day like today. Are they really as light as they seem, or are those background light pics deceiving?

Those pants really are that beautiful, and if you’ve got the legs, I’m sure that you’d be a very happy bunny, in a pair! Unfortunately, I have legs that most supermodels would kill for.., female supermodels!!! As my wife once said, when I donned of Linen a pair of shorts, “oh look, too pencils in a glass!”

hobo,
what do you think of ccp in relation to the paradigm shift? i feel like he has paradigm shifted himself out of the current paradigm (or actually vice versa) and will cease to be as relevant for the time being unless functionality and wearability become greater concerns. ccp has really done it alone, but can one overdue it alone? is mystery and the hype it builds still relevant in this paradigm?

Anyone who knows me will know that I have a seriously biased view of CCP. I don’t like his organisation. It smacks of everything that I have always pushed against. I am a capitalist but I am also a socialist. I believe that things should be as inclusive as possible. That’s why I am happy to spend time in my store, with people who I know have no intention of buying. They may not be able to afford the cloths, or they may just not like them, but we can try on and we can discuss. This costs nothing. This is called being ‘inclusive’. I also believe in building a close working relationship with my suppliers, who include m.a+ and LUC, Yohji and Issey, and even Lanvin and YSL... We work together towards a common goal, which is in part financial reward and for the larger part, a common interest in the art of fashion. This is ‘inclusive’. When I went to see ccp, I saw nothing of that. I saw nothing that said to me ‘inclusive’. Everything said to me ‘exclusive’. The attitude of the people there was one of superiority. This is exactly the opposite attitude of the likes of Grandma, Altieri, Geoffrey B. Small, and even Chrome Hearts. This attitude is not what I’m about. This is not what my store is about and, for me, it undermines the work of the artist. This attitude must come from the top and this is not an attitude that I can respect. Therefore it is not something that I want to be a part of. As far as I am concerned ccp may as well be stocked in the same elitist, exclusive stores that stock Versace and Escada.
As far as his actual work; I think that it is very interesting and I do think that it has integrity. He pays great attention to the detail of fabric and cut, in exactly the same way that Grandma does. The difference is that if you mention Carol to Grandma, he offers a respectful, thoughtful opinion of his work. When I mentioned the work of LUC and Grandma to Sergio at CCP, he dismissed them as ‘just more Carpe Diem knock offs’. Not true and not cool!

Heheh, agreed that the concepts behind the motivation of those such as grandma et al is not a new one, I just particularly like their approach. Like you said, the small scale aspects of all of them are a big part of what intrigues me. The designers themselves can then oversee and directly work with the materials. This translates to a more precise execution of the designers vision of each collection.

Hard for me to put a finger on it but the Maurizios and Luca to me have a great balance between fabric research/choices and construction. They seem to put equal emphasis on both which results in a seriously cohesive garment (along with some failures along the way of course).

Something for all of us to aspire towards and be mindful of when constructing our own work.

I couldn’t agree more. Have you looked at Geoffrey’s work? It’s very different, but amazing. Almost everything that he distributes is made by him and 3 other people. No factory, no production, just him, his wife and a couple of trainees! This is even more control than either Maurizio retained over their production!

[zamb]

Have you looked at Geoffrey’s work? It’s very different, but amazing. Almost everything that he distributes is made by him and 3 other people. No factory, no production, just him, his wife and a couple of trainees! This is even more control than either Maurizio retained over their production!

I read about this before....... didnt he had some kind of unfortunate experience that let him to this kind of setup?
It shows great strength and determination on his part, to create regardless of the ebbs and flows of life........
Also, if my memory serves me correct isnt he originally from Boston?
Albert, he may have been your next door neighbour!!!!!!!!!

[hobo]

He did have an unfortunate experience that lead him to this way of doing things, in fact several, but those are issues that you’d have to take up with him. Not my place to discuss. He is registered on the Zeitgeist! Out of the ashes...

Yes he is from Boston. Those guys do know how to throw a good tea party!

[zamb]

He did have an unfortunate experience that lead him to this way of doing things, in fact several, but those are issues that you’d have to take up with him. Not my place to discuss. He is registered on the Zeitgeist! Out of the ashes...

Yes he is from Boston. Those guys do know how to throw a good tea party!

thanks for the confirmation Hobo, I am not asking to discuss the occurences, I read about him awhile back and used to follow his work more then than now, I kind of wanted to jog my memory abit because the information is not so current in my mind, thats why I brought it up, didnt know he was a member here!!!!!!!!!!! thats really nice, nice to have you, him and all the other knowledgable and informative individuals around..........

