KOME CLOTHING
As I sit down to write reviews in the days just after Vancouver Fashion Week, I reflect on what I’ve just seen. It’s an intense four days. I contemplate what I want to express about what I’ve seen and witnessed. Sometimes it takes a few days to process. Often as I think about a particular designer and their collection, a phrase or word comes to mind to best describe their work. In the case of KOME CLOTHING, that word is artistry. The artist behind KOME CLOTHING is North Vancouver-based designer Kjaer Neletia Pedersen.
Kjaer Neletia Pedersen has always been an artist, and she creates wearable art with intention. No two garments are identical, and each one incorporates the playful artistic spirit of the artist. Kjaer majored in Art at University. She became a teacher of art at both Secondary School and University levels. Kjaer has worked in various mediums over the years, including owning her clay studio, but has now found a passion for creating with fabric.
KOME CLOTHING – A REVIEW
I wrote about KOME CLOTHING in my preview post and I was not disappointed by what I saw, KOME CLOTHING designer Kjaer Neletia Pedersen showed her collection to a full house on the opening night of VFW. As the lights came up, the audience grooved to live music. Kome Clothing presented a collection inspired by the fabrics and incorporated repurposed clothing. Kjaer describes in her biography notes her love for creating her one-of-a-kind garments using a wide array of techniques; dyeing, stamping, bleaching, and hand-cutting her creations. All these artistic techniques and more were evident as the upbeat jazzy music accompanied this bohemian collection.
Each piece on the runway expressed the artistic skills used in its creation. A wide range of textiles, patterns, and prints gave a rich, eclectic vibe. Denim is upcycled and incorporated into the garments. The garments tell stories through ethnic, vintage, and patchwork fabrics. The color palette is varied and based on dark basics with colorful emblazoned textiles. The clothing has a free-spirited nature and appeals to those wanting clothes that come from mindful production.
This collection’s signature pieces are flowing silk robes, they can be incorporated into a wardrobe with ease. The brilliant, vibrant colors added to a black dress, jumpsuit, or slacks and top make a unique and easy-to-wear fashion statement. KOME CLOTHING strides to provide wearable art to both women and men and has inclusive sizing to flatter all figures.
In conclusion, slow fashion is the future. As we strive for a more sustainable fashion industry, we need to support the small producers who make deliberate and thoughtful clothing.
This is from the first night of VFW S/S 2023, I am pictured with fellow writer Marilyn R. Wilson, Marilyn is wearing a robe from KOME Clothing.
CIAO FOR NOW J. ANDREW