SS25 Loud

For Antonio Vattev, beauty is found in the electrifying margins of culture’s underground, where lives are painted by the colours of independence and defiance, and existence is carved out in ways that are as unpredictable as they are inspiring. This collection, “LOUD”, has harnessed carefree spirit found in Vattev’s visual archive of club scenes, street style, and music from the 1970s and 1990s, blending these decades’ throbbing sounds with their countercultural style. Grounded in intelligence, sexuality, and style, the collection embodies freedom and community.

A key theme in the collection is the mix of low and high, formality and sexuality, inspired by Robert Mapplethorpe’s 1977 “Double Show,” which showcased both classical portraits and provocative images. Further inspiration comes from the book We’re Desperate: The Punk Rock Photography of Jim Jocoy, SF/LA 1978-1980, which candidly captures punk legends like Darby Crash, Iggy Pop, and Lydia Lunch. The “LOUD” collection interprets these ideas into the clothing and set design, reflecting the chaotic and ruinous environment of the punk scene.

Fluidity is expanded upon with a womenswear capsule. Vattev’s female counterpart strides in tandem with his male; hot pants, funnel neck jackets, and an asymmetrical dress with decorative eyelets are tailored to the feminine body, sensual as opposed to risqué. Ornamentation, hardware and leather are reinterpreted with lace-up closures and soft, knitted details on classic cotton cardigans. Sensual satin details adorn leatherwear, uniting hard and soft, cool and classic elements.

A fresh take on tailoring features prominently. Boxy blazers are styled with jersey tops, while cropped tailored jackets are paired with flared trousers wrapped with long belts, eschewing the traditional, humdrum codes of tailoring and unpicking its significations to prove how formality can be cool again. Shapes are emphatic yet gentle, empowering and liberating the body. av vattev’s signature elements, such as funnel V-neck jackets, cross-body belts, grey-washed techniques, jukebox tailoring, and Jagger’s shirt, appear in their purest forms. The influence of Jagger’s shirt is evident in double-layered pleated shirts, which are cut to allow access to trouser pockets, balancing elegance with everyday practicality.

Skinny scarves – another element borrowed from the 70s – are made both contemporary and nostalgic in equal measures; not just styling accessories but integrated into the garments. They fluidly fall from necklines of jersey tops and classic cotton shirts, with half-Mandarin collars and half-scarves that wrap around the neck or hang from the shoulder, suggesting an undone formality.

The “LOUD” collection underscores Vattev’s commitment to creating a distinctive visual identity for av vattev, blending precision and provocation, the exquisite and pragmatic. By revisiting and reinterpreting the aesthetics of the past, av vattev offers a fresh, contemporary perspective on the present, and looks to a future not to be feared for its uncharted mystery, but as a moment to come brimming with possibility – a message av vattev is making loud and clear.