556,000 Swarovski crystals brighten the runway at NYFW

By

Dani Greene

Published
Feb 21, 2016

Tim Coppens, Creatures of the Wind, Tanya Taylor, Dion Lee, Tome and Rosie Assouline, all Swarovski Collective designers, debuted fall/winter 2016 collections encrusted in over 556,000 Swarovski crystals. As members of the Collective, Swarovski provided financial support and access to an enormous range of crystals.
 
Influenced by various themes and time periods, each designer incorporated Swarovski crystals into patterns and textures. Tim Coppens celebrated Japanese street wear and rock stars Jimi Hendrix and Axel Rose in military-style jackets and 3D detailing. Talking about his collection, Coppens said: “Adding Swarovski is great way to add dimension to my pieces. The beading creates a 3D effect and reflects light in new and interesting ways that you cannot achieve from traditional fabrics. The technique of metallic Hotfix transfers was the perfect blend of modern technique that captured the DIY spirit that runs throughout."

 
Inspired by mid-century modern architecture and furniture designers, Creatures of the Wind crafted the crystals into modern abstract patterns on apparel. Shane Gabier and Christophe Peters of the brand said: “We think of Swarovski as an integral component of this story – an opportunity to create a bit of the narrative through a very special material.  It's always important to us to re-contextualize elements, to ask the viewer to reimagine something they may think they know; using Swarovski in our own way helps us do this.”
 
And Dion Lee explored the concept of negative space and the artwork of Otto Pien in a collection entitled Apature by incorporating pleats and cut outs in the collection. Explaining the role of crystals in the collection, Lee said: “Swarovski crystal was an important part of interpreting the creative concept of the collection, allowing us to experiment with light, shadow play and weightlessness.”

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The Swarovski Collective, founded in 1999 following Nadja Swarovski’s collaboration with Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow, aims to encourage both emerging and established designers to push creative boundaries of crystal use and craftsmanship.