That's me (left) with Greg Lauren
Greg Lauren, nephew of the legendary Ralph Lauren, debuted his first collection on Saturday at Barneys New York on Oak Street in Chicago with a wonderfully artistic and intimate show. The impeccable construction of these one-of-a-kind pieces was mesmerizing and a paradox in itself because the overall theme was deconstruction. We had a fantastic interview with a very enthusiastic Lauren who stated "by the way go ahead and do whatever you want to it because its only going to make it look better."
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There were two underlying themes to this particular collection which included menswear and womenswear. The first of which being superheros, which was very apparent in the storyboard reconstruction that Barneys put together for the Lauren presentation, representing the creative storyboards that can be seen within artists' studios as they work. When I asked Lauren about his fascination with superheros he stated, "I love looking at heros in non-heroic moments" which is how the deconstruction inspiration came to mind for his collection.
Lauren uses non-typical fabrics such as duffel bags and vintage military uniforms to construct his tailored jackets wanting to "make a tailored jacket out of something that would have emotional symbolism." The "ironic military group" which is the other theme to his collection contained two of my very favorite pieces one of which was a deep navy blue sailor jacket. This piece was made from vintage naval uniforms, "Popeye shirts" as Lauren put in, and were patch-worked together to create this piece.
Another item which I absolutely adored were these amazing, thigh high, duffel bag, olive green boots, which were part of the one-of-a-kind shoe collection Lauren designed. I never thought a duffel bag could be so sexy, but oh was I wrong!
Lauren's debut collection will be showing in select specialty boutiques around the country. These one-of-a-kind wearable works of art will defiantly add a unique flare to your wardrobe and add some edge to any look you throw on. Make sure you head to Barneys on the 4th floor and take a look at the Greg Lauren Collection. I guarantee you will love, love, love it!
Greg Lauren is available in select Barneys New York stores and Barneys.com
—Allie Houston
Photos: Second City Style
