XÉNIA LAFFELY | GRADUATE MEN’S COLLECTION 2012

Graduate, Xénia Laffely, launched her 2012 menswear collection this season. Grandiosely titled ‘Tu N’auras Pas D’autre Icône Que Moi Et Tu Mangeras Ton Père’ or ‘You Won’t Have Another Icon Than Me and You’ll Eat Your Father’ her unique use of illustration and design has put her on the cutting edge of the industry.

Laffely’s graduate 2012 menswear collection is fantastically elaborate and plays upon the ideas of a father figure dressed in a traditional suit and the religious man in ceremonial dress. Her garments drew inspiration from icons of self-righteous masculinity. Speaking about her collection, Laffely said, “The father in the classic suit and the religious man in ceremonial dress haunted me throughout this collection. I borrowed some attributes of each one to build on their ashes a third figure; my own icon.” Xénia Laffely describes her icon as the ‘unworthy son’ the renegade, the ‘rebellious’ and ‘flamboyant’ outcast.

The Xénia Laffely 2012 menswear collection saw woolen suits, scarves, leggings, jackets and shorts emblazoned with bold graphic prints. Laffely use of classic tailoring makes for a remarkable juxtaposition when set off against the almost hand-drawn nature of her digital prints. One black and white look, in particular, looks as if the print has been scratched on to the fabric with an inky fountain pen or marker. Overall the collection shows endless promise for this young menswear designer. Sure to change the face of modern menswear trends, Xénia Laffely is most definitely one to watch in the coming seasons.

Wacky and unpredictable with a clear nod to traditional cuts and orthodox ensembles, Xénia Laffely brings her masculine icon to life in a spectacular array of colour and groundbreaking print techniques.

- Ellen Stewart