JAY AHR SPRING/SUMMER 2014 COLLECTION #PARIS

The undulating planes of contemporary architecture in China inspire Jay Ahr's Spring/Summer 2014 Collection.

 

"I was thinking of the extreme modernism of architecture like Ole Scheeren's CCTV tower in Beijing and how it  will become the bohemia of the future," says Jonathan Riss. "I wanted to capture the point where futuristic construction morphs into its natural surroundings."

 

Riss began by looking at Oscar Niemeyer's Brazil, the epitome of super futurism in the 1960s.

"What interests me is how these cold, monumental forms became softer and more human over the next decade in the 70s to blend in and become part of the landscape."

 

A multi-layered web of materials, from micro net to macro chain link, plays over the body forming networks of porous layers in airy whites and metallic blacks. The varied textures of the fabrics give fluid silhouettes depth  and are contrasted by pants and skirts  sculptured in technical fabrics.

 

Jay Ahr's signature trompe l'oeil blurs the boundaries between separates: sheer layered shells are fused with brassieres  to morph with sculptural pants and skirts into one-piece constructions.   

 

Fabrics are technical, but delicate, to enhance femininity. Cellophane thread, sleek neoprene or laminated mesh are softened with natural materials like silk crepe and cotton poplin.

 

Jay Ahr's trademark embroidery looks to the future as well. silicone and plated metallic cones form arabesque patterns on slim dresses and pants. Crystals are also painted to achieve a matte finish for a surface interest that is more sculptural than decorative.