Designer: Alex Casertano
Influence: Bauhaus School and Renzo Piano
I am always excited when I hear about upcoming designers making their debut in the fashion world. Discovering what inspires a designers’ collection and what they hope to achieve has always resonated with me. With so many directions and possibilities, fresh designers have the opportunity to test out their innovative ideas and discover what works and what does not.
Last month, when flipping through my June issue of Elle magazine, I came across an article on Alex Casertano. Previously designing for Yigal Azrouël and J.Crew, Casertano is no newbie to fashion. With a high-end line full of structured, but feminine, pieces, Casertano designs clothing that reflects a woman’s intellectual identity. Viewing images of his line, I think of a woman who knows what she wants – a confident woman in the modern world.
I absolutely love how Casertano keeps his tailored line visually interesting through the use of cutout details, pops of red color, and a variety of fabrics. While Casertano uses a limited palette of colors, the dynamic silhouettes and details are what I find most attractive.
Based on the colors used in Casertano’s line, it is clear that he was also inspired by the Bauhaus school. As I mentioned in the previous post, Bauhaus was characterized primarily by neutral shades of gray, black, and red.
Drawing inspiration from modern architecture, Casertano states,
“I think a lot about New York spaces – like the Renzo Piano building I can see out my window – and what clothing would complement that modernist design.”
Amazing. This is the type of mindset and thinking that everyone should have. Using aspects of architecture and fitting them into fashion is evidence of revolutionary thinking. Remnants of urban design are present in the structure of Casertano’s garments and in the lines that he incorporates into one of his dresses.
Renzo Piano, most known for the Pompidou Center, is an Italian architect and recipient of the Pritzker Prize. With a family background of builders and partnerships with fellow architects Louis Kahn and Richard Rogers, Piano is one of the most renowned architects of our time. Always sketching and constructing models, Piano knows that it takes time and dedication to complete a project. When working on the Pompidou Center with Richard Rogers, Piano did not want to construct a building that would fit into a historical context. He wanted something dynamic that the public had never seen before. Once finished in 1977, the Pompidou Center served as a homeopathic agent (to change and heal), transforming the rundown, seedy area of Paris into a place of enlightenment.
“A museum, ... is a place where one should lose one's head -- and I hope you will lose it.”
- Renzo Piano
Another thing that I absolutely love about Piano is his life philosophy. Piano believes that life is about trial and error; not everything will work itself out the first time through. Although Piano was last in class growing up, he never saw that as a bad thing. Piano reflects, “I had nothing to lose but everything to gain.” If only everyone today could share this kind of optimism.
When it comes to architecture, fashion, and life, EVERYTHING MATTERS! In my modern architecture class, this is one concept that my professor always reminded us of. From the artwork of Frida Kahlo to the natural beauty of sunflowers and daffodils, everything should be taken into account. Especially in today’s world, it is important to think outside of the box and not go with the norm. Uniqueness is what fashion thrives on and makes it so alluring.
There is nothing more sacred than the path that designers take as they develop their collections and turn them into something truly extraordinary. With each season, designers are presented with the challenge to either keep their designs consistent or completely shock viewers with the unexpected. As long as the designs remain fresh and original, I have no objections.
Based on what I have seen so far of Casertano’s line, I am very impressed and look forward to his upcoming collections. While Casertano is not an architect, he definitely thinks like one. When asked about his designs he explains,
"There's an emphasis on tailoring and things that are really built, nothing too flashy,
As Le Corbusier and fellow modern architects would say, “form follows function.”
To purchase and see more from Alex Casertano’s line, visit his website at alexcasertano.com.
Enjoy!
