Photography: Marco Van Rijt; Hair and make-up: Iris Houben ; models Eli & Boaz
Samira Algoe is a new designer from Holland, I introduced to you last season here. This season she draws inspiration of cowboys and interpret it in her way mixing it with some Japanese fabrics. I asked her to tell a little bit about her collection, inspiration, fabrics used and colours she prefers. I do like the bag, and the first white transparent-like jacket.
"ZEM stands for, minimalism, subtleness, unconventionality and last but definitely not least: classic with a surprisingly modern twist. I give a lot of care and attention to the fit and technique of my designs.
In the beginning of a creative process I don’t have a clear vision, but the further I get the more concrete it gets. To get inspired when designing a new collection, I look at ordinary clothing of other decades. But not the fashion shown on the catwalks, personally I don’t find it is pure. Simply, because it’s already someone else’s interpretation.
Looking into the past is an important principle for me, it keeps my vision fresh. ‘Who didn’t had a past, can’t have a future. If you don’t look back, you can’t look ahead.’
The winter accompanied by cold and cowboys was my inspiration. If you place cowboys in this cold environment, they instantly become vulnerable. Not the tough young men who concur over land and animal but men who plough for hours or days through snow, looking for “something”, an adventure maybe. In the “The sound of the Mountains” I’ve introduced a new view on the woolies worn by cowboys, these are large leather or fur leg pieces which are worn over the legs. The paper is called “Washi”, originally used in traditional Japanese interior design. It had that snowflake pattern and transparent frosty kind of feel that perfectly blended with the concept of my collection.
I have a preference for “off-colors” or “in between colors”, for example when shadow is cascading on a white wall. The parts covered by the shadow are much darker and deeper and you will see different shades of white, grey and black. The same when a wall is layered with sunshine, you witness the very play of colors caused by over- and underexposion. Those shades are my “in between” colors.
Materials I chose are fabrics which reminded me of powdery snow such as light corduroy. I used that material on the shoulder-area of my designs to refer to snow that’s falling onto you. Other fabrics used were materials nature provides us such as cotton, wool and leather.
Currently I’m working on a new collection that will be finished in the summer. Another focus this year is establishing my label, working on the base of my brand. Practically this means working a lot ‘behind the scenes’, research for point of sales and sponsoring. I’m aiming to produce a collection twice a year."