Equipped with modest walls, the city of Herculaneum was built on a volcanic plateau, on a cliff over the sea at the foot of Vesuvius. Though modestly sized compared to Pompeii, the dynamics of the burial of Herculaneum (covered in 79 AD by flows of pyroclastic rock that solidified to an average height of 16 meters) led to a preservation phenomenon completely different to the one that destroyed Pompeii, providing historians and researchers with plants, fabrics, furniture and structural parts of buildings, including upper floors that allowed archaeologists to get a precise idea of specific construction techniques.
There is a temple in Herculaneum called the Sacellum of the four Gods, dedicated to Minerva, Neptune, Mercury and Volcano, divinities related to the world of manufacture, trade and crafts.
These gods seem to be perfect connection between Herculaneum and the fashion industry (without forgetting more practical links such as the shop of the lanarius or fabric merchant with its wooden screw press to iron clothes...) and, who knows, maybe they were on Marios Schwab's mind while working on his new designs. His Spring/Summer 2015 collection, showcased during London Fashion Week, moved indeed from the ruins of Herculaneum.
The inspiration wasn't too literal at least at the beginning of the show that opened with what looked like a trench coat, but revealed itself as a beige trench skirt suit. Clean cut separates and suits in teal and putty shades followed, hinting not at sculptures but at sculpted tailoring.
Tops with a print of a fractured wall introduced the theme, calling to mind the walls of the temple of Venus, or the building technique called opus quadratum in which square blocks were laid in regular courses. The main inspiration also appeared in the black and white prints on blouses and scarf dresses.
Bi-coloured column dresses introduced evening wear with a wide selection of chiffon gowns with architectural motifs reminiscent of sectile opus (decoration of floors and walls with marble tiles that outline geometric or figurative patterns) or fourth style frescoes (painted wall decorations also known as "fantastic").
Graphic sequinned chain elements on tulle or satin skirts recreated polychrome marble decorations as seen in glass paste mosaics or in the motifs around Hellenistic style atriums, creating contrasts between architectures and fluid garments, while the turquoise and orange shades of the tape-like geometries may have been lifted from the Hall of the Augustals or the House of Neptune and Amphitrite. .
A Greek misogynist maxim in the backroom of a taberna (pub) in Herculaneum reads: "Diogenes, the cynic, seeing a woman swept away by a river exclaimed: 'Let one ill be carried away by another'", but surely Schwab can't be called misogynistic as most of his garments (maybe take away the jersey pants slashed open on the in seams...) looked flattering and sensual.
As a whole, this was a wearable and commecial collection, though it would have been interesting to see also accessories inpired by architectural elements. Imagine for example the marble oscilla, those discs or masks used to ward off evil and hanging around the House of Relief of Telephus, turned into bags...
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