BLANC – Neobodies Collection

A KALTBLUT exclusive. Androgyny is the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics such as hair, body posture and dress. This editorial aims to illustrate how androgynous perceptions can be altered through the mere variation of hair movement and hand positioning on the body from a male perspective. Androgyny due to dress is illustrated by Cape Town fashion label BLANC designed by Alexandra Blanc. Her clothing is constructed specifically to cross the gender boundaries and create an androgynous blurred thread between masculine and feminine attire in society.

Alexandra says: “Blanc is the thrill of the unknown on a clean white page, the endless possibilities on a blank canvass, stillness with a touch of madness.”

Etched Movements

Blanc, now designed by Alexandra Blanc and Tameez Vayej, tells a story of gender-fluidity and individuation in their current Neobodies collection composed of contrasting black and white prints with etched illustrations of varying hand forms.

Etched Movements

KALTBLUT: Tell us about the collection.

A: Neobodies is an exploration of the human visceral desire to make meaning of the world, our relation to others and ourselves as we contextualize our bodies in relation to our surroundings and experience contrasting cravings for connection and withdrawal, recognition and anonymity, the new and the timeless.

Etched Movements

Etched Movements

KALTBLUT: Who do you design for?

A: We design for the individual: Menswear, flowing into womenswear with no rigid distinction between the two.

KALTBLUT: What do you look for in a model?

A: A strong sense of individuality that is underpinned by fluidity is always captivating in a model, this is why working with Fuaad was so satisfying. He became malleable in embodying the masculine and the feminine, exploring the body spectrum that our clothing represents.

Etched Movements

KALTBLUT: What does fashion mean to you?

A: Fashion is an idea, non-material in itself. Clothing is a medium that serves its ever-shifting whim. Too often it is a dictatorship that promotes conformity instead of self-expression. Our hope is to reverse the cycle and create timeless pieces that highlight the wearer’s individuality.

Etched Movements Etched Movements Etched Movements Etched Movements

Credits:

Direction, Styling, Narration & Interview: Fuaad Abdool (Instagram: @fuaad_abdool)
Photography: Sven Kristian
Fashion Brand: BLANC by Alexandra Blanc
Modelling: FUAAD at Boss Models South Africa