During Berlin Fashion Week, Vladimir Karaleev presented his sculptural installation, DIS/PLAY, with deconstructed mannequins, artworks, and fashion.
The exhibition explored the impact of the human form on objects of fashion, and the boundaries set by the body. The organization of the space contributed to a tactile experience, encouraging guests to experience each design tangibly.
Each piece in the collection is unique, created from dead-stock and repurposed materials. The pieces are intentional to this particular installation, to explore the intersection of body, fabric, texture, and structure. The stillness of the showcase, and integration of the audience as members of the presentation challenged the traditional runway. What happens when we experience and appreciate clothes in various ways, beyond simply wearing them? What is fashion, without the human form?
The installation encouraged viewers to question how our shared perceptions of fashion shape the hierarchies of the industry. The value of a design is highly dependent on the body that wears it. Removing the human body from the presentation shifted value to the objects themselves.
“Influenced by contemporary art and architecture, Karaleev’s collections reflect a conceptual understanding of clothing as a medium as well as its functional purpose. The individual forms of expression are propagated through fashion unobtrusively, without disregarding the balance between material, shape and detail.”
– Vladimir Karaleev
The installation was an inspiring exploration of pieces of fashion as tactile objects, and how that changes as they meet the human form.
Check out the Vladimir Karaleev Instagram and website.
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