Heliot Emil. Spring 2025 - Paris Fashion Week

 

Disruptive technologies in fashion haven't been that disruptive, and if I think back about a decade ago when 3D Printing was seen as something that might replace humans in hand crafting garments.   Which obviously has not been the case, instead offering to the fashion designer newer and interesting designs that are either weaved into hand created styles, or as a stand alone outfit, pieced together by a human ensuring that it fits correctly onto the model.  The same could be said about Artificial Intelligence or machine learning technology, that despite some impressive aspects of creating music, and conceptual rendering, AI is a long way off from being that existential threat to human beings, creative or otherwise.

And the brand Heliot Emil, devised by Danish brothers Julius Juul and Victor Juul, with Julius being the creative director and his brother Victor controlling the business side of the brand, have very much incorporated these disruptive aspects of 3D printing, and AI into their recent avant-grade showpieces, while maintaining the outwear, utility trend of 2014 which has somewhat dissipated over the years, in which the Juul's have held the line and have been able to further craft and refine those said elements of what was first seen Eight years ago for the brand at Paris Fashion Week, as a studio presentation.  

Without overstating so called Artificial Intelligence, Julius has harnessed the possibilities of AI as an undisciplined and at times unruly assistant, which in a philosophical way AI is: it's still learning.  But, it can, and I have used AI also within my own creative endeavors, more so to chanel test and give AI my creations, assist in ideas by what it interprets, usually it gets it very wrong, but sometimes it offers a suggestion, without intention, which can be helpful.  Or at least by redefining the AI outcome through my own human brain, to make it better.  Which is a challenge in itself.  Be it that reverse, or unorthodox way of using AI.  

The Spring 2025 collection for Heliot Emil, Julius has once again incorporated AI, not as a tangible co-pilot, as he did with the Spring 2024 collection, but rather more so philosophically of what Artificial Intelligence means within the natural construct.  Does it have a place at all?  Titling the collection as "Cultural Construct Artificial Landscape".   With the overall theme for the latest presentation being the ultimate power of nature.  With the collection based around nature's violence, and its degrees of indifference to human existence and all our technologies.  Drawing from Iceland as an inspiration, of its naturally beautiful, stark and intense landscape where volcanic eruptions are a common place.

The is no doubt that Julius is offering, as an aesthetic, a dark and dystopic future, which is probably correct in its visualization.  With stylized ensembles, although not entirely original, as these looks were in circulation as the avant-garde trend of the early 2000s through to 2018.  Notably, it was Yohji Yamamoto's Adidas collabation known as Y-3, which assisted being labeled in the media as the Health/Sports Goth dystopia look, which reached a crescendo when things, society wise, were indeed falling apart pre the 2020 Pandmeic.  Now, it is like a Sci-Fi script of inflation, genocidal warfare and Fascism in politics gaining in popularity.  

This does pose a challenge to designers and the creative.  That the Future is now, and despite illusionary distractions via social media, we are very much heading towards our 11th hour and for Julius Fall 2024 collection, he has incorporated Shieldex, an anti radiation fabric, and with Spring 2025 collection, although lighter in its material base, still showcases Julius's interest in the protective, encased look, yet with aspects of it being stripped back and bare.

Offering technological protection and devastation, under a raw and unforgiving backdrop, the Spring Heliot Emil 2025 collection feels grim and unyielding.    

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(A.Glass 2024)