While there are always ways in which fashion relates to other disciplines, when it comes together with a particular discipline such as architecture, whose common and guiding elements with fashion are “design” and “creativity”, the result of this synergy is always surprising and innovative. If we bring together a self-taught representative of each field, such as Tadao Ando and Ira Iceberg (@iraiceberg), the result is “In The Light Heart“, IA London’s (@ia_london) SS22 collection, in which the fashion designer shows a progressive and innovative interpretation of the architectural philosophy of the Japanese designer, specifically its “critical regionalism” approach and “Weightlessness of Concrete”. The result: a collection that demonstrates that as Leonardo da Vinci would say “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication“.
“I hope to achieve simplicity, but I also hope to achieve depth”
Tadao Ando
In order to understand the focus of this collection, it is necessary to take into account some basic concepts in the style of the Japanese architect, also known as the master of light and concrete. The first concept would be “critical regionalism“, which refers to one of architecture’s approaches that specifically emphasizes the immediate physical and cultural context of a building that reflects the culture and tradition of its region through its design and materials, emphasizing both the tactile and the visual, so that the environment can be experienced in terms other than the eye.
“If you give people nothingness, they can ponder what can be achieved from that nothingness.“Tadao Ando
The second one would be the architect’s “haiku effect”, which emphasizes nothingness and empty space to represent the beauty of simplicity, emphasizing simplicity in his architecture through the concept of sensation and physical experiences. This concept of simplicity in Ando’s architecture is reflected in his use of concrete, which provides a sense of cleanliness and weightlessness (despite the fact that concrete is a heavy material), thus the concept of “Weightlessness of Concrete”.
In relation to the collection and the pieces that comprise it, designer Ira Iceberg interprets the architect’s “Haiku effect” by constructing complex patterns – sometimes up to 50 pieces – using the sculptural cutting technique. In terms of the “weightlessness of concrete,” Iceberg prints concrete textures on weightless fabrics, such as fine silk, silk blends, and lightweight cotton. Characteristics of critical regionalism are appreciated through the use of elements from nature, such as the Blue Fossil and Wild Rice prints that complete the collection.
The collection concentrates on the inner feeling of light and is therefore called “In The Light Heart”. It is worth mentioning that if we relate the concept of light that carries the title of the collection, this word would also have a certain relationship with a quality that characterizes the architect, as light is an element that the Japanese designer has used in some of his most representative constructions, such as the Church of Light in Ibaraki, Osaka, where this element together with the concrete walls proposes a dialogue between full/empty, light/dark, movement/serenity. Transposed to the collection, this feeling of light or spirituality can also be appreciated in the collection.
In the Light Heart: A Re-Dressing Architecture of the body
Due to the first impression in the exterior that at first glance could be observed in some of the pieces, the construction and organization of the garments are relatively potential to represent the aesthetics of sensation, an appreciation that goes beyond the eye, a progressive and innovative aesthetic. Therefore “In The Light Heart” is a collection that leads us to rethink in a different way the way in which the fashion/architecture synergy takes place. The way to propose garments that serve as a foundation to design “an architecture of the body” from the theory of critical regionalism and the “haiku effect”, highlighting the cleanliness of cuts and textures, the implementation of natural elements in textiles, and the spaces in the garments allow the user to focus on the perception of physical sensations and experiences, whether through the materials of the garments or through the cut and design of these, providing an unparalleled experience.
IA London SS22: In The Light Heart
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