FREE FALL

FREE FALL
Conceptual Fashion Installation
IVAN ASEN 22

Opening: Thursday, 3.11. from 19:00
with a welcome drink from AYA Estate

In a world of dystopias, when humanity has exploited the resources of its planet to the limit, we look back to the origin of life: the Big Bang, which brought cosmic particles to earth. Their transformation from one state to another, their birth and disappearance, is part of the cyclical nature that defines existence.

One particular element is in focus here: copper (Cu, Latin: Cuprum, atomic number 29). This soft and malleable metal, a conductor of heat, easily changes its different physical states from hard and stable to liquid and flexible, and during oxidation its color transforms from rusty, brownish, or pink to greenish-blue and petroleum.

The textile sculptures and accessories developed, inspired by the element copper, reflect its different aggregate states in the processing of materials, through the achievement of specific structures and textures, in the creation of fluid volumes and shapes. They seem to be in a constant process of transformation, similar to the personality’s quest for its identity and self-improvement, which pushes its development forward. Combining traditional means of expression with modern technologies and materials not present in fashion is project’s innovative approach, touching on current topics such as sustainable design practices through the recycling of materials. Interpreting the societal trend of returning to our roots and origins serves as the antithesis of our detachment from the same through the process of globalization. Designers create object-sculptures beyond utilitarianism, which in turn become “heroes” in a film environment.

What if the past was far more futuristic than our ideas about the future? The film shot with the design objects treats the cosmic origin of the elements and takes us to a landmark architectural monument from our socialist past: the monumental complex Buzludzha. Its unique futuristic exterior is in stark contrast to its ruined interior, a symbol of the utopias of the past. Beyond the dimensions of time and space, its futuristic architecture serves as a backdrop for a beautiful dance of cosmic particles moving from one state to another, from one form to another. Cold metal acquires human qualities and dimensions, and designer clothes are a mirror image of the internal processes expressed through them, which build a complex whole.

Conceptual fashion design:
Alexander Gerginov, Anelia Antova, Georgi Florov, Natalia Zhivkova, Neli Miteva, Ralitsa Georgieva
Accessories: Velislava Bozhinova
Curator: Neli Miteva
Spatial design: Momchil Tasev, Alexander Gerginov
Fashion photography: Zlatimir Arakliev; model: Gloria Petkova; hair and makeup: Marina Mladenova; set design: Momchil Tasev and Alexander Gerginov; assistant: Anelia Antova
Art photography: Luisa Hübner (Vienna)
Graphic design: Georgi Florov
Consultant and production manager: Mira Draganova

This project has been realized with the support of the National Culture Fund, Bulgaria and Sofia Municipality.