DEEPTI °016-017 COLLECTION
Emphasized by its fragility and paradigmatic flexibility, the °016 – 017 Broken Formality collection explores the vulnerability of its wearer to the deepest roots of confrontation.
CRASH GLASS SUICIDE VEST
Every collection from Deepti has an emblematic object as manifesto and portrays the atmosphere around the collection. Broken Formality was accentuated by the Crash Glass Suicide Vest. The title of the ‘(Crash Glass) Suicide Vest’ from the “Broken Formality” collection refers to the fragility of the wearer but also to the global political situation, with terrorism and suicide bombings as consequences of global power politics.
The Crash Glass Suicide Vest is a technical masterpiece and directs the collection for a reason. Completely crafted out of safety glass, the Suicide Vest is astonishingly wearable as a clothing item. The Crash Glass Suicide vest was the first piece from the collection and was created shortly after Deepti arrived in Berlin in 2012. Berlin, the city of freedom, run down by vandalism where glass phone booths were shown in extent, carved a certain inspiration for Deepti to create the Crash Glass Suicide vest.
When asking Deepti more about the difficulties of constructing the glass vest, she mentioned that safety glass is an extremely hard material to work with, as it is not meant to be cut, though can be shaped. The Crash Glass vest was created with almost no injuries. Tremendous time and effort were invested to compose the wearable sculptures.
“We managed not too many injuries in the process of working with the glass material, which is extremely difficult to cut – more so into the right shape –, because that is exactly what it is meant to be – not cut.” – Deepti Barth
CRASH SEAM
Recognizable by the fragmented Crash Seam, °016 – 017 Broken Formality features tailored jackets, heavy jeans and leather jackets which are formed on broken lines. The items are constructed in panels, which are tailored individually and then assembled together by hand stitching. Over 150 heavy-duty hand stitches are required to join the corners of the crash seam together on the jeans - a tremendous amount of work which can only be executed by the best artisans.
The seemingly delicate constructions are remarkably efficient in retaining strength. Yet when worn, the crash-seams follow the movement of the body and gives flexibility. It opens itself slightly to reveal the underneath. The Crash Seam was developed as a translation of the broken glass in the °016-017 collection.
J-047 SURGE-95
LO-040 LEATHER-90
LO-041 LEATHER-40
S-051 NET-11
FABRIC
The technical and natural beeswax gives the fabrics rigidity, though smoothness, the surface of which breaks with the movements of the wearer. On lighter fabrics such as shirtings the wax renders the fabric translucent.
Formal items such as the smoking jackets are reconfigured with polished wax instead of satin, resulting in a sheen fading with time.
PURPOSE
Through the confrontation of the Crashed Glass and the Crash Seam the Broken Formality collection was an attempt to break the formality and perspective on very classic items, like suits and derby’s. Nevertheless, Deepti’s craft is making garments, and as such she wishes for the work to speak for itself. The experience and expressions of her clothing are meant to be for the imagination of the wearer only.
CREDIT
