LONDON — Vanguard, but for the masses.
H&M’s sustainable subsidiary brand, & Other Stories, has collaborated with London-based brand AWAKE Mode on a collection launching this fall.
AWAKE Mode is led by founder Natalia Alaverdian, former fashion director of Harper’s Bazaar Russia. The 14-piece collection consists of 12 ready-to-wear pieces and two accessories, and will be released in late October.
Since starting his brand in 2012, Alaverdian’s designs put a playful spin on the deconstructed aesthetic embarked on by ’90s anti-fashion designers Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto and Ann Demeulemeester.
The & Other Stories team called in Alaverdian for the collaboration. She said that she and her mother are big fans of the brand, but for her, it has always been about how physical stores make her feel comfortable.
& Other Stories was launched in 2013 with a vision that fuses the minimalism of Cos and the more feminine design of H&M. The brand has workshops between Paris, Stockholm and Los Angeles, and 76 stores in 24 markets in Europe, the United States and Asia.
Alaverdian was very encouraged to take on the job with the retailer without hesitation, she said.
“It’s pretty edgy, but without being too snobbish or too stodgy,” he said.
Courtesy of & Other Stories x AWAKE Mode
“It’s quite modern, but without being too snobbish or too heavy,” she said, adding that it’s why she felt comfortable designing for the brand because it’s what she tries to convey in her own pieces.
Alaverdian said that she never wants to intimidate her clients with the deep side of design and is convinced that radical design can be comfortable and that everyone can find room for it in their wardrobe.
This is AWAKE Mode’s first collaboration with a commercial network. & Other Stories’ portfolio of partnerships has always included a group of industry experts, from Rodarte, Rejina Pyo to Zana Bayne and Sadie Williams.
In the process, Alaverdian was given complete freedom to design, with & Other Stories handling fabric production and sourcing. The collection features ribbed knitwear that is slightly off the shoulder, a black skirt with square seams to give it an illusion of padding, a black coat with a cut out back, and a white shirt that has an attached bustier.
The Swedish brand has stated that it has a goal of reaching 100% recycled or sustainably sourced materials by 2030.
Alaverdian is transparent about the sustainability behind the pieces in the collection. “Not all fabrics are sustainable, but the wool was sourced through the Responsible Wool Standard and we also use Naia yarn,” she said. In its own practices at AWAKE Mode, the brand uses dead and recycled fabrics.
Source: wwd.com