The Basement is one of WHITE Milano’s go-to hubs, owing to its legendary exhibitions and because, over the time, it has become one of the events that worldwide insiders can not miss, in which they can find the most leading-edge designers and eclectic brands. Thanks to WHITE’s international scouting, the Basement invariably comes up with fresh interpretations, bringing to the fore trailblazing collections, also thanks to the presence of international showrooms like Fashionavant Showroom and Dear Progress.
Dear Progress lands at the Basement with BARRAGÁN. The brand debuted in 2014 thanks to Victor Barragan’s creativity, and today offers an alternative to traditional fashion by intuitively reinterpreting the ancient Latin American cultures and traditions. The brand’s apparel, designed in the Big Apple and made in Mexico, is gender-fluid, with fresh silhouettes, innovative cuts and patchworks of different materials. The brand is one of the 10 Finalists of the 2019 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. The other names in the showroom are Nashe, with its genderless flair and hints at the menswear; Gauntlett Cheng, SECTION8, label launched by a fashion collective spearheaded by New York-based underground designer Akeem Smith, Wekafore whose design explores the African urban style before Americanisation. Omut’s accessories line proposes a new approach to the wardrobe with a wealth of inspiring ideas and exceptional combinations, while TTSWTRS showcases a basic wardrobe with tattoos; Chrishabana takes the punk and tribal iconography to the future.
In September 2019 the Basement welcomes, for the first time, the English Gayeon Lee. After a precious experience acquired with labels like Marc Jacobs, the designer launched the eponymous label in 2014, and her collections have garnered attention from press and buyers all over the world, thanks to her passion for fine art and deep understanding of textile design. Conceptually driven, her collections always reveal new possibilities in texture, shape, and proportion. Cunnington & Sanderson, from the United Kingdom, debuts at the Tradeshow.
The story of this brand started when the two designers met at University. A shared passion for dummy draping became the starting point for their creative coalition; they make use of traditional British fabrics to create new sartorial volumes and irregular drapes. A painstaking manufacturing, adaptation and composition process lends uniqueness to every single garment, capable of conveying an individual story, rich in emotional symbolism. The most outstanding designs from Estonia are on stage at WHITE Milano thanks to the connection with Estonian Fashionavant Showroom.
August stemmed from the creativity of designer Äli Kargoja, who mixes innovative designs with natural, eco-sustainable fabrics. With a solid background in the style offices of Maison Martin Margiela and Nicolas Andreas Taralis, Äli WHITE MILANO www.whiteshow.com decided to go back to Estonia and starts her brand, whose pure design and refined style soon grabbed the attention of prominent magazines, such as Vogue Italy, L’Officiel Spain and many more. Knitwear is Kristel Kuslapuu’s core, the designer who founded her eponymous brand in 2011. Renown owing to her bright shades, gender-fluidity and provocative messages, her fashion shows can be compared to theatre shows or performance art. Exclusive prints, pure and sharp cuts and chromatic combinations are Triinu Pungits’s distinctive features. Lilli Jahilo honed her talent at Chanel’s atelier Lesage, in Paris. Her style combines Scandinavian minimalism with expressive patterns, through haute couture techniques. All her garments are hand-made and produced responsibly, so as to achieve and retain outstanding creativity.
A rare mix of lingerie and ready-to-wear defines every creation by Kriss Soonik, since 2009, the birth year of the label. This very distinctive interpretation allows each model to be matched and layered for a day through to evening look, encouraging the wearer to express their persona. Intuitive, colourful and hand-made, the jewels by Tanel Veenre Jewellery are a seamless trait d’union between precious object and artistic expression. These creations, exceptional and dream-like, have been exhibited across the globe and are sold in the most acclaimed department stores. There is also: Boboutic, Quondam multi-label fine-tuned with the mood of Basement with the collections Nu Official, Lemuria, S N Serienumerica, Totally H, Ottovolante, and VB Valentina Banella.