The tribal theme in fashion has exploded in the last few seasons under a host of different guises. Exotic, ethnic inspired prints and textures have adorned everything from maxis to harems and headbands. Think Aztec, Arabian, Navaho, or Ikat. But while most are an attempt to reference the cliched buckskin and feather, Vice and Vanity have taken the trend to a conceptual, abstract form, where cross-cutting colour block patterns are interlocked with an industrial aesthetic.
Like their previous collection, Vice and Vanity’s Oni shares the same intuition for volume, dimension and layering, giving a three dimensional, tactile form to their designs. Taking meaning from native American and Japanese traditions (The native American translation of Oni translates to “Born on holy ground”; in Japanese folklore, it’s the name given to a mythical creature with sharp claws that likes to deceive and devour.), Oni interprets the tension of opposites, questioning whether nature and industry can coexist. So in Vice and Vanity’s typical manner of mischief, leather clad facets are shared with sharp serrated edges, against a backdrop of hypercoloured connective thread. It’s akin to industrial gears grinding away, a precision of mechanical obedience.
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