Hewn S/S 2010

Though all the eyes are on the next season’s womenswear collections at the moment, I would like to do a few posts on menswear.

I feel I have indeed neglected this topic since July and I will hopefully complete my Paris menswear reviews in the next few days as well.

I will restart my menswear thread with an accessory label called Hewn that produces minimalist pieces characterised by pure and simple lines.

For the S/S 2010 season Raffaele Stella Brienza, the designer behind Hewn, came up with four different lines: “Stretch Suede” (comfortable ankle boots, slippers and lace ups in stretch suede), “Old Romantic Cow” (minimalist sandals), “Old Suede” (rather classic leather pieces – it also features a pair of sandals that call to mind Thayaht’s T-shaped shoes) and “Crinckle” (combines leather with natural materials such as line and jute). To know more about Hewn here’s a quick interview with Raffaele.

Question: Can you tell me more about your background?
Raffaele Stella Brienza: I got a technical high school diploma with a specialisation in surveying studies, but I always had a passion for fashion and accessories since I was very young. Even as a child I used to do rather pretty drawings of shoes. After I moved to Florence I decided to follow a fashion course at the Polimoda institute. I must admit I didn’t know much about fashion when I enrolled, the only thing I knew was how to draw, so I carefully followed every aspect of my courses and, when I finished, I started doing some consulting work for both clothes and accessories for different fashion companies.

Question: What would you like to bring into the world of menswear with your accessories?
Raffaele Stella Brienza: Innovative inspirations. I like focusing on volumes and silhouettes, deconstructing specific structures and trying to break up the fibres with new stone washing techniques. New materials such as stretch suede allow me to create foldable bags inspired by vintage fashion, light sneakers and soft boots characterised by well-defined shapes that once worn change their silhouettes adapting to the wearer’s feet. I conceive my accessories as ideal pieces for the free time. Nowadays we’re always rushing and running here and there and I think my accessories are the perfect choice when we want to savour better our free time, regenerate ourselves and recharge our batteries.

Question: How many collections do you release a year?
Raffaele Stella Brienza: We follow the fashion seasons, so there are two Hewn collections a year, though some of our
trademark models such as the side-button boots or shoes are available throughout the year in their Winter or Summer
versions.

Question: What inspires you?
Raffaele Stella Brienza: Technology, nature and freedom, in a nutshell multi-ethnic inspirations clash and combine with urban moods in my collections. I guess my inspirations were summarised rather well by the Hewn stand we had at Pitti Immagine that featured jute sheets with graffiti-like prints of skyscrapers.

Question: What are your plans for the future?
Raffaele Stella Brienza: My line of accessories is a good starting point, but I would like to create a men’s wear collection one day and maybe also work on technological materials, as I feel that as a designer you must be able to evolve and develop continuously, strategically renewing yourself.

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