Words and Photography by Nahuel Contreras
Dutch-English duo Baartmans and Siegel’s 2016 Autumn/Winter show was a visual portal to the New York 1976 urban subculture. The disparate coupling of Spanish Harlem and Studio 54 resonated throughout the collection; through furs, striped tailoring, suede bomber jackets and pleated tracksuit trousers. Challenging conventions of fashion genres, Baartmans and Siegel paired loose pinstripe suits with canvas converse’, merging the boundaries of bespoke and street to become one. Round sunglasses, Afros, Fawcett-esque flicks and layering and pairing zips with suits, all strengthened the referenced concept of the American ‘Great Awakening’ era.
A series of chalky white sculptures and streaks of yellow decorated the presentation space. Inspired by industrial 1970’s New York, installation designer Lucy Hardcastle referenced the stark change that New York was facing during a time that saw an increase in a corporate environment.