If high art is a form of expression that is refined, skillful and visually stunning, then Kelvin Stidwill’s collection combining fine craftsmanship and dramatic silhouettes certainly fits the description.
“Endlessly Back-To-School,” Stidwill’s collection, graced the runway of Haut(e) on Friday, October 13, at Gallery 101 in Ottawa. Sandra Ngenge Dusabe, the founder of the Moving Art Gallery, married high art and fashion in her debut runway. The show was a collaboration between The Moving Art Gallery and Gallery 101 that spotlighted works by two local designers, Comfort Survival and Stidwill.
Endlessly Back to School by Kelvin Stidwill at Haut(e). Photo: Serena Yang.
Each character in Stidwill’s eight-piece collection—five of which were featured in the show—is modelled after a school archetype, from your typical student-athlete to your diva. Uniforms can stifle a person’s sense of self, but Stidwill subverts that narrative by focusing on how uniforms can create community and belonging. The over-exaggerated designs—a core aspect of the brand’s DNA—speaks to the concept of taking up space in rooms where your presence is unwelcome.
Another aspect of high art is its ability to evoke an emotional response. Comfort Survival’s debut on the runway was met with claps and gasps from the audience. The collection “Play” is an ode to femininity.
Play by Comfort Survival at Haut(e). Photo: Serena Yang.
The flowers, the ruffles and the coloured tights command attention while being playful. Hyperfemininity is often villainized in popular media with the bimbo or the mean girl stereotype, which fails to appreciate the nuances of being a woman while putting the onus on the pink-wearing girlies to prove they are also smart. But Comfort Survival’s “Play” is unapologetically feminine and fun. In the words of the designer, “It makes a girl stand out.”
Kelvin Stidwill will show his full collection “Endlessly Back to School” on Nov. 19 at Fashion Art Toronto.
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