RUS x Alexis Christodoulou

Digital renders by ALEXIS CHRISTODOULOU

Words by ZOË KENDALL

When we think about the spaces we inhabit, we often think of places: our homes, our offices, the parks and restaurants we frequent, or the beaches and forests we’ve yet to explore. Rarely, however, do we think of our clothes as their own type of space. Our AW21 collection, titled “Space Matters”, is an exploration of garments as space, focusing on the act of inhabiting our clothes.

Our collaboration with digital artist Alexis Christodoulou expands on the themes of “Space Matters”, creating a dialogue between clothing and physical location. Through digital rendering, Alexis interprets the colours and textures of our AW21 offering into a series of imaginary dream spaces.

RUS x Alexis Christodoulou

Inspired by artist James Turrell’s light sculptures, the collection’s palette emulates the way our environments evolve in different lights. Diffuse yellows and ivories evoke the hazy glow of dawn or the luminescence of a moon; warm oranges recall the sublime beauty of a sunset; hushed purples, cloudy