Upon first glance at LEBLANCSTUDIOS’ Autumn Winter 2024 Collection, there is a certain level of curious familiarity.
According to the brand’s statement, “LEBLANCSTUDIOS spawned from the rough, mixed, underbelly of the Caribbean,” and while the details of the garments surely honor the heritage of the brand, the collection’s ensembles appear to transcend the confines of time and place. While there is familiarity, it is overshadowed by a deeper sense of unidentifiable ambiguity.
While there may be some inclination to try to understand the collection from the lens of contemporary fashion, the viewer must instead view the collection from the lens of a global citizen. To grasp the embedded referencing of the collection it is important to recognize at its core lies the essence of Santo Domingo, which “remains a jungle of idiosyncratic cultural travesties, political upheaval, and societal disarray.”
Instead of attempting to pigeonhole the collection within a temporal framework, the viewer is forced to confront a singular narrative that intertwines politics and fashion. They aren’t clothes, they are a study of “the aesthetics of oppression and their psychological implications.” The garments themselves aren’t crazy, but they have a sense of intrigue. The ensembles invoke feelings of uncertainty and mystery. It feels like the oversized trenches harbor a clandestine secret, while the briefcases conceal layers upon layers of inscrutable truths waiting to be deciphered.
At the heart of the collection lies the idea of the undercover agent. “Exploring military details, police fits, misfitted looks, and traditional stereotypes of undercover agents” results in earthy and relatable pieces. The garments eschew ostentation in favor of subtlety, yet their craftsmanship and tailoring have clear refinement. An apt definition of the stealthy undercover operative look.
According to the brand, undercover agents possess the uncanny ability to seamlessly integrate into the fabric of ordinary life. Instead of opting for conventional catalog models, the brand finds inspiration in software engineers, professors, and restaurant runners, drawing from the everyday to construct its narrative.
The collection revolves around the concept of distortion. LEBLANCSTUDIOS employs in-house dyeing techniques to impart an aged aesthetic to the garments, blurring the boundaries between past and present. While there is a clear perspective, it also maintains a level of ambiguity that can be related to every individual as a global citizen who is at odds with the politics of power. As the brand aptly puts it, “There are no limits to the extent of any one person’s lust for power and influence. The urge can be enough to transform their whole being.”
In this sense, Leblanc Studios successfully achieves a delicate balance – the clothes are neither overt nor unassuming, but rather blend seamlessly into their surroundings, revealing their deeper narrative only to those attuned to their intricacies.
Highlights from the Collection:
Credits:
Creative Directors: Angelo Beato and Yamil Arbaje
Design Team: Erick Lemos, José Anibal Duluc
Photographer: Phi Vũ
Models: Malle, Marcos Gutierrez, Alla Eizenberg, Anbarasan Kuppusamy
Make Up: Kaia Shi
Hair: Nathan Juergensen
Production: Ojeras
Text: Jeremy Whitaker