Abasi Rosboroughi men’s Spring 2019 – New York Fashion Week

(Images from Vogue.com  All rights.  Used in promotion of the designer.)

Abdul Abasi and Greg Rosborough Spring 2019 collection titled the "Desert Phantom", a slight and subtle respect to the Bedouin tribes of the Middle East and the shamanic traditions of the native Americans.  At the same time, according to the designers with their recent collection, was to establish a resounding fixture in promoting a global perspective for humanity to live together as a global tribe.  Although sincere in sentiment, I am dubious when designers and artists talk of one tribe and the unity of man, within what may be seen as our currently divisive societies.  Without being too anthropological, cultures and their tribal aspects within, despite historical linage, fade overtime.  In some cases disappearing altogether.  We mourn history when we should allow it to dissolve peacefully, whilst consciously or unconsciously drawing from it for inspiration and remodeling what was absorbed into present styles and concepts.  As for this divisive world, which could be, in a simplistic analysis, is societies and their cultures from both West and the East are clinging to a collective identity through fear -  as it will always be the individual who braves new worlds, so it could be said that either he or she could be that definition of establishing a new culture or 'tribe'. Yet, they belong to no place except within their own existence.   

Abasi Rosborough, in my opinion, have achieved this projection of attaining and cultivating aesthetics from various influences.  Defined in individual arrays.  Beautifully cut and distinct clothes, with a slight Avant-garde feel, noting the picked threads and draped layering of Linen coats and jackets, a free flowing array of styles.  Fine wool pants, shorts with the shimmer of synthetic material and/or polyamide pieces with stunning attention to details.  However their Spring 2019 collection also holds an intensity.  Ceremonial painted faces on the models, which reminds me of Boris Bidjan Saberi's previous collections (please refer to this link https://chiasmusmagazine.blogspot.com/2018/06/boris-bidjan-saberi-mens-spring-2019.html) who has also flirted with creating a new aesthetics of humanity.  Affixing a tribal perspective as an contemporary influence.  It can work in different aspects, as it inspires stories, fictional or otherwise of a new culture begging to flourish - from the rubble of the old.  To begin anew.

For Abasi Rosborough Spring Men's 2019 the color palette is subdued with earthy reds, sunset orange and washed out blues, intermixed with the rich duality of black and white.  All contrasted very well into a fusion and projection of the designers vision of these new world/s.