In the early '70s Italian architectural group Superstudio developed a series of objects that they called "Istogrammi di Architettura" (Histograms of Architecture).
The istogrammi consisted in bare volumetric compositions with neither scale nor program, and they were also presented in the form of a universal grammar for architecture based on the extrusion of the grid.
Referring to them as "easy architecture", a young Rem Koolhaas praised them as they represented the ultimate destruction of design and of any further spatial and formal invention by means of architecture.
The gridded volumes led to the development of a series of conceptual pieces of furniture (the series "Misura" bought by Zanotti and produced as "Quaderna") in which the squared grid was recreated in a variety of scales, allowing the group to explore the possibilities the grid offered them in a table or in a urban landscape. Superstudio defined these solutions "tombstones of architecture" as problems of space and aesthetic sensibility were eliminated.
These investigations involving the grid evolved when Superstudio dissolved physical architecture and came up with the the utopian Supersurface, an invisible continuous grid, a pure planar landscape and artificial surface.
In recent years Rem Koolhaas reintroduced Superstudio's radical ideas in modern architecture, but yesterday Arthur Arbesser reinvented the group's theories and applied them to Iceberg's A/W 16 collection.
The logos emblazoned on the garments and the playful faux fur coats in vivid turquoise and neon pink pointed towards two inspirations for this collection, Japanese street kids and the Italian rave/club scene from the '90s, but the grids were borrowed from Superstudio's histograms.
The latter were interpreted first as coloured Tetris-like blocks on black backgrounds and applied to knitwear or printed on dresses and shirts.
Single squares were then used as geometrical figures on sweaters; while/black grids were also employed on dresses and skirts or reinvented as large pale blue and yellow plaids.
Superstudio also designed a disco and maybe Arbesser was in a way influenced by the carefree and conceptual moods of radical architectures in Italian discos.
The designer channelled this aspect of Superstudio's practice via pleated silver Lurex skirts matched with lightweight sweaters and shiny patent leather trench coats.
At times Arbesser added a tactile quality to the grids, recreating them in a furry mix that combined a white/pink/strawberry/cranberry palette borrowed from Sam Baron's 2009 table (that moved from Superstudio's grid furniture), or allowing his grids to protrude from the hems of skirts and dresses, almost to hint at Superstudio's metaphysical projections into space.
The grids were also disassembled into squares to form the label's name in an attempt at fusing typography and architecture with classic brand logo identity.
Arbesser managed to combine the commercial (see the knitted ribbed dresses and the cropped squarish peacoats) and the conceptual (the grid dresses) with a streetwise sensibility (the duvet/sleeping bag coats), offering a wide selection of garments with shapes and silhouettes that may suit both a younger and older consumer, even though there were occasional faux pas such as checkerboard patchwork fur pants (a definite no) and a jumpsuit-cum-biker jacket combo. But, as a whole, this was a coherent effort for the Creative Director's second collection at Iceberg.
Arbesser previously moved for his own collection from Memphis Milano and is a keen fan of Ettore Sottsass, so he may be able to reintroduce in a modern key architectural fashion in Italy, a country that had a longstanding tradition of architects working in fashion and of fashion designers being influenced by architecture.
In the meantime, while the possibility of wearing Superstudio's histograms of architecture may look intriguing, there is actually another lesson to be learnt from the radical group: in 1972 Superstudio stated about the genesis of their histograms and Misura furniture, "…it was obvious that to continue designing furniture, objects, and similar household decorations was no solution to the problems of living, nor to those of life; even less was it serving to save the soul".
Substitute the words "furniture", "objects" and "household decorations" with "garments", "accessories" and "collections" and you may get a great quote about modern fashion: continuing to churn out one collection after the next is definitely no solution to the problems of the fashion industry nowadays, besides this process is not even making people happy. There is therefore still a lot to learn from the group and, hopefully, the next autumnal season will be a very Superstudio one (as seen in a previous post, echoes of their Supersurface were also present in Prada's A/W 16 collection).
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