Fashion Film: S.R. STUDIO. LA. CA. S/S 21 Haute Couture
Described as 'California Couture,' Apparitions was the first couture collection by artist Sterling Ruby under his S.R. STUDIO. LA. CA. label. Created in America, the collection was shot in Los Angeles on 19 January 2021, on the last day of the Trump presidency.
Presented digitally in a fashion film, figures walk through a post-apocalyptic landscape imagined from footage filmed by Ruby in an empty paintball park in Southern California. Silhouettes and shapes reference American heritage: Puritan collars, styles of dress inextricable from colonialism, neocolonialism and religious persecution. These contrast with the uniforms of modern America: references to skate wear, workwear, business wear abound. Bags are referred to as 'instrument cases.'
Exploring the materiality of the handmade - central to both haute couture and to Ruby’s art practice - Apparitions focuses on craft and a celebration of the human touch. Hand-dyeing, patchwork and enzyme rinses referred to the soft sculpture of Ruby’s textile-based artworks.
Described as 'California Couture,' Apparitions was the first couture collection by artist Sterling Ruby under his S.R. STUDIO. LA. CA. label. Created in America, the collection was shot in Los Angeles on 19 January 2021, on the last day of the Trump presidency.
