Ivwri
Distinguished Member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2011
- Messages
- 1,513
- Reaction score
- 4,137
In this thread we discuss all things Aitor Throup. Photos of clothing, interviews, construction techniques, fit pics, the eye-watering prices, the works.
Aitor Throup approaches fashion design like a product designer. Working on refining a particular design over the course of many years and releasing iterations on a core "archetype" when he feels it is ready. This makes his approach fresh in the fashion industry, but also means that his product launches lack the typical "freshness" or "newness" demanded by the industry every season. Over the years of his studio's existence he has endlessly refined and tweaked his various archetypal designs. From the recently released Shiva skull bag (which has existed as a design prototype since his 2006 MA graduation collection) to his distinctive take on the male trouser with the built-in socks, and in some cases shoes. His archetypes are also explored in his drawings with a daily sketch by him appearing on The BREAKS website and on his company's Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The various archetypes he has have been explored multiple times in his shows, exhibitions and installations over the years culminating in a retrospective in January 2010 titled "Legs" where he showed his different takes on his archetypal trouser via his signature mesh mannequins.
He just recently showed his AW13/14 collection at London Fashion Week and in Paris it was available to handle in a showroom so now's the time for this thread like sipang pointed out elsewhere.
BIOGRAPHY (source)
London based designer Aitor Throup was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1980. He arrived in Burnley, Lancashire in 1992 and it was there that Throup developed a passion for labels such as Stone Island and C.P. Company. Aitor’s interest in these products and his own passion for drawing led him to begin a BA in Fashion Design at Manchester Metropolitan University, where he graduated with first class honors in 2004. In 2006, he completed an MA in Fashion Menswear at the Royal College of Art in London.
Throup’s MA graduate collection ‘When Football Hooligans Become Hindu Gods’ received wide critical acclaim focusing on its conceptual narrative thread and diverse influences ranging from generic military garments to Hindu symbolism.
Aitor’s fascination with anatomy is often evident in his figurative drawings. His hand drawn characters and the later development of his sculptural practice form the foundations behind his ‘justified design philosophy’, which highlights the necessity of a reason or function behind all design features.
He exhibited ‘The Funeral Of New Orleans: Part One’ at London Fashion Week in September 2007. The exhibition defied conventional ways of presenting clothing by showing pieces on life size sculptures created by Throup, each in a different stage of transformation. The exhibition also incorporated a film created in conjunction with SHOWstudio.
In 2008 Aitor collaborated with Stone Island on two projects presented at Milan Fashion Week: ‘Modular Anatomy’ and ‘Articulated Anatomy’. Aitor Throup and C.P. Company later launched a special 20th anniversary edition of the iconic Goggle Jacket in 2009 (The driving jacket originally designed by Massimo Osti). The re-design featured a fully ergonomic construction, based on a life-size sculpture of the human body in the driving position. It featured a unique transformational articulation built into the pockets, which allowed the jacket’s structure to morph into a driving position when required. In early 2010, the jacket was nominated for the ‘Design of the Year’ award by the London Design Museum.
Later in 2010 he began working as a creative consultant with British brand Umbro, this led to his involvement in the design of both ‘home’ and ‘away’ England kits for the 2010 World Cup. In 2011, Umbro and Aitor launched their long awaited collaboration line ‘Archive Research Project’. The launch was presented at an installation in London’s Dover Street Market.
Aitor then launched his on-schedule A/W10 product line during Paris Fashion Week. The presentation was titled ‘LEGS’ and was a retrospective of his various trouser concepts from the past six years, which culminated in a collection of three specially developed trousers exclusively exhibited and sold globally in a small number of stores including Selfridges London.
In July 2011, Aitor Throup was appointed as creative director of British rock band Kasabian; heading the design and art direction for their fourth album ‘Velociraptor!’. Throup’s involvement with the band resulted in him receiving the 2012 UK Music Video Award for ‘Best Music TV Advertisement’.
In June 2012 Throup previewed his eponymous product line ‘New Object Research’ where ambassadors Sarah Mower and Tim Blanks hosted the press preview. This was followed by an exclusive preview of four individual items from the product line at Dover Street Market London, where multiple sculptures were installed throughout various spaces within the space during the store’s Frieze Art Fair ‘open house’ event.
The complete collection was revealed at the D.E. Gallery in King’s Cross during ‘London Collections: Men 2013’. The exhibition consisted of 22 ready to wear product archetypes presented within six individual scenes featuring outfits worn by Aitor’s human form sculptures, suspended and framed in bespoke steel structures of his design. “It was the culmination of six years of work, and six years of intense optimism on the part of industry insiders who’ve patiently clung to the conviction that Throup brings something unique to fashion”, said Tim Blanks for Style.com. Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune described the collection as “an effort to make reason the essence of design and apply it functionally.”
***
New Object Research
Aitor Throup's design manifesto
Aitor Throup's design manifesto
Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Last edited: