Luko Marion brings us to his Urban Underground Winter

Graphic by Jennifer Kwan.

Montreal Fashion Week does not always attract attendees because of the cold weather, but once inside Arsenal, there is no stepping out. As everyone was just about ready to ditch their heavy and dull winter clothing and flaunt their light and colourful spring fashion trends, Luko Marion whipped us back to reality and tied us down in awe.

Known for his avant-garde creations for L’AUTRE COUTURE BY LUKO MARION, the designer did not fail to impress with his gothic and fetish-inspired fall/winter 2013 collection. Marion named his collection “Urban Underground Winter,” leaving his audience in anticipation of what to expect. When that first model walked out on the runway though, we got it – this was going to be one edgy collection.

“I was inspired and influenced by my surroundings, the people around me, and the temperature, and was thinking of what I would like to wear in winter, as people are always dressing up too much; and to make my edgy, but not too crazy pieces, prêt-à-porter,” said Marion.

Marion understands all too well the pain women and men go through when opening our closets in the morning on a chilly winter day and deciding what to wear. When conceptualizing the pieces for his collection, Marion wanted people to keep in mind that while they are extravagant and exaggerated, they’re still ready-to-wear.

With patent leather sailor-inspired hats, veils, and long sharp black nails, Marion thought out of the box in every aspect of presenting his collection. There was so much detail in each look that it was hard to decide where to direct your focus. Wanting to create timeless, classic and interchangeable pieces, Marion was sure to include winter favourite fabrics like leather and wool.

To add a touch of luxe, Marion included some metal embellishments, sheer, and fringe, hitting high-fashion in every direction. Though the pieces were not too close to the body, except for the perfectly tailored wool-felt body armour with leather trimmed criss-cross straps, Marion stated he aimed for the “strong and seductive woman that knows what she wants and where she is going.”

Marion devoted himself to taking his vision of clothing to another level, for both men and women, leaving no concept, texture or cuts out. Every key piece gave us the look of transition from morning to night, as he dared us to want to pull off every one of his unisex, fetish-inspired pieces.

“There are certain pieces that we could wear as men that we could not wear before, like transparency – something bold that we can play around with as men,” said Marion.

For Marion, this collection for men was about conceptualizing and realizing clothing that is not too feminine, but incorporating ready-to-wear texture and fabric that is used mostly for women.

He is always ready to go beyond the limits with his visions, and was sure not to leave out his trademark buttons, which he incorporated into two drastic chain-link brassieres, put over a classic and drastic long black dress. Though Marion’s pieces were bold and very high fashion, L’AUTRE COUTURE aimed for practicality and diversity.

“You need to wear clothing that you feel amazing in, and that you are comfortable in, and it needs to represent your personality. Fashion is something great, but with fashion, you need to be confident, out there, and enjoy it.”

Related Posts