Forget the monotonous routine of watching models rock the catwalk; companies like Ossimori, based in Florence, Italy, are making waves in the fashion world overlapping the creative worlds of fashion and art. Ossimori's Das Gift line has found an interesting way to combine installation art exhibits and high fashion shows into one truly unique and mesmerizing experience that you won't forget.
The "Garden of Eden" event in August of 2010 introduced Ossimori to the world. The company used a gallery in Salt Lake City, the hometown of partner, Misty Evans, to create an interesting installation piece incorporating the best looking humans that Salt Lake has to offer, the Das Gift heart logo, vials of "poison", and natural elements brought into the gallery space including sod, a tree, roses, and wood chips. The groupings of models would change poses every 15 min., some representing poses of love and other representing hate, others never moved throughout the opening. Artistically, the display created questions about love; how can you love something so much and want to hurt it; opposition found in everything. Likewise, the models successfully showed off the logo T's and ideas behind the fashion line. The intrigue factor was truly through the roof. Both art and fashion lovers enjoyed the experience equally.
Then in January of 2011, Ossimori had another installation show in Florence, Italy to launch their first Spring/Summer Das Gift line. This time the gallery was lined with eyes. In the center, were 3 sheer nets that housed 3 nude bodies during the opening. "It was meant to represent the desire to mask your vulnerabilities, while at the same time, wanting to show and give everything of yourself to someone that you love" says Ossimori partner, Jessica Turner. The exhibit did just that. Onlookers awkwardly walked the gallery as though being watched by the eyes, while reading torn up love letters on the ground and glancing at the nudes, but not wanting to gaze too long. Various voices whispered love and hate messages that were looped on a recording. Only one word could describe the overall feeling of this display "Obsession". Upstairs models stood stagnate wearing the new line of T's. The crowd was both shocked and intrigued. "It is always better than apathy; they will never forget us" said partner Misty Evans.
Hopefully more fashion designers will take note from Ossimori's inventive, lavish displays and events. It just seems to add a little something that runway shows don't have, and it draws an audience that would never have experience the runways/fashion world otherwise.
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