Fashion designers have always been fascinated by robots: thick metal shell like the one that characterises the gynoid in Fritz Lang's Metropolis have often been the main starting point for many designers' robot-inspired looks.
In a few cases – some of us may remember Thierry Mugler's show during the 1995 MTV Music Awards – designers added a touch of mysterious sensuality to the robotic armour, combining fetishism, power dressing and science-fiction.
Fashion print student Max Luo presented his version of the hybridic transformation between woman and machine at the Central Saint Martins BA Fashion show that took place at the beginning of June.
His dystopian vision was embodied by elaborate chain-mail dresses with embellished details worn on high neck tops with appliqued metallic strips. Models on his runway also donned robotic masks that turned them into anonymous automata.
Yet, behind their skin, Luo's gynoids retain a degree of sensuality, highlighted by flapper-like silhouettes that guarantee freedom of movement, while questioning the free will of a robot and of a human being.
Can you introduce yourself to our readers?
Max Luo: I am a Chinese fashion designer currently based in London. I am a recent graduate from Central Saint Martins' Fashion Print course, and I have a very strong passion for textiles. I have been away from my home country for about 5 years now, and I spent 4 years in London, while I lived in Paris during my placement year.
Can you take us through the background inspirations for your "robotic" graduate collection?
Max Luo: My final collection is based on the work of Japanese illustration artist Hajime Sorayama, particularly the Sexy Robots series. I found very interesting the way he illustrated the cyborg using stereotypical sexy female forms, with very erotic details, dressing his figures in traditional human clothes, such as bomber jackets, swimsuits, leotards and so on. While looking at these images I started wondering several questions: how would robots act if they had emotions? Would they choose to blend into the human world by dressing like human beings, or stay true to their cold, robotic and metallic appearance? Would they have the same aesthetic standards of human beings? The metallic skin tone of Sorayama's female figures (or robots) in his illustrations appears to be very seductive and the idea of a cyborg in human clothes inspired me to develop similar aesthetic ideas on a textile level. The main idea of my designs was to use metallic bodysuits to present the skin tone of the sexy robots, while wearing more typical human clothes to create a strong contrasting effect, so that the glossy mirrored vinyl is juxtaposed to matt-finish leather and the unified texture of the metallic bodysuits constrasts with the very complex and detailed textiles.
Did you also get inspired by any specific film costumes for the shapes and silhouettes included in the collection?
Max Luo: The key shapes and silhouettes in the collection were inspired by the artwork of Sorayama, as I wanted the garments to look seductive with the silver body pieces. I don't think I particularly got inspirations from any film costumes, though you could argue there are similarities between the body pieces and the gynoid in Fritz Lang's 1927 film Metropolis.
What kind of fabrics/embellishments did you employ for this collection?
Max Luo: The main material used in the outer garments were chain mail and lamb skins, I hand woven the leather and PVC strips with the chain mail. Some pieces are perforated leather or laser cut leather woven with PVC stripes and laser cut acrylic rings. For the inner silver body pieces, it is a special material I developed myself with ring mesh. Leather embellishments were all engineered on computer and cut by laser, then they were hand-woven and assembled together. The whole collection involved a large amount of handwork such as embroidery and hand woven, while the majority of the preparation work was prepared and processed digitally. I feel like the collection is a good representation of the main theme of the current exhibition at the Met Museum in New York, "Manus X Machina".
Which was the most difficult aspect of developing your collection?
Max Luo: I think it was how to make a collection that featured complex textiles and simple dress shapes look modern. I was struggling to make the right design decisions. I had decided to make these silver bodysuits, but my tutors were worried the pieces might look very old-fashioned and they were also worried about the scale of embellishments on the catwalk. But I think with the bodysuits, the whole collection looks much more modern and interesting. It was also a challenge to dismiss some ideas. I made some textile samples that took me 10 hours to develop and I personally loved them, though in the end I had to give them up as I would not be able to make them out on my own. However, the process of cancelling your own design and compromise for an easier solution is definitely not an easy one for me...
What's the most important thing you learnt from your years at CSM?
Max Luo: Do your research and experiment with anything you can possibly get. Research and experiment is a key process. Don't forget to be open-minded, while preparing a plan B just in case things don't turn out the way you want!
You have also worked as an intern for Atelier Montex and Maison Lemarie i Paris: what was it like working there?
Max Luo: It was a very enjoyable experience. I really enjoyed doing embroidery creations myself and working for such historical ateliers in Paris has helped me to build up my professional skills in these fields. Plus I got to enjoy the French fashion culture, so I really appreciated my time there!
Which disciplines inform your clothes and your designs for such historical ateliers?
Max Luo: I think I tend to do my initial research based on all sorts of aspects, especially contemporary art and architecture. For example, for my final collection, I used Japanese artist Sorayama's illustrations as my main fashion research, while my textiles and geometric patterns were hugely influenced by Samurai armours and French artist Jesús Rafael Soto. I also tend to be attracted by graphic and geometric art pieces.
Would you like to focus more on work for such ateliers or would you prefer becoming a womenswear designer?
Max Luo: I think I would like to focus on textiles and provide textile solutions for fashion houses. However, I would also consider doing womenswear designs as I am capable of doing both.
What plans do you have for the immediate future?
Max Luo: I would like to find a job in Europe and work for a fashion house, ideally a position as textile or embellishment designer, as I think that's what I'm really passionate about it. I will also consider doing an MA course and maybe start my own atelier to supply innovative textiles for brands in the future. So I'm quite open-minded at the moment.
All images in this post courtesy of Max Luo.
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