Haik opts for an infomercial
The opening of Smooth Runway was orchestrated by Haik, the brand who has over the past few seasons worked closely with multiple local artists, performers and manufacturers. For their show, instead of opting for a chest-pumping beat, Haik went down the route of infomercials. Rather than buying some obscure ab machine, the product descriptions, garment composition, wholesale and retail prices were told poetically. “As a whole, we are working to expose mechanisms and what happens ‘behind the curtain’ in both production, sales and advertising in an effort to communicate with consumers who, in many ways, have been kept out and become ‘protected’ from all knowledge of these things. Ok, going political here, but let's face it, the world is changing and so must we”, explains Ida Falck from Haik.
The collection put Haik in a new category of designers. The brand that has heavily been influenced by traditional craftsmanship used this new wave platform and collection as a way to integrate a new line of products – heavily infused technical wear. “The collection was developed for and with two dancers and two musicians for the performance project called Flakkande Røynd. We learned during the collaboration that contemporary dance can be experienced and approached as a spectator (much like going for a walk in the woods) and from there, we began to play with the hiking-clothing expression”, explains Falck.
The garments were distinctly colourful, consisting of acid yellow, neon green, dark red and chocolate. These vivid bright elements were colour-blocked and material-blocked, creating the depth and dimension the collection would have lacked if it wasn't for Haik’s decision to merge these two together. While the collection relied heavily on its sporty nature, Haik managed to merge the relationship between future technologies and traditional knitwear techniques.
“All the garments are made with surplus material from the sportswear industry in Lithuania, residues that create this kind of colour-block frenzy, which also refers to sports and hiking as well as patch pockets or reinforcements, which also affirm the ideology of workwear”, said Falck. This, creating a bold bond between the sustainable and upcycling of materials, resulting in a strong collection filled with positivity directed towards the past, present and future.