Zerotwonine

029 Experience Artist and successful menswear designer, Robert Geller, unveiled his Spring/Summer 2011 collection during New York Fashion Week.

029’s fashion scouting gurus, Isabelle and Christian, along with our friends and lovers-of-all-things-artistic Robert and Hale of United Creators watched as the models aggressively strut down the runway.

Victor Hugo once said, “Change your opinions, keep to your principles; change your leaves, keep intact your roots.”

Robert Geller kept to his German roots and found inspiration from the Berlin student movement of the 1960’s that sought to challenge the authoritarianism of the German governments and the hypocrisy of Western governments in general.

The protests in Germany were a reflection of a broader trend of global unrest, which saw the youth in various countries uniting together for a common cause against their respective governments.

This somber, yet liberating era in German history provided the backdrop and televisions broadcasting scenes from those protest set the mood for Geller’s latest collection. With the scene set and the audience’s undivided attention – it was time to tell a story by way of cuts, colour and fabric. 

The clothes were an expression of contrasts: sharply cut blazers, leather jackets and jumpsuits added an aggressive element while loosely cut shorts and silky fabrics helped soften the collection’s tone.

An army fatigue palette dominated the collection, army greens and desert khakis were prominently featured to symbolise the military response that often greeted peaceful protests.

Various shades of reds, a colour that Geller introduced into his collection for the first time, spoke to the passion and courage that marked the era’s youth movement.

Despite his new theme and inspiration, Geller stayed faithful to a few of his signature elements: impeccable tailoring, expert layering and an all-around messy-yet-pulled-togetherness that produces wardrobe staples with a rock-n-roll edge.