L’une Collection
Anh Volcek is not your typical designer. Her materials include plastic and glass, and her work place is comprised of a ventilated space and a mask. Being fascinated with innovation and advances with fabrics and technology, she incorporated unusual materials into her collection, presented in an installation-style format at Style Fashion Week LA on March 14.
“I’m in love with what’s new and the future of fashion. “It’s not something you would think as wearable, and I’m trying to do new things,” she said. The name of the collection, L’une, which is French for “one,” represents the idea of becoming one with your clothes. “I look into myself and [try] to put that meaning into my designs,” she said.
Her Fall collection is inspired by an upcoming surgery that has been postponed since last fashion week. “That put me in a dark space, and that started my inspiration for this,” she said. “It was all about the idea of being cut open and how our body heals itself again in sometimes a new form,” she explained. Details such as corseting around the neck and on the sleeves illustrate the idea of strengthening different parts of the body. “What is ugly to some people is a story of survival,” she explained.
Bustiers were made from plastic, metal and glass and others from latex with a rubber coating. She created oversize sequins using different chemicals combined with reflective glass and shoulder pieces and body structures from boning. A sea urchin–like collar was made from 2,000 black zip ties, and bracelets were made from 400 of the plastic strips. The pieces accent dresses, jackets and skirts made from jersey fabrics for stretch and comfort. Other fabrics include a hand-dyed, coated silk made into a voluminous red dress. Volcek also made the accessories for the collection, including cocktail rings made from sterling silver, plastic and glass that looked like mini icebergs.—N. Jayne Seward
