July 14, 2022 |
A special kind of savvy magic pumps through EgonLab. Its clothes feel like a judicious exercise in romance and rebellion. Helmed by ardent couple Florentin Glémarec and Kevin Nompeix, it’s an extraordinarily innovative contemporary label that holds a mirror to society. “Our collections are intrinsically linked to the socio-cultural contexts of the moment,” the co-creative directors explain. They metamorphose as the socio-political climate fluctuates, and yet everything they bring into being is distinctly, identifiably EgonLab. “We are chameleons but we remain true to our DNA.”
Their design lexicon is playful, innovative and rather tongue-in-cheek, tied to a punk, genderless DNA.. “For us, fashion is a living art,” they say. Both designers are rulebreakers, going against the grain and dismantling the status quo: “Fashion should not be a form of imprisonment but an escape; a universal language that takes the form of various artistic mediums.”
The duo go on to explain that EgonLab is a narrative that navigates love and passion above all else. “It may sound classic, but the brand was born from a meeting between two people who share the same passion,” they say. “We could tell you a lot of things, but as in any couple, we keep our part of the mystery.”
Since their first meeting, the pair have pooled together their creative ideas. As soon as they had put their heads together, their pens to paper, EgonLab came to life. “We started to create a real complexity and intimacy between us and ended up falling in love,” they explain. “The beauty of this story is that our love gave birth to EgonLab.”
Glémarec and Nompeix launched their brand on what was virtually the eve of Covid, and over the past two years have seen immense success: the design duo took home the 2021 Pierre Bergé Andam award, a shortlist nomination for this year’s International Woolmark Prize, they’ve collaborated with Crocs and debuted carbon-capturing clothing made with DS Automobiles and Post Carbon Lab – not bad for a couple of newbies. “We have gone through many emotions,” they say. At first, it was the confinement caused by Covid and an inability to introduce their brand to a live audience that sparked frustration, but after some time, came “excitement, joy and ambition,” as their brainchild label began to see support and recognition from its Parisian community and the wider industry.
Thematically, EgonLab’s collections reflect the erratic state of contemporary society and I might even say they offer an alternate perspective on the current state of affairs, proposing a potential for peace and happiness. When I ask why this is of such value to the Parisian label, their response is simple: “It is much easier to destroy than to build.” They explain, “We think it is our duty to advocate solidarity, equality and universal happiness. We’re trying to change the world, sequin by sequin.”
The pair refer to their label as a “creative laboratory” and themselves as “visual artists” rather than designers, but this goes beyond discipline and an eye for aesthetics. The message and vindicating power EgonLab wants to reference in its work is simply the gesture of opening up conversations around important social and cultural issues. “We believe that it is no longer relevant for a brand to create clothes without any discourse,” they say.
While contending for the International Woolmark Prize, Glémarec and Nompeix worked with Estethia to craft a massive crimson cape, heavily draped with obsidian accents and showcase their love of wool. As they presented their ambitious project to some of fashion’s biggest names, they revealed the cape, which they called the “Red Pope”. In a visionary short film celebrating the art of play with FKA Twigs at the fore, Kiddysmile swayed sublimely in the gown.
As a reflection of the pair’s iconoclastic vision, reinterpreting the papal cape through a contemporary lens in a way that omits religion champions sentiments of hope and their intrinsic desire for inclusivity within this traditionalist industry. However, in the words of both men, “behind this message is a real technical feat”, and indeed, considering the colossal magnitude of the garment and the intricacies threaded into every panel, it’s formidable. Created in collaboration with the technicians at Cashmere Flakes Company, organic materials were engaged in a commitment to reducing the impact of its production on the environment. The link-up acted to preserve the planet and its natural resources through the use of innovative blockchain tracking systems.
It’s an innovative approach that has transferred to EgonLab’s mainline collections. The brand’s AW22 collection was an avant-garde, surrealist multiverse. Dubbed Egonimati, it was described in the show notes as “a secret society responsible for establishing universal happiness”. And indeed, it felt enraptured, with enveloping quilted shirts, head-to-toe puffer suits and even a dome of a crinoline gown boasting a couture silhouette – all with raw inclusivity in mind. However, the collection was ultimately dark in regards to the mood, with extremely stark cuts and a demure palette that came chock-full of nipple-baring corsets and deeply sacrilegious cassocks. “This society promotes the values of adelphity, which encompasses both brotherhood and sisterhood, without any gender dimension or mention,” the pair explain. “It refers to the solidarity between one’s fellow human beings, whether they are male, female, transgender or non-binary.”
Their menacing, interactive microversal e-commerce site came to be with Egonimati in mind. It was a bid to push into the metaverse, so the pair launched a limited-edition selection of Swarovski-embellished Crocs designs, accompanied by holographic NFTs, that were then auctioned off after the show. “EgonLab took its first steps in the digital world because of the pandemic. It was therefore important for us to keep this digital aspect while looking for a different and original form of expression,” the pair explain. This is why they then created EgonLab Tech, a department of technological innovation in collaboration with the start-up Cosmic Shelter. “Together we aim to create a phygital universe, pushing the barriers of physical creation to extend it into a microverse hosted on our website.”
Opening the Paris men’s shows last month, with their SS23 collection, the pair opted out of the damning headlines and fabricated their own little psychedelic Alice in Wonderland dreamscape. Ergo, the new era, took a dramatically different direction both aesthetically and narratively, challenging any previously-instated categorisations that may have been made.
Abandoning the dark hues and razor-sharp shapes, shimmering floral intarsia knit vests tucked into oversized distressed denim emerged instead. Serving campy trench coats and bondage-style leather pieces, kitsch sequin tops paired with cargo denim and argyle knits alongside slouchy blazers and translucent bits. Distorted flares with an asymmetrical wrap at the waist and a fitted blazer were the signature silhouette for this season – the pièce de résistance.
Elsewhere, graphics riffed off of the edit’s name: a gleaming pig in a ski suit held a giant spotted mushroom as it descended a snow-covered slope, an ecstatic mole rat frolicked amongst scattered flowers and rainbows donned a wide-brim cowboy hat.
It was a playful take on counterculture that drew from the “masculine and feminine elements” of the early-20th Century Viennese expressionist painter, Egon Schiele. To that end, it blurred the gender spectrum and blended era-defining styles spanning from the 1960s, ’80s and ’90s in particular.
“The new era is like a twister of glitter, ready to sweep away the dark news of our world,” Glémarec and Nompeix say. “Prepare to be confused but above all get ready to have fun.”
The future of EognLab looks bright, and in any case, it will surely be eye-opening and provocative as hell. “We are currently working on some great collaborations that will be revealed this year, but 2022 can still hold many surprises, some of which are not expected,” they say. “It’s not easy to keep it a secret but believe us, it’s worth it.”
Photography courtesy of EgonLab.
