DESIGNERS TO KNOW: Jolita Jewellery

Edited by admin

A designer who finds antique pieces and transforms them into wearable art.

Re-Engineering Fashion

Edited by Rebecca Alexander

Olah Gyarfas, architect of Romanian label Rozalb de Mura, has more than a passing interest in all things avant-garde. Creating an eccentric multi-disciplined world around his clothing, this graduate of Budapest’s University of Applied Arts offers his own unique take on “future” and surrealist dressing, collaborating with visual artists, writers and musicians to create a brand that’s constantly evolving.

Ideal in Berlin played host to Olah’s a/w ’08 collection, The Thing. In typically weird and wonderful style, the show veered away from the traditional catwalk presentation, instead opting for a live model-meets-lasers-meets-scanners art performance that did justice to an equally unconventional collection. Using black as his starting point, Olah created a monochrome parade of complex and highly detailed garments that concentrated on shape, form and texture—quilted puffa jackets, high-shine ruffles, decorative shoulder pieces, removable pads and a variety of ultra-modern, chemically-treated fabrics. Theatrical and dramatic, with a touch of techno sportswear, average this is not.