by Veryan Zimber
Fashion is described by many as art.
However, the collaboration between the Latvian brand BAÉ and fellow Latvian artist Elína Zanda Sake transcends the correlation between fine art and fashion as the dresses become the canvas.
Elína’s art draws inspiration from the social normality with elements of pop culture and creates modern artistic paintings that are extremely thought-provoking and could mean all manner of different things to the viewer.
Her art is extravagant, vibrant and refreshingly honest, making it the perfect choice to be made into wearable pieces.
BAÉ, just by entering the website, it is nothing short of beautiful and it becomes evident as to why this union of two artists has happened.
Self described as “sustainable elegance,” they vow that their commitment to sustainability goes beyond the design process. Ensuring that there is zero waste, they explain that they find a purpose for every scrap of fabric. You can see this with their touch of modern flare through material bows and flowers from fabric that was once cut offs.
Their dedication to ‘slow fashion’ is unmistakable with the use of timeless silhouettes that every decade circle round repeatedly because they simply never go out of style.
Not only is their mission statement says “To Make Every Girl Feel Special,” they are also trying to save the planet one exquisite dress at a time.
The exhibition featured a selection of Elína’s pieces, and each had a beautifully constructed dress in the most flattering and timeless shape, which became an extension of the paintings.
The theme was ‘Manifestation’ - the formulation of our ideal reality but being responsible for and content with the reality we create, which can be interpreted in so many ways making these pieces so thought provoking.
Each dress was more different than the next, with one covered in random letters representing a crossword with sheep dotted over the top and - looking closely - you can see a word hidden among the word jumbles. That word is ‘Special,’ implying that if something in your life is worth fighting or working for, it may not be easily uncovered and that sometimes you must work through the nonsense to find what truly matters.
Another of the dresses features Mickey Mouse with a CENSORED banner across his eyes and McDonalds fries floating around in the background with a crocodile appearing in the bottom corner. This design is almost dreamlike. I don’t know the exact direction with this design but my perception is that the fun and beautiful things in this world distract and in some ways protect us from, at times, what can only be described as a cruel reality which suddenly becomes a multifaceted piece that presents different messages to different people.
The centre of the exhibition was a long tailored black dress with ‘Manifest’ in large pink letters painted the length of the dress, surrounded by pink paint splatters and notes, some of them blank and some with scribbled ideas on them.
This one resonated with me the most and would with everyone; hopes and dreams are raw and messy, and most of the time make no sense. A vast amount of mental work goes into understanding them and making them a reality.
One of the most interesting dresses in the collection is a red mini dress with simply a broken egg painted on it. A broken egg symbolises failed expectations and unfulfilled dreams which is a very real reality when trying to pursue anything.
Though you are passionate about something, or simply really want it, there will always be obstacles or hurdles that can prevent you from achieving your goals. I love that they incorporated this dress as this is the most exposing design in the story of this collection.
This collaboration displays the very real, elaborate expectations of how dreaming can consume and influence us and how understanding every aspect of the process can be eye opening.
BAÉ and Elína are the perfect pairing with their ethical values aligning but also their artist brains working in harmony. The partnership said to continue with the release of t shirts with similar fascinating designs, this is not the last we will see of this artistic team.
Edited by Emily Duff