Ninamounah launches “Seduce Me”, their proposal for Fall Winter 2021.
The collection, presented with an audiovisual piece in runway show format, marks a new chapter in the path of the Amsterdam based brand, debuting at Paris Fashion Week this season.
Continuing with the narrative line defined by creative director and designer Ninamounah Langestraat, Seduce Me receives inspiration from the natural world, taking biology as the starting point for the conception of the ideas that help shape the pieces in the collection. “Seduce Me” explores hypnotising mating rituals, stimulating the viewers animalistic side and translating the aesthetics of these complex animal behaviours into garments a various and rich range of silhouettes, textures and movements.
Exaggerated cuts and oversized tailoring takes inspiration from the sexual mimicry of the animal kingdom. The defense mechanism of certain species protecting themselves from more dominant individuals is parallel to the human experience of wearing garments as armor.
Contrasting the suppleness of velvet and the discomfort of vinyl tells the story of seduction: both romantic and aggressive. The velvety antlers of male deers is the perfect paradigm seen in nature. During mating season the velvet on their antlers shed and they use their antlers to fight for male dominance. The deception of sensuality and violence in nature, as seen in snake trails (a sign of either mating or conflict), translates into the hypnotic, undulating seams in the recurring garments.
The urgency of red punctuates the neutral palette as a semiotic conversation between the aggressiveness and seduction it represents in both nature and the human-made world. The neutral palette is a reflection of the unarmed state and the innocence of living beings before they are ruthlessly hunted down.
This is the second season Ninamounah collaborates with artist Stef Van Looveren, with whom the brand has developed a revisited line of accessories starring their already signature bags depicting human male and female gonads in a wide range of colours, from bubblegum pink to metallic gold.
The digital show presented by the brand today simulates an animalistic mating dance, the models circling each other, freely moving through the space. A flesh-coloured floor provides a backdrop that both clashes with and blends in with the colours of the collection. Free from the constraints of a traditional live runway show the choreography captures distorted movements both hypnotising and discomforting.
ABOUT STEF VAN LOOVEREN
Stef Van Looveren is an Antwerp based multidisciplinary nonbinary artist.
The DPA bags / Wearable sculptures support their vision that ‘sex’ should be seen as an interchangeable, wearable accessory, something that the wearer can play around with.
Moulded on a diverse range of real body types and depicting various types of genitalia,
The sculptures are meant to be as inclusive as possible and celebrate the distinction between ‘sex’ and ‘gender’.
ABOUT MAKE UP FOR EVER
MAKE UP FOR EVER is a collective of makeup artists co-creating high-performance products and services. Passionate about diversity and individuality, the brand encourages everyone to bring out their singularity, claim it and have fun with it.
Since its inception in 1984, staying at the cutting-edge of technological, formulistic and artistic advances, MAKE UP FOR EVER has inspire and empowered people to unleash their personal edge through their artistry,offering everyone access to all products and benefits and placing a remarkable importance in the transmission of the brand´s authentic and visionary values.
CREDITS
Direction: Florian Joahn
Art Director: Ferdi Sibbel
Movement Direction: Luca Andrea Tessarini
Hair: La Toya Velberg using Sebastian Pro
Assisted By: Nathalie Cairo, Jan Fuite and Patrick Burhenne
Make Up: David Koppelaar using Make up For Ever
Assisted By: Emma De Boer, Britt Breider, Romy Legger
Manicure: Frédérique Olthuis
Assisted by :Daniel Smedeman
Technical: Studio Prokop
Set Design: Geijer Studio
Director of Photography: Christiaan Van Leeuwen
Steadycam: Jasper Van Gheluwe
Focus Puller: Paco Bonsang
Edit: Tom Eysink Smeets
Grading: Zoë Van Der Heijden
Music: ‘The Big Decision’ by Gail Ann Dorsey
Sound Edit: Mike Meijer
Jewelry:Cristel Ball
DPA Bags: Stef Van Looveren
Venue: W139
Production: L’Elue Collectif
Assisted by: Lotte Knippers
Talent:
Chiara @Lis Street Cast
Fabiana @Paparazzi Models
Iekeliene @Paparazzi Models
Jairo @Known Model Management
Jelle @Republic Men
Micky @Known Model Management
Myrthe @Known Model Management
Nella @Paparazzi Models
Ryan @Known Model Management
Sunny
Yaw Tiëku @The Movement Models
Supported by:
La Fédération De La Haute
Couture Et De La Mode
Make Up For Ever
Sebastian Professional
Creative Director: Ninamounah Langestraat
Brand Director: Robin Burggraaf
Studio Manager: Alexander Lehner
Press: Pedro Aguilar De Dios
Sales: Cobalt Agency