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First Look: House of Cards unveils AW17 collection ‘Animal’

Exploring our basic instincts.

Following last year’s masterful drop inspired by the human body, House of Cards’ latest lookbook has arrived. 

And we have the first look.

Titled Animal, the collection explores our primal instincts as humans, and how these are reconciled with the constraints of social constructs.

An excerpt from the label encapsulates it nicely:

“As humans we have evolved and advanced into hyper-developed and highly intelligent beings, surpassing our mammal counterparts. We are born into the constructs of a societal discourse, driven by ambition, emotion, conflict and mortality while we still possess basic instincts.

ANIMAL explores humans as beings who are struggling to find a balance between being a product of the human condition while also existing as a member of a species with primal urges.”

An interesting subject matter, sure. But how this has translated into clothing is particularly energising. 

Designer Ashiya Omundsen has taken silhouettes traditionally reserved for business wear, and given these a primal spin.

Snap-off panelling and zip details feature heavily, for perhaps obvious reasons. As Ashiya explains:

“These ideas allow the wearer act on primal urges instantaneously and in a playful way, encouraging a sense of shamelessness toward our basic instincts.”

Reow.

Unsurprisingly, animal prints and motifs are woven throughout, as is faux fur detailing. 

A more nuanced approach can be seen through relaxed pieces balancing structured shapes, while exaggerated lines add a more playful element to traditionally conservative silhouettes.

houseofcardsthelabel.com

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