Upcycled ‘50s handbags and second-hand backpacks are reconstructed into a hybrid, action-friendly alternative. The masterful pattern cutting that allows the incorporation of these bags, “reconstructed and altered for action,” result in asymmetrical, ornamental draping in the absence of bags, devoid of their intended function. Elegance suggested here thrives on the considerations of human ergonomics, and achieves a visual reduction of an underlying intricacy of the designs, resulting in an effortless display of sophistication.
The essence of Parv’s designs can not be reduced to exclusively protective or exclusively ornamental; instead, they propose the new language of elegance which incorporates both – the concept of elegance that blends functionality, femininity, comfort, performance, freedom, adaptability, and ease of mobility. “The movement creates action, and therefore, narrative. The narrative where the body, the clothing and the movement come together – that’s my design, really,” Parv says. “There would not be any need for function if there was no movement.”
Interest in garments in motion is something Parv shares with Kailes. Kailes’ work captures “the in-between, something that feels quite raw but at the same time, quite composed. That interplay is something that I am personally interested in. The human body, our interactions with our garments, or how we interact with space,” the photographer adds.
To mark their collaboration, Parv and Kailes discuss their urban dystopia, lockdown, future of fashion communication, the importance of repurposing existing products, and their love for cycling.