Avant-garde fashion has to lead away from commercial and aesthetic boundaries, create new ways of perceptions or conceptualize society throughout the medium of garment, which is rather difficult if not impossible sometimes. Therefore designers tend to create statements less through the products of their creativity itself but furthermore with the presentation. Munich-based designer Patrick Mohr was often criticized for displaying unprovocative fashion in a provocative manner. Presenting rather simple outfits on homeless people, body-builders or albino models his fashion shows were always a reason for the news to project scandals.
In the last two seasons Mohr sticks to working with unconventional presentations and unique models, but also impressing with his designs. Last season’s collection called Human and this season called work hard and be mohr brought his aesthetics to a new level. The entire collection is made of a strong electric blue that created a nearly magical energy in the room. Using only black models Patrick Mohr wanted to criticize the predominance of white models throughout all the fashion industry. The models where standing in little triangle shaped pillars. Labels on the top of the pillars read in bold German words “Freiheit beschreibt die Fähigkeit des Menschen, willentlich zu handeln!” (Freedom is the ability of mankind to act deliberately).
Even if this sounds very socially conscious, I wonder how Mohr defines his freedom as an avant-garde designer. Because even if you don’t have to create fashion for the mass markets, you are still depending on sponsors or on other economic suppliers that have influence on your work in one way or another. I think that even if Patrick can work hard to be mohr as much as he wants, he can never be deliberately free in his designs. Nontheless he presented one of my favourite collections during the Berlin Fashion week, which you can admire in the fantastic backstage-shootings from our talented photographer Olga Khristolyubova after the jump.
