Exploring the depths of empathy at Henrik Vibskov
Known for creating otherworldly realms each season where his abstract prints are able to flourish, the designer showed the importance of lending a helping hand for SS25.This review is brought to you in collaboration with Bolou Fine Jewellery
Henrik Vibskov, Wednesday, August 7, 2024 at 18 PM, Refshalevej
Den Grå Hal is a concert hall in Freetown Christiania that has a sense of character embedded into its foundation. With large traditional windows and covered in vibrant graffiti, the unconventional space made sense for an ethereal Henrik Vibskov production.
Followers of the designer’s brand will know that his shows are performances — not to generate social media hype, as has become commonplace, but to immerse his audience into the fabric of what he’s created. This time around, oversized red hands dangled from harnesses where they pinched sections of the white fabric that covered the floor. A group of workers in corresponding white overalls strapped themselves into the structures and began to puppeteer the hands. The models made their way through the landscape with expressions of wonderment on their faces as the workers shifted the material to their movement. Titled “The Orchestra of the Soft Assistance”, the idea this season was to highlight the importance of lending a helping hand — emphasised by the Mikkeller co-branded beer wrapped in a hand motif that was offered to guests.
Vibskov also looked beyond humanity for inspiration, choosing to highlight the natural world’s ability to adapt and assist. Indistinguishable prints made from organic shapes morphed from trees to animal skins to ocean waves and back again. As is customary for Vibskov, traditional check-print suits were re-imagined through a quirky lens: the patterning glitched around the midriff, shoulders and knees for an aberrant take on tradition. A delicate multicoloured shirt with exaggerated sleeves was cartoonish yet considered while gloved hands decorated fluid button-up dresses — accentuating the importance of the symbol. The show notes clarified that the collection is predominantly made from recycled and organic material; an essential consideration for Vibskov who intends to become increasingly responsible with each season. Fittingly, the designer’s keen on lending the planet a helping hand too.
See a selection of the show looks below and see the entire collection here.
