Creatures of the Wind: Crushed canvas cool

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Sep 10, 2017

Presented inside Skylight studio, the IMG controlled show-space on the Hudson River, this was easily the most convincing “young designer” show so far in New York this season.

What worked best were their sculptural pieces – two-color wrap coats made in contrasting hues and fabrics; like vintage leather combined with khaki cotton; or a black patent leather trench finished with jet black Swarovski and worn by a black model. The clothes looked like found objects re-worked artistically for a performance art display, but were all the more beautiful for that. Their line and silhouette was clean – long skirts cut just below the knee and dresses dissected with miniature belts.
 
And the show climaxed with a pair of sensational coats, both vintage, in the late 60s psychedelic patterns, worthy of a counter culture show inside Fillmore East.

Founded in 2008, Creatures of the Wind is composed of the duo of Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters, two graduates of The School of The Art Institute of Chicago who have gone on to receive awards and nominations from the likes of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, Fashion Group International, the International Woolmark Prize and LVMH – on whose shortlist of 30 young designers they appeared in 2014. The pair lives in Chicago, though Peters spent time in Kinsale, the Irish vacation port – and something of that romantic port was apparent in the cable sweaters in this show.
 
They are self-consciously artistic designers. Gabier said the collection was inspired by both Sixties designs and Dutch master landscape skies; while Peters stressed: “I wanted to make more things myself. Hand-made prototypes that you really make and sell. Not just distill.”
 
And, if the net result is as convincing as this memorable collection, quite right too.