Harmatia Courtesy of Eugene Lin

I can finally unveil the new collection from designer Eugene Lin on my blog. I have worked with Eugene on a separate magazine shoot but this time around I got to experience the full extent of his beautiful work by styling for his lookbook. His new Spring/Summer 2010 collection is called Harmatia.

The Inspiration:

Harmatia From the verb hamartanō

1. Greek: sin, to miss the mark; error; failure
2. A tragic flaw.
3. A localized disturbance of the normal arrangement, organization, or patterning of tissues during development.
4. A developmental anomaly resulting in the formation of a mass composed of tissues normally present in the locality of the mass, but of improper proportion and distribution with dominance of one type of tissue

“A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God.” - Deuteronomy 22:5

“For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” – James 2:10

Based on the Biblical theology of “sin” – “to miss the mark” as coined by Aristotle in PoeticsBCE), Eugene Lin’s Spring / Summer 2010 offering brilliantly subverts the structure and conventionality of menswear pieces, deconstructing details and playing with the eye to create a focused and stunningly original debut collection. The silhouette is slim, soft and controlled, with razor-sharp jackets and coats. The inverse relationship between fabric and cut highlight the mastery of his cutting skills as strict traditional shirts melt effortlessly, crisp stripes undulating over the imaginative pleats, fine shirting caressed into sensuous dresses and skirts. (335

Echoing the theme of missing the mark and the equality of all sin, collars, lapels and waistbands break and blend seamlessly, emphasized by the clever manipulation of stripes. The palette is tight and smart: white and ecru, sky, royal, cobalt and navy blue with a contrast of platinum. Luxurious textures of fine cotton voile, herringbone and striped woven shirting and sumptuous solid and digital printed silk jerseys, all finished with exquisite engraved shell and horn buttons.

This original sin is simply too irresistibly tempting to miss.

Credits:

Photography Anna Fayemi
Styling Wafa Alobaidat
Styling Assistant Dalia Al Sadiqi
Hair and Make up Artist Justine Sullivan
Model Lizzie Tovell at Independent

All artwork and images copyright Eugene Lin 2009