behind the collection: Luis De Javier
Taking you behind the scenes of LA Fashion Week 2023 with designer Luis De Javier and mentor Riccardo Tisci, prepping for their SS24 collection "LA RUTA"
Last week I had not only the pleasure of witnessing designer Luis De Javier alongside mentor Riccardo Tisci in action, but I also had the privilege of capturing a fly-on-the-wall perspective over the 48 hours leading up to Saturday’s “LA RUTA” show, debuting his SS24 collection.
— video by Olivia Seally, viewable on Instagram here.
The Vogues of the world (cited below so you can get the full, high-gloss picture) will offer a one night only perspective that sounds (and -no knock- truly was) so glamorous, but this here is my lil platform meant to explore how things came to be // the making of // the behind the scenes, so I do want to talk a bit about just that and how I came to be involved in the final stretch of this fabulous project…
A couple weeks ago my cousin Karim and his business partner at Somebody Studio let me know they may be coming to Los Angeles soon to help produce this show. Things moved quickly, and day one I was invited to stop by to capture a little BTS — we didn’t really know what to expect; just thought some portraits of LDJ, maybe a couple action shots when the fittings start, then I’d call it a day.
Then I walked in, Riccardo spotted me with a camera, and next thing you know I became the house photographer for the next three days — capturing all the casting headshots, the design details needed for alterations, the cigarette breaks, the coffee runs, the excited hugs from a proud Mom… Sure, I wasn’t necessarily supposed to be doing that, and of course these were 12 hour shifts I was inadvertently signing up for by simply not having the heart to correct him, but I wasn’t going to say no to Riccardo, or to the opportunity, so there we were!
And now here you find me, almost exactly one week later, and I’ve spent the majority of my time since wading through the stormy waters of an 178GB overwhelmed hard-drive full of Leica, iPhone, Meta Glasses (yes I got them! more on that another time if you’re interested? lmk in the comments), and Gimbal content that I shot over the two days leading up to, plus day-of the show.
Hence what I’m sharing here is kind of all over the place. But that’s the purpose of why I’m sharing these little peaks behind the curtain… most see the perfect polished end-product, but if people could see more of what went into making it happen, perhaps it would spark something in someone that helps make their vision come to life as well.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I am always looking for the equation in anything — I am an ideas person to the umpteenth degree, so what I always feel like I need to figure out is how to get something done, how others that got a similar thing done did it. So this series is part research of that, & part whatever it becomes… in the making.
the Press
quotes from various publications covering the show
Spanish-born and London-based fashion designer Luis De Javier created the collection, “La Ruta del Bacalao” with a sense of courage that extends beyond queerness and to women.
Made in collaboration with the social marketplace Emcee, the SS24 collection features moody, seductive garments through several textiles ranging from leather, latex, corsetry, jersey, and workwear. Accessories include teeth flats, shoe covers, rubber spikes, necklaces and earrings. All accessories were created in collaboration with Aslan World, a Los Angeles-based apparel company that strives to connect the idea of dream and fantasy with the everyday world.
— Flaunt Magazine (full article here)
Other firsts included showing in the city of Los Angeles in a space smack in the middle of Hollywood, just above Sunset Boulevard; overcoming his fear of working with jersey; and bringing on a new stylist—his mentor, Riccardo Tisci.
Against a techno soundtrack, in a space inspired by the famed Berlin club Berghain, de Javier presented a collection that has evolved from his previous ones, with a matured sense of proportion and volume. He continued his exploration of political commentary through clothing inspired by Spain’s 1990s hardcore rave movement, La Ruta del Bacalao. Since it was shut down by an oppressive government, the collection imagines a utopia in which the movement would still be alive today.
— Vogue Magazine (full article here)
Backstage, celebrities like Halsey and Noah Cyrus mingled with models drenched in red sequined dresses and spiked flats from the designer’s ASLAN World collaboration. For a moment, De Javier transported us to a sexy freaky future, and we can’t wait to live it.
— Interview Magazine (full article here