October 4, 2022 |
Benjamin A. Huseby and Serhat Isik of GmbH have, over the past few seasons, swapped out their clubwear for sauve suiting and elevated everyday wear with cultivated cuts. Simultaneously so, the GmbH boys are easing into their new role at Trussardi – which they’re doing with a skilful savoir faire, we might add – so sure enough, their SS23 offering was just as brazenly deluxe.
Called Ghazal, after an ancient form of amatory Arabic poetry, the collection served as an exercise in altruism constituting an impactful exploration of tensions between religion, morality, freedom, sex and an overarching message of “decolonising” attitudes. So says the show notes: “A ghazal can be a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, separation, and the beauty of love.”
Largely inspired by spirituality and its tenets of protection, healing, mindfulness and calm, evil eyes cropped up as glass buttons and prints developed with Indonesian artist Muhammad “Rofi” Fatchurofi, were informed by the transformative and healing properties of water.
This was also the first time in GmbH’s six year lifespan that the design duo focused on fleshing out a woman’s wardrobe. Skin-tight sheer dresses and criss-cross cropped tops arose in baby blue, black, white and metallic gold hues while baggy thigh-high boots paired with utilitarian hot pants were added to our wish lists. The men’s looks were plentiful as always, surfacing with sport and scuba citations while gender fluidity fed into the collection like a fjord to the sea.
It was a lament to the sorrow of the world today, particularly in Pakistan where catastrophic floods have drowned the country, displacing an estimated 33 million people. For all the uncertainty, anxiety and devastation in the world, at GmbH there was a sense of benevolence.
Photography courtesy of GmbH.
