The Magic Number
Omne trium perfectum. The rule of threes holds sway over superstition and culture, with bouts of bad luck arriving in a trio of events, or moments of good fortune also pledging adherence to the same figure. Whatever fixates people about the number 3 – its curvature, half fulfilled aspirations of resembling an 8, it being an odd figure and a prime number – is summed up by the Latin phrase, which translates to ‘everything that comes in threes is perfect’ or ‘every set of three is complete’. There’s little room for argument with a Latin maxim, and even less with the power of a Francis Bacon triptych. Threes just work, whether in paintings or language.
To that list we can add fashion, as LaFormela, a mixture of Czech and Slovakian designers based in Prague and recipients of of the 2014 Czech Grand Design prize, has been overseen since 2009 by a team of three, all dedicated to providing a unique alternative to the conformity of luxury clothes with their collections – Spring / Summer 2016 is, of course, their third – deriving their inspiration from rebelliousness, spirituality and fearlessness, or the three distinct and combined perspectives of each designer. S/S16 finds the womenswear label embracing the formalism of action art, with pieces daubed in gestural abstraction strokes reminiscent of Jackson Pollock’s, while a 3 year project with Warner Bros. finds a skirt referencing the work of the Hollywood studio, a move aimed at attracting a client base in their 30s who have grown up on their productions.
Their strong connection with Prague, where their Autumn / Winter 2016 collection will be shown during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week later this month, ensures that their clothes are produced exclusively within the Czech Republic. Their growing reputation and sales – an increase in production to meet demand, their aim of capturing a new demographic and move to a new showroom in the most prestigious shopping district of Prague key indicators of their ongoing success – may have its roots in that city, but LaFormela is not a brand content to sit still. Their forthcoming collection will showcase sweatshirts worn under classic evening dresses, a modern look part of their new approach to sportswear, along with pieces from their new venture into accessories. With the growing possibility of being stocked in LN-CC, London’s most conceptual of concept stores, and plans to move into Berlin’s retail marketplace, LaFormela know where their future audiences and ambitions lie: so long as the number 3 agrees, of course.
Paul Stewart
