Whereas fashion often oscillates between style and substance, Max Zara Sterck’s designs stand as a testament to the possibility of harmonising both. As she makes her debut on the Amsterdam Fashion Week schedule, today, through a symphony of stitches and textiles, she artfully captures the intricate dance of the female form in motion, transforming mere cloth into a canvas of elegance and grace.
In a pitch-black room, guests gather around the centre-stage logo that diagonally crosses the square dancefloor, each corner lighting up as a performer approaches the middle of the room. Dancing along the lines of the distinct combination of symbols + – = \, a white weightless dress gets swallowed by four black dresses, moving harmoniously as if they’re part of the same entity. In a world often painted in shades of black and white, where positivity is heralded as the pinnacle of virtue and negativity is shunned as a shadowy adversary, Max Zara Sterck found a way to reveal a narrative that speaks to the inherent beauty of both. Her creations, all of black and white hues, represent the empowerment that exudes from female complexity.
Claire Rothstein’s “Be a lady they said” echoed whilst a powerful cast of women marches from corner to corner and the dancers’ movements become more intense. An ode to strength and vulnerability, grace and determination, the collection makes a statement against the impossible standards forced on women, and reclaims womanhood in all its glory. In each garment, the designer’s sculptural design identity acts as an amalgamation that breathes life into the very concept of sensuality. One design more beautiful than the other, perfectly encapsulating the female form of a diverse cast. A stark-white low-waist pant with ruffled sash that glides over the floor is made out of a sturdy material, and contrasts against a soft black body-hugging knit with revealing side openings. A top with straps synching in the model’s chest gets paired with a flowy skirt that embraces the model’s hips. The designer cleverly juxtaposes elements of dark and light, rigid and free, in her designs as well as what they represent.
Max Zara Sterck’s Dutch debut was a medium through which movements take on a symphonic quality, a testament to the harmonious connection between the form and the fabric. This philosophy, aptly encapsulated as “Body following, body flowing,” became a guiding principle that underscores the very essence of the designer’s work.
Photo’s by Katerina Bezede
