Days ago in Paris, Evarard Best and Téla D’Amore revealed their intentional Who Decides War collection. The presentation was filled with elevated silhouettes not limited to stacked denim, cargo pants, and a utilitarian-style vest. The design duo’s relationship to Paris is a long-lasting one having worked on the late Virgil Abloh’s Spring 2019 collection in collaboration with his Off-White brand for a show and workshops facilitated with Heron Preston in 2018.
The collection entitled “APHORISM” highlights past themes from prior runway seasons and refocuses on the craft of each piece. In it, we see street-ready ensembles like a long coat with an abundance of zip compartments, a black suit with patchwork, and a matching black leather look with an excess of zippers all over. Other stand-out looks include a slim fitting medium-wash denim set with embossed texture throughout. Separately, I was enraptured with a striking gradient workwear set featuring patchwork paneling. There was also another utilitarian look that grabbed me: a plain white long-sleeve and a tiered skirt with a camo layer underneath and an army green reconstructed top with exposed zip compartments.
The runway filled with models with noticeable cuts and bruises which was a take on “luxury detention” that D’Amore wanted to create, according to Vogue. This was also a take on the theme of “Gianthood” that the duo spun. These ideals were seen in the fleshed-out collection which was comprised of items that were diligently made by hand. Since Who Decides War has earned its stripes in streetwear, this presentation felt like kismet. The clothing designed by the duo presents their ability to continue dreaming out loud. What ensues from their playful creation process are eccentric goods that push the boundaries of wearable fashion.
The very last look in the collection was patriotic to say the least with a heavy-duty patchwork jacket covered in small pieces of red, white, and blue. The model even posed in a playful salute position. Coincidentally, in French, the word “salut” means see you later.
