Haute

[runner]

 

[runner]

mattotti.co.jp

 

[oStelios]

I say awesome

 

[Dkammern]

santa claus (mother) bought be an Haute sleeveless cardigan and thank god it was too small for me, cause it really wasnt my style and with the money i got back i bought a belt and a pair of jeans by prada (i love them both!!)

moral of the story: sizes are really small, quality is not exceptional and the prize is skyhigh!

(accesories look really good though!)

 

[gius]

Some info on his working methods...

HAUTE IMPERFECT PERFECTION (18/09/2006)


Far from the elitism of the incessantly cruel masses, Haute is a healthy shock to snobbism and decadence with a decisive and alternative flavour. A small, precious collection for a demanding palette, but totally unconventional. There is something unique in this successful mix of rationalism and emotional decorum. Although simple in design, if not minimum, these garments are contradicted by details and intense interventions, brutally tactile: remnants of old clothes, bedspreads and covers here and there, ribbons and rings from who knows where, Ill-treated leather and exotic fabrics, all moulded until they become beautiful once more. Haute is a hortus conclusus of rarefied elegance, but not without its fair share of urban speed, receding colours, thin silhouettes, a sinuosity that emanates an organic allure, distinct. Almost unknown, but probably not for long, Haute is above all one of the only real rewards to be found in the fanatical world of the Milanese fashion scene. The author of this project launched in 1998 (and to which a new men’s line was added in 2002), is Vincenzo De Cotiis, class 1958, architect and interior designer. Stateless—he lives between Brescia, Milan and Fano—and equally polyhedrical, De Cotiis creates with the same passion and style private homes, hotels and boutiques. He created STRAF and then Atonia, Sugar, Vertice, Joffre, limited edition furniture under the name of ‘Progetto Domestico’ (Domestic Project), Haute and much more. De Cotiis is a man with a strong passion for aesthetics; a concentrated inventor that follows a roaming idea of imperfect perfection with a maniacal tenacity that masterfully plays with the old and the new, the worn-out and the integral, antique preciousness and the coarseness of rubbish dumps. With a touch of obsession this designer is an authentic creator.

What drew you from architecture to the fashion world?
Vincenzo De Cotiis I’ would say passion and instinct. As a self-taught man I think that creativity should not have any limits, if not only the possibility for experimenting. My progression was spontaneous, natural.


And the name Haute?
VDC I disassociated the definition Haute Couture, while keeping a part of the term. When one experiments it is fatal to create something that takes refuge in common tastes: it must have an exclusivity that is not sought-after, but rather inevitable.


Can you manage to define your style?
VDC It’s difficult; I see it tied to my background, experience, and perceptions. Things that have a certain logic, aren’t necessarily stylish, but contain precise references that maybe end up defining it as such. Aesthetically speaking, I prefer a certain liberty that is not connected to the current social-cultural moment.


What is your working method?
VDC Research is fundamental, vital. It is a continual search for new concepts and references, from vintage to recycled clothing that sparks off new ideas. I particularly like assembling different styles and eras.


How important is chance, the accident, if not the incident, in your creative process?
VDC They are an integral part of research; they help you question what you are doing. I find them positive, absolutely.


Do you prefer the process or the product?
VDC The end product. The process is a phase to enjoy, but only the product is capable of giving you a clear idea of the work you have done, and to set off that immediate mechanism where you desire to surpass what you have just completed.


Haute seems to nourish itself with nomadic influences, similar to your roaming life style. Do you think that the place where you live and work influences what one does?
VDC Places certainly influence, but it depends, above all, on how much you are able to perceive. The nomadic lifestyle has its advantages because it allows you to pick up on the changes between places, styles, and social attitudes.


How come so much interest for the old and worn-out, for something ruggedly precious and unpredictable?
VDC All things that have suffered the passage of time seem to have retained that time within them. However, I also like to reinvent a piece by placing it into a modern-day context. I’m fascinated by all that is old and authentic, but not fake antique.


How do the two creative practices of architecture and fashion intertwine?
VDC Everything rotates around emotions. I use the same materials in fashion as I do for architecture. It is the actual realisation of these objects that differs, while the perception of colours, materials and surfaces is very similar. I could never prefer one of these disciplines above the other; one distracts me from the other in a pleasurable fashion.


Fashion today is driven by a strange contradiction: it suggests an idea of exclusiveness, but at the same time is designed to seduce the masses. Instead, Haute is the complete opposite. It is for very few and is of educated taste.
VDC I would never be able to produce a standardised product. Those who appreciate Haute are not necessarily followers of fashion; it is a heterogeneous user that buys my clothes with the same attitude as they would purchase a book, modern antiques, or even in the same way they would go and see a film.


Do styles and trends still exist?
VDC Fashion as it is understood on a common level is of no interest to me. My approach is personal, it is timeless.


Do you see yourself as an artist, artisan or experimenter?
VDC I can not work with anything other than my hands, and this in a way likens me to an artisan: I’m very interested in the manual aspect of a job and the materials. In the near future I would like to dedicate myself to activities that are closer to art, because an artist is someone that experiments. At the last ‘Salone del Mobile’ for example, I created two pieces of furniture with a strong plastic impact. I also did this as a youth, but today, I am more cultured and have more character.

Angelo Flaccavento

article from http://www.yoox.com/corporate/gb/yooxer_287.asp

 

[gius]

from catwalks.sagafurs.com

 

[gius]

Any more info on him ?
Could anyone post more websites to view his clothes?
I noticed yoox and mattotti.co.jp don't have his clothing anymore
Firstview have two recent collections but they're locked
I'm interested in what else he does to the clothes besides burning, distressing
According to his bio, he has no formal training in fashion

Here's a snippet

beaded matted lace held by copper rings and layered onto recycled army tank tops; old scarves or military flags cut into inserts on sailor-like pieces; strips of hairy fur woven with recycled wool; original 20s lamé used on the reverse side; buckles reinterpreted as ornaments; striped mattress ticking used as a precious fabric. Because of its high malleability, leather is a favourite, too. If it's plain, it is rough as sharkskin or shrivelled snakeskin; otherwise it gets a scratched, scorched treatment. Ditto for furs, used as textural accents.

http://www.sagafox.biz/news/story-print.php?story=9

 

[surver]

does anyone have any more information on his progetto domestico furniture? have been looking everywhere but cannot seem to find anything... seems very interesting from the very few images i've seen...

 

[gius]

Hi surver, I found these on Diane Pernet's blog. progetto domestico
http://dianepernet.typepad.com/diane/2005/12/progetto_domest.html

 

[SomethingElse]

F/W 07.08 can be seen here, Gius: http://www.fashionfm.it/english/fashionshow/Haute_658.asp?id=658&gender=2&sea=Fall%20Winter%2007/08&show=10

 

[gius]

I had just found the womenswear version Thanks SomethingElse
Looks like a lot of his collections are up there...
http://www.fashionfm.it

I wish there were close-ups of the fabrics
I've seen a couple of pieces by him already and there only seem to be a few that are really 'unique' in the design/materials