[DHC]

I think the thing with CCP is that when it comes to wearability..it is where he wants it to be. His pieces are more structural and it is an evolution that has run its course throughout his "career" as a designer. I feel at this point it has become clothing for the analytical mind more so than for the body that belongs to said analytical mind. This is a turn that has been seen before and the most recent example I can site is actually project Linea. Concepts of form over function became more intransigent and the pieces became less wearable as function on the human form was set to the wayside because aspirations to create perfect garments of beauty became the focus.

This is where lines like M.A+ and Label Under Construction really come into the spotlight for me. They strive for balance. When I think of progressive designers 4 names come immediately to mind and recently a fifth has joined the ranks. Geoffrey is that 5th designer (and yes he is registered here with a couple of posts under his belt). There does seem to be an air of ambivalence towards his work, though I think its because of the lack of brand recognition in the mainstream of the “esoteric”. His work is conscientiously constructed. His designs are considerate progressions of old world traditions that are slipping away into the pages of history…and because people don’t read, it is destined to be lost. (It’s a metaphor. Don’t get upset. I know many of you read. ;)) The man holds a wealth of information and I hope that he will take the time post something regarding the aforementioned paradigm shift here. Because its not limited to fashion design, it touches every corner of the “industry”. Which leads me to this: Hobo's statements of being inclusive is an ideal that he truly embraces. This is one of many attributes that has earned him my respect and why I am personally proud to count him a friend in the field. Not just because it is a criterion that we share, but because it is one that everyone should strive for.

[hobo]

DHC, I wish that you hadn’t said all that about earning your respect... Shit, I wanted to tell you how well you write and how bang on your views are! Now everyone’s just going to think that we’re dating!

Fuck it, you rock man. You do write incredibly and with great insight... Glad to know you. Glad to call you friend!

[zamb]

I think the thing with CCP is that when it comes to wearability..it is where he wants it to be. His pieces are more structural and it is an evolution that has run its course throughout his "career" as a designer. I feel at this point it has become clothing for the analytical mind more so than for the body that belongs to said analytical mind. This is a turn that has been seen before and the most recent example I can site is actually project Linea. Concepts of form over function became more intransigent and the pieces became less wearable as function on the human form was set to the wayside because aspirations to create perfect garments of beauty became the focus.

This is where lines like M.A+ and Label Under Construction really come into the spotlight for me. They strive for balance. When I think of progressive designers 4 names come immediately to mind and recently a fifth has joined the ranks. Geoffrey is that 5th designer (and yes he is registered here with a couple of posts under his belt). There does seem to be an air of ambivalence towards his work, though I think its because of the lack of brand recognition in the mainstream of the “esoteric”. His work is conscientiously constructed. His designs are considerate progressions of old world traditions that are slipping away into the pages of history…and because people don’t read, it is destined to be lost. (It’s a metaphor. Don’t get upset. I know many of you read. ;)) The man holds a wealth of information and I hope that he will take the time post something regarding the aforementioned paradigm shift here. Because its not limited to fashion design, it touches every corner of the “industry”. Which leads me to this: Hobo's statements of being inclusive is an ideal that he truly embraces. This is one of many attributes that has earned him my respect and why I am personally proud to count him a friend in the field. Not just because it is a criterion that we share, but because it is one that everyone should strive for.

I have always appreciated whatever knowledge I have of his work. more than his work itself, I've had a profound respect for what he represents.............A man determined to persevere regardless of what his circumstances are, it is the same fire that drives me, and why while I dont know him, or have'nt even seen his work up close, I do feel a special connection to him and the way he works.
Hopefully with your support David, he will ultimately move closer to getting the respect and appreciation that his work desrves...........

[Faust]

Mmm, very very lovely.

Thanks Runner and Arto :)

This is the kind of work that really drives me and keeps me interested in guys like Grandma. A much greater emphasis on fabrics, fabric development/sourcing and the utilization of it. That combined with deceptively "simple" construction that looks/feels natural is devastatingly effective.

Absolutely wonderful.

Word.

[Faust]

hobo,
what do you think of ccp in relation to the paradigm shift? i feel like he has paradigm shifted himself out of the current paradigm (or actually vice versa) and will cease to be as relevant for the time being unless functionality and wearability become greater concerns. ccp has really done it alone, but can one overdue it alone? is mystery and the hype it builds still relevant in this paradigm?

Oh shit, you asked Hobo about Poell - thread closed (and I did not even get to reading the response yet, lol).

EDIT: not as bad as i expected. lucky sissy p.