Fred Perry and Raf Simons Create a Collage
Fred Perry and Raf Simons have collaborated so many times that their combined output is a distinct entity in itself. Spring/Summer 2013 marks the iconic polo company and Dior creative director’s 8th definitive apparel collection, and, judging from a promotional video released by Fred Perry, we can anticipate eclectic combinations that reinterpret and rethink the classic Fred Perry polo shirt. The collection, titled Collage, takes standard textile patterns such as houndstooth, leopard, camouflage, and floral motifs, and blows them up or shrinks them to the point of abstraction. The line makes innovative use of color and layers—polo collars can be stacked in strata of Kelly green, violet and bright check. One standout button-down shows three different stripes of patten patterns on the lower third of the garment, creating an unexpected, preppy, yet high fashion patchwork quality.
The promotional video, directed by fashion photographer Pierre Debusschere, is a slightly campy, techno, slow-motion dance party consisting of three male models who gaze intensely into the camera from against a white backdrop. The film is shot entirely in slow motion: the models twirl languidly, bouncing and moving their arms in punchy, lethargic bursts. Debusschere rewinds the film and repeats their actions, to create a trance effect, also highlighted by the few moments of strobe lighting in the film. The polos, so engrained with specific subcultural history, seem custom made for the gaunt, stylish men wearing them.
