Saved for last during the third day of Amsterdam Fashion Week, the collaboration between Atelier Reservé and Bud was definitely a highlight of the program. Both parties share interest in innovation, as well as a desire to incorporate their lifestyle into the shows, which was depicted by the blurring between performance vs audience.
The show started as an invitation to a cozy dinner. At the center of the space a family table, garnished with numerous candles, wine grapes and flowers. Seated only half a meter away, it’s almost as if the audience is eavesdropping on an intimate gathering that later on transforms into a joyous get-together. Models are joining the crowd front row, challenging the lines between performance and reality.
Once the show started, we could see a natural progression of Atelier Reservé’s ongoing collaboration with Levi’s. Their signature long trench coats, one-of-a-kind with hand-embroidered detailing, are crafted as patchwork from different washes of denim; sometimes clashed with military print or even a neon construction worker’s vest. Striking were the beautifully made corsets, not only because some of them were denim, perfectly blended in with the rougher silhouettes of other pieces, but also because of the pattern play, which exaggerated the female form in new ways. As Reserveboys have long expressed their admiration for Japanese fashion, it was also nice to see a follow up on that in the form of denim patchwork kimonos embroidered with depictions of traditional flower drawings.
An event that felt more like getting a glimpse into a private world, rather than a staged performance; the models could be seen hugging each other, smoking and taking pictures of one another. In the end, one of the models started rapping, while another was dancing, blurring once again the lines between fashion and its neighboring creative disciplines. The brand created by Alljan Moehamad and Deyrinio Fraenk goes to show that working with deadstock fabrics and focusing primarily on sustainability, does not mean that the fun is taken out of fashion, rather the complete opposite. Atelier Reservé can serve as an example to other emerging brands, that innovation and drivers of change can be nothing short of the drama and fun that the original fashion world made us fall involve with.
