Victor Bellaish Debuts New Collection at Kornit Fashion Week LA

Kornit Fashion Week Los Angeles, 2021, which took place 2-5 November, centred on the themes of diversity, inclusion, and sustainability. The event showcased the work of twenty-two international designers and brands: among them is the new collection of Israel’s acclaimed couturier and designer, Victor Bellaish.

Image by Victor Bellaish

The collection revealed an exploration of nature, specifically, of birdlife, which has been part of the designer’s ongoing research in textile history. Fascinated by birds from a young age and drawn to the effect of feathers as a design component, the inspiration for this collection was tropical birds, in particular, Israel’s national bird, the Hoopoe. As Bellaish has noted, “As a young boy I was fascinated by birds, and especially by the Hoopoe, which stands out in the local scenery. The crest and the black and white feathers give the bird a sort of punk-rock look”.

The birdlife inspiration creates an energy of lightness and airiness. When added to an abstract shape, the collection gets charged with captivating ambiguity and dreaminess. The jewellery, styled by Gadi Elimelech and Shalev Lav’an and designed by Keren Wolf, intensifies the undefined nature of the collection with an intriguing asymmetry.

Image by Victor Bellaish | KFW 2021 VIVI BELllAISH

This lightness and bird-like spirit are, then, enhanced with Bellaish’s passion for bohemian and chic style, the glamour of the 1930’s, and vintage sports clothing. All these joined together with Punk vibes, neon prints, metallic chiffon textiles with lurex yarns, jumpers, T-shirts, and Dr Martens Boots create the spirit Bellaish was looking for in this collection: feminine liberation, strength, and power.

Kornit Digital is a sustainable, on-demand fashion manufacturing that strives to help textile producers meet the needs and demands of today’s consumer-driven marketplace. In this collection, Bellaish collaborated with Kornit’s ecological technology of low carbon footprint, marginal water use, and on-demand printing process, which avoids unnecessary waste.

Image by Victor Bellaish | KFW 2021 VIVI BELllAISH

According to the designer, “Working with Kornit enabled me to return to tradition through the advanced technology of the printers. It allowed me to plan the printed fabric to match the design I wanted to create, to dream of textures, cuts, structure, and colours without limits.” Kornit enables the results of traditional methods in digital print sustainably and effectively.

For instance, this collection’s ikat, which is an Indonesian technique of pattern textiles, was printed with these advanced methods. Its theme is inspired by the work of William Morris, a nineteenth-century British textile designer, and contributor to the revival of traditional methods of production. In line with sustainability, Bellaish did not use real feathers for the design; instead, the feathers were painted by Melanie Vugich and printed on fabric.

Image by Victor Bellaish | KFW 2021 VIVI BELllAISH

To sum it up, Vivi Bellaish’s collection represents an innovative dynamic, a mix of past and future bound together to create original and unique content and without losing sight of a chief goal in this day and age: sustainability and diversity.

Article by Mariana Henriques Martins – Features Writer,  British Thoughts

For more updates on Victor Bellaish follow: vivibellaish_studio

Website: www.victorbellaish.com