Luxury New York brand Gwen Salakaia presented ‘Under Armour’, her sophisticated line that blends elegance with an edgy street style at Tbilisi Fashion Week and which consisted of intense and rich tones of green, red, navy and dark gold balanced with black. It was reminiscent of late 17th century Dutch paintings. “My base for the collection is armour. I’ve always been drawn to objects that are mysterious and hidden. Seeing armours in museums or movies I always fantasied what kind of person could have been underneath it” says Gwen. This inspiration led the designer to convey an image of a woman that is strong, mysterious, womanly and edgy. Armour from the feminine perspective, not seen as means of a physical protection but as a shield of romance and mystery for a strong woman with an inner warrior of today’s world.
Different textures and fabrics were used for clean and modern lines with classic oversized silhouettes. Gwen put wools, silks, sequins and felts together in an unexpected way with iron sticks resembling pearls. Edginess and delicacy were beautifully blended. The Gwen Salakaia brand is for those who desire elegance without compromising practicality and contemporary designs.
Gvantsa a.k.a Gwen Salakaia studied at the Parsons School of Design in Paris and interned at Louis Vuitton and Chanel PR. From there, she launched her own brand in 2015.
Illustrations: Sue Dray
