GAMUT collective unites five fashion designers show a different reality, an original way of creating.

At a glance some of the clothes look familiar, as something we already own, or what people wear in the street.  Elsewhere, they are quirky and conceptual.  That’s the beauty of these clothes from the GAMUT collective which unites five fashion designers and friends, all graduates of La Cambre (School of Art and Design) in Belgium. 

Their first collection, presented on 28 September 2018 at La Station – Gare des Mines in Paris, initiates a thoughtful dialogue between the respective universes and fields of expertise of its members.

A  visit  to  the www.collectifgamut.com site  opens  the  door  to  an  organic  labyrinth  that  randomly  produces  collages,  layers  of  images,  confrontations  of  scales,  themes  and  moods.

Here,  you  see  photos  of  the  clothing  being  manufactured,  pictures  of  everyday  life,  taken  in  the  street,  at  night,  during  the  day,  on  the  go  or  at  home.  Mixed  with  this  raw  material  are  shots  of  the  first  GAMUT  collection,  taken  regularly  each  month  during  the  process  of  their  creation.  Neither  advertisements  nor  tools  of  seduction,  these  images  are  simply  reflections  of  reality.

On a single silhouette, we can make out an interpretation of a traditional suit, invaded by technical elements and worn with GAMUT top-stitched cowboy boots and a travel bag crafted from recuperated scarves, which we also find on a ruffled skirt or trousers.

The personal visions of each member of the collective coexist and converse in a coherent wardrobe in which the suit is revisited in several forms, sometimes organic, sometimes conceptual, deconstructed, radical or meticulous…

Each member’s know-how is fully exploited to give life to an open wardrobe where the pieces navigate between men and women in a permanent movement that announces a new, spontaneous aesthetic in contrast with current trends.

The  collage  format  also  makes  its  mark  on  the  collective’s  choice  of  materials:  traditional  woollen  cloth  with  tennis  stripes,  featured  in  the  entire  collection,  comes  head  to  head  with  technical  waterproof  canvas  and  jerseys  printed  with  black  and  white  photos  of  the  striped  suit  cloth  from  the  rest  of  the  collection,  worn  on  models.

On an oversized silhouette,  the  word  GAMUT  is  splashed  across  dresses,  tops  and  shorts.  A  line  of  knitwear  in  coloured  cashmere,  with  the  same  construction  principles  as  the  rest  of  the  collection,  adds  a  radiant  touch  to  the  overall  work.

Somewhere  between  quirkiness  and  realism,  the  GAMUT  silhouettes  juxtapose  extremely  rigorous  and  understated  pieces  with  sparkling  gloves  or  ultra-large  visor  caps.

Trained  in  the  Belgian  style,  the  members  of  GAMUT  tweak  the  hallmarks  of  traditional  clothing,  from  a  man’s  waistcoat  to  an  evening  gown,  from  a  tailored  coat  to  a  white  shirt,  by  way  of  a  technical  parka  and  a  rustic  wool  jumper.

The  collection  is  presented  on  a  cast  of  models  in  line  with  the  collective  and  La  Station  –  Gare  des  Mines,  which  was  covered  in  red  plastic  for  the  occasion.

This  inclusive  sample  of  today’s  youth  projects  energetic  and  powerful  attitudes  that  correspond  to  the  ambition  of  GAMUT:  to  show  a  different  reality,  an  original  way  of  creating,  a  field  of  possibilities.   And it works as one collective, cohesive collection.

GAMUT  thanks  the  Antwerp  brand  Adult,  which  lent  three  shoe  models  for  the  runway  show  on  28  September  2018.  The  rest  of  the  accessories  (high  and  low  cowboy  boots,  backpacks,  travel  bags,  caps,  belts)  were  developed  by  GAMUT.

Photos by Etienne Tordoir / Info: Autrement PR