From the Chiasmus Archive: "R13. Pre-Fall 2021"

 

(Images: R13)

It could be said that an artist creates art for him or herself, in the context that one would prefer to view and be inspired by one's own creation, rather than looking elsewhere.  Sure, influences are abundant, yet the final product is always illusive maybe even selfishly devised, particularly when a creator of design within its variants of endeavors completes a project.  It is the satisfaction that they've created their own world.  I have always felt that Chris Leba creations and his brand R13, fall under his own personal fixture of desired aesthetics, which have been securely manifested in its reflection of a certain bygone style; that was the late 1970s New York Punk and/or NYC romanticism with all of its 1970s and 1980s grit.  This artistic snapshot, held within the eye of the creator, is very much an indulgent escapism.  And why not?   The pandemic that is sweeping back and forth over the world, is due manly to the obsession, that has occurred from all governments, in opening their economies up too quickly – and it is this process of  bungling the pandemic, which has has killed over 2 million people, of largely an unknown and non-seasonal pathogen that from all reports is now splitting into two infectious strains.  Inculcations are due later this year, yet the roll out so far has been crimped by production issues from the two companies that are offering over 90% successful vaccination from COVID- 19.

The sweet spot of punk was 1976 till 1979 when it crossed over from the both sides of the Atlantic, settling back and forth as an East Coast, ala New York City, and uniquely London affair, yet it was the UK punk rock outfit The Clash that truly imprinted on NYC in 1981, playing 17 shows back to back at the Bonds Nightclub in Times Square.   An immortalized moment of rock and roll history, more so the fact that an English punk band were able to encapsulate the fusion of a city that gobbles up, in rapid succession, and spits out subcultures onto its boulevards of broken dreams.

So, yes, lets escape into our worlds, quarantines and lockdowns are here to stay until a good majority of the global populous is vaccinated.  The economy has been changed forever, socially it will be a different landscape and the old normal is dead as dead.   Can we rework past timeliness and update them?   Conjure up a parallel universe that is unique to the individual.  Reflect reality whilst rejecting it?   As mentioned Leba's latest offering is all those possibilities,  intertwined with R13's  stripped back denim styles and his use of  luxury fabrics.  His pre-fall 2021 may have a raw and minimalistic feel, yet the craftsmanship and fits are still of Leba's standard and so is his lookbooks to date.    

Leba's ode to his own take on the Punk NYC time line that is over 40 years old now feels real and tangible as a future that never was or a dream that could be, the clothing is minimal, yet stylized in its luxury thrift appeal.    Cropped open blazers, leopard skin prints, picked stitching, denim all over the place.  Mixed with Leba's slouchy off the shoulder tops and Situationist inspired graphics via long coats, but what clearly stands out is the 2019 and 2020 lingerie styles with the text, around knicker waistlines and bra straps “fuck you you fucking fuck”, it is rebellious without any given cause and that is refreshing as the current culture wars via Twitter feeds have edged into full blown violence.  Maybe the punk rock thing to do now, is just turn your back on it all.  

___

(A.Glass 2021)       

Spring 2025 review soon.