FASH 2015 Freedom
Kai Gerhardt
| 3rd Prize European Fashion Award – FASH 2015 Category Students |
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| The Black Rectangle |
The inspiration for the menswear collection “The Black Rectangle” is a woman waiting for a train. At first glance, it appears that she only wears a blanket. When does a blanket, a piece of fabric, turn into a piece of clothing? When is fashion recognized and accepted? Kai Gerhardt braved the unknown dealing with the minimalism in fashion. He seized the freedom to fail, to quit or to fight. He liberated himself from the security of his education, moved away from a Euro-centric image of men. Instead, he searched for diversity in his thinking, heterogeneity in his actions, and versatility in his designs. Design instead of craft: accept new perspectives, research working methods, experiment with materials. It clicked. The result is an eight-piece menswear collection made of cashmere and fine merino wool knit. He purposely selected low-key black as the color, inspiring the discovery of hidden elements. |
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| Jury Statement | Kai Gerhardt designed very specific fashion that does not have any connection with a euro-centric male image, yet seems very familiar. The project makes an immediate impression. It distinguishes itself thanks to thoughtful use of materials in addition to an independent design language with a strictly aesthetic system. Yet the deciding element remains invisible to the viewer: the essential liberation from existing thought and working processes necessary to create something this innovative. – Jury Member Michael Sontag, Designer, Berlin |
| Education | 5th Semester – Universität der Künste Berlin – University of the Arts Berlin Prof. Valeska Schmidt-Thomsen |
| Prize | Photo shoot with Franco P. Tettamanti, catalogue, exhibition, media relations, Mentoring program, Mentor: Helge-Christian Schmidt 1,000 Euro prize money |
| Contact | herrgerhardt@googlemail.com / www.herrgerhardt.de |
| Download | Web: www.sdbi.de/download/kai-gerhardt-web.zip Print: www.sdbi.de/download/kai-gerhardt-print.zip |
