Please Remove Before Washing AW20 show
From having been previously inspired by scenes such as the kitchen and the bedroom, this season Henrik Vibskov’s inspiration continues into the bathroom. The deeply personal rituals of washing and getting ready for the day ahead is what inspired him and the team for the AW20collection – his 38th show in Paris.
In the quiet tranquility of the bathroom we prepare ourselves for the day. The steam from the hot shower fills the room and we emerge fresh with rosy cheeks and wet hair as we continue our ritual. It is a physical preparation as well as a mental one. With our trusted tools and products we clean, we brush, we shave, we inspect ourselves in the mirror. In a fast past and increasingly public world, what happens in this private, meditative space of rituals?
The collection reflects the theme in various ways; special jacquards in our own design inspired by vintage bathrooms in structure, color and pattern, prints of flowing water, combs, soap bubbles, toilet paper and toothbrushes and glossy surfaces inspired by steam and water drops. One print comes from an experiment done in the studio and depicts flowers photographed through a misty mirror and another one carries the polite reminder and name of the collection: “Please Remove Before Washing”. All fabrics and trims are evaluated based on their sustainable qualities and the choices for the collection are made thereafter. This season 95% of all styles are made from sustainable materials. The fabrics for example have outerwear that are made in 100% recycled bottles and are using wool from Norway where the sheep grace freely in the scenic landscape.
The installation takes you into a surreal bath house of organically shaped bathtubs and showers. Performers emerge from the baths carrying out a ritualistic routine, each in their own world, though united through rhythm, body movement and pulse. The spirituality and mental peace of the bathing is juxtaposed with the religious space of the cathedral hall and visualizes a space – both communal and private – build on rituals and routines.
