Due to all of the excitement surrounding my Tokyo trip, I've allowed myself to take my sweet time over blogging my Singapore adventure. No more. After all, I was in that neck of the woods precisely because of Blueprint. To the best of my knowledge, Blueprint uniquely specialises in launching cruise collections and thankfully curates fresh and forward menswear alongside womenswear, jewellery and accessories from emerging designers destined for international markets. Over the course of a few hectic days, I explored this lively Asia based platform dedicated to Singaporean and regional design talent and encountered a few gems in the process. Korean based Alani was certainly one of them.
Korean designer Jae Hwan Kim, a Central Saint Martins graduate, is influenced and inspired by a minimalistic and fuss free design philosophy. For AW11, Hwan Kim looked to the Nouveau réalisme master, Yves Klein to create clean lines with solid blocks of intense colour. Now, the artists name evokes first and foremost the ultramarine blue of his most well known canvasses and of course this deep hue has a strong presence throughout. However, here the designer places the Blue Monochromes in a more complete context, as the first stage in a body of work that uses a foothold in the visible to cross the threshold into the invisible. Blue, the colour of sensibility, is in fact just one of the hues Klein chose for the Monochromes and his other more mature works, being followed by gold, a substance signifying transaction and the passage towards immateriality, and pink, representing flesh, the incarnation of the spiritual. Hwan Kim explores these themes whilst demonstrating exceptional tailoring...
As strong as the AW11 collection was, Alani's exhibition space at Blueprint showcased their Sweatshirt Project. Entitled Yves Sweatshirts, the project unsurprisingly continues the main themes of their AW11 offering. Now, there are moments when our weary bodies need to be soothingly stroked by the finest cotton jersey and here, Hwan Kim offers up a number of detail rich sweatshirts that would provide some much needed comfort.
Look book shots courtesy of Alani. Exhibition shots taken by me.
Having been brainwashed by Susie long ago, I am now a devoted, borderline obsessive, disciple of grey jersey. Of course, there are a myriad of options out there and we each find comfort in our own, ideal version. Once found, the perfect incarnation will no doubt provide years of faithful, soothing service. Alani's project might just serve your grey sweatshirt needs.
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