From the Chiasmus archive: June 21st, 2018. "BORIS BIDJAN SABERI MEN’S SPRING 2019 – PARIS FASHION WEEK"


 I have reviewed a many of Boris Bidjan Saberi's shows (previous show reviews and the latest review via this link https://chiasmusmagazine.blogspot.com/2018/06/boris-bidjan-saberi-mens-fall-2018.html) and have always noted how astutely talented he is as a creative fashion designer, who draws a lot of influence from post technological and posthumanism themes.  Utilizing ideas from science fiction and popular culture in aligning his own take on futures that have already arrived.  At least within our own imaginations.  Saberi does this with a focused charm of pushing the creative boundaries - in a world where individual distinction, particularly in fashion, are hard pressed to be found.


Saberi's Spring men's 2019 collection maintains the devil is in the details mix of variant themes from fictional concepts to reality, which at times both counteract with each other fusing reference points of the past, present and future to extend into a magnitude of possibilities that is of the now.   As noted in my previous reviews of his shows, what was viewed and presented as references to the uniformity of future workers; miners, military and off-world engineering corps.  A very, as mentioned, science fiction orientated theme but offering a contemporary styling within those looks.   As Saberi's latest collection maintains the "mining" and/or construction stylizations with his on take on the Avant-Garde.  In a world where artificial intelligence, which is more of a hysterical worry than not, may replace humans and the mundane jobs that we once did - such as mining and construction.  The question can be asked.  Will this effect the uniformity of employment as a human aesthetic?  Will we still be required to don an outfit as we program a service mining bot over the moons of Jupiter? While we operate it here on Earth.  A future that is being reflected onto our present days more and more, as we morph into post dystopic collapse.  That is still unclear and hard to image what is already occurring.  Will we lose our uniformity to these machines?  

Boris Bidjan Saberi's Spring 2019 collection is far tidier with a less broken down array as seen in his previous shows,  which he said with this collection that he wanted to remove the colour palette to only display neutral and achromatic tones.  Dulling it, removing the spectrum.  This, when set onto clothing, brings out a minimalistic and modernist style.  Which, for over two decades has been done before from other designers.  So, it is not a new concept of reducing colour and solidifying a collection in portrayed more clean and defined cuts.  What does stand out are the draped and stylized accessories that Saberi has mastered, with some the cleanest (drafted) lines in fashion, displayed as a metaphor with hanging seam tapes off full length smock t-shirts.  Saberi's fascination with lines in design, is most probably influenced by architecture and conceptual engineering artwork - evident with his Spring 2019 collection.  

Avant Garde brands, such as Saberi's signature label, maybe toning back the rustic and worn looks as seen with some of the similar designers in their Spring 2019 showings.  To a more post industrial/technological aesthetic.  Rather than the broken, fractured and asymmetrical styles of German 1920s Expressionism within their manifestations.  Saberi, fuses some of his rustic futuristic work wear/mountaineering styles onto to his low key minimalism for his latest collection.  Once again, as seen from his previous Paris presentations, he adds small details to the models, utilising line-work as a tribal decoration.  Adorning foreheads and faces with industrial tape.  A means of identification in the divided aspects of human culture.  Or the mark of the individual?  Rebelling against uniformity, whilst paradoxically wearing the uniform.

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(A.Glass 2018)

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