[softgrey]

London | August 31, 2011
Jac Langheim’s Latex Couture

By Maria Caserio



With a lust for all things latex and couture, Jac Langheim blurs the line between risqué and refined. Taking the latex world to the next level and beyond, this envelope-pushing fashion designer has opted to use this alternative material as the inspiration for her work and the unrivaled medium for her creativity. Fittingly, Langheim has already dressed Lady Gaga in rubber themed epaulettes, bralettes and cropped latex jackets, but her visionary designs exceed mere hype and theatrics.


With just two collections under her belt, Langheim proves this natural material has a home in the high end market. The line redefines the

suggestive nature of latex and the predisposed stereotypes associated with the dominatrix-filled fetish underworld by recontextualizing the material in timeless and elegant styles. Langheim’s a/w ’11 collection featured latex moto jackets, corseted dresses, tops, suit pants and skirts that were at once futuristic yet sophisticated renditions of classic looks. As the dressing of her craft, silk treated latex and raw matte finished garments were the heart and soul of timely costume-chic pieces that challenged the materials’ sleek exquisiteness when used respectively. And using zippers to counteract the materials’ nuisances, Langheim disguised the less-stress approach under a tuxedo stripe or two.


A true individual, Langheim has opened the world to the ways in which latex should be used by taking into account its ill-fitting regard as a material with little wiggle room. Her rubber couture goes where no other designer has gone before as she brings luxury back through an unlikely medium. Ahead of her time on the fashion frontier, Langheim’s work has changed the way we look at things and added value to a once fetish-clad ideal.




jcreport.com

[ChrissyM]

wow, talk about redefining a medium...

i love what she's doing with latex, it actually looks elegant and classy
i think using those flesh tones is really great and that first coat is fantastic

this is probably a good leather alternative for those who are ethically opposed

i just wonder about temperature control and breathability when it comes to latex...
i feel like i would instantly be clammy if i tried to wear that dress, even though i'm into the way it looks.

and how do you care for/clean latex?
i feel like i would get a pen mark or something on it.

[softgrey]

can't speak to the breathability question...
but you clean latex by wiping it with a sponge...
very simply...

[ChrissyM]

^^that's what i was thinking but then it almost seemed too easy

[amour_amour363]

I love this, latex has always fascinated me but I've always hated the tacky stigma attached to it. The latex garments created by the likes of Jane Doe, HMS etc have made a great start but they generally don't transcend beyond a photoshoot, goth club or the bedroom. This shows that latex has so many unexplored possibilities, and I hope it goes further.

I'm interested to see how loose/fitted/accessible the garments are. I doubt it's convenient to slather yourself in talcum powder in order to put on a tight dress before heading out. It probably wouldn't bee too appropriate for summer. In terms of breathability... I've never worn it myself but I don't think it is. Practicallity is probably a large obstacle to overcome in that regard.

[ultramarine]

Something that some of tFSers would love (Lena!).

I think it looks very very wearable and tempting even for such an uncommon medium.

I want more.

[mackos]

I'm loving the shapes, especially the cocoon jacket looks great made in this fabric.

[Crying Diamonds]

Quote:

Originally Posted by softgrey can't speak to the breathability question... but you clean latex by wiping it with a sponge... very simply...

Yes, no matter how beautiful the clothes are, how hot and clammy would one get wearing these pieces?

[Kayote]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crying Diamonds Yes, no matter how beautiful the clothes are, how hot and clammy would one get wearing these pieces?

I doubt it is going to be very breathable and wearable (becauseof). Breathability is one of the biggest strength of Cotton hence its success.

I love the shapes and that may well be the rubber's biggest strength, enabling shapes which would consume a lot of common material to be pulled off eith rubber.

[EstefaniaAbaddon]

Well, I only wore one latex dress for about 4 hours but it was a pencil dress. Skin-tight, from HMS Latex. It was comfortable/wearable but I have to say that it wasn't the most breathable fabric... It's almost like vinyl. The truth is: it's rubber.

But since these dresses are loose-fit... Maybe it's different.

[ChrissyM]

i just read an article in W's September issue that mentioned the author's experience wearing latex (she and her friends drunkenly stumbled into a fetish shop in the east village and she was chosen as the sacrificial lamb to get a makeover) and she wrote about how the shopkeeper stripped her naked and powdered her with corn starch to prevent chafing

not that i'm saying this latex is on the same level as the latex outfits sold in a fetish shop, but that gave me pause

[softgrey]

yeah...
baby powder/corn starch is latex's best friend...