Ethos Behind Esoteric (click to watch)
︎ Index
Click to read about the show
(Designer) Anthony Offiah and Girah Lundy
Click to watch the trailer for the collection
Click to read about the show
(Designer) Anthony Offiah and Girah Lundy
Esoteric is a collection that is designed to transform and refresh. Its ethos lies within the objective of imbuing the aesthetic of ‘costume-core’, where people strive to look both fantastical and expressive, into the garments that take streetwear elements and elevate them to be bold and refined. Grace is prioritized and functionality is derided. The central images and motifs of the collection include Eden, religion, and heaven, concealing standards and influences of those authority systems that restrict freedom of expression through clothing is how the collection was born. Esoteric is meant to be a unisex collection that does not rely on preconceived notions of what people should look like.
I chose the name “esoteric” because it connotes both mystery and the mastery of something uniquely aware to a small group of people. The sentiment of being esoteric, I think, is of unleashing something buried under the layers of oneself; it is obscure; yet, meaningful as it can relate to all aspects of life as we strive to express and learn the most esoteric parts of ourselves.
The Collection consists of 9 unisex pieces designed for a typical spring summer season. The color palette consists of reds, whites, golds, silver, and bronze. The collection includes fabrics like chiffon, tulle, and linen and features silhouettes like tulle trains, a-line shapes, and corsetry.
I design clothing that uniquely portrays men in unconventional ways to satiate my desire to make unique garments ubiquitous, where there are no boundaries or labels of what is acceptable for men to wear, or even that being a "man" matters in any sense of expression. My brand Heaven Concealed is adjacent to the movement to make fashion less constrained with its categories and prioritized functionality: a mission to help elevate fashion by negating norms in traditional menswear. "HEAVEN" represents the promise of paradise if one blindly follows rules; by concealing that promised neverland we can reach a place of true expression without menial limitations. The contention itself is capitalized and visualized within the brand. My Heaven Concealed has grown because of the experience in the industry, now holding a stronger foundation and message; a unisex brand that draws out fantasy rendered through garments, testing the boundaries of modern fashion with creativity and the desire to create avatars for our inner selves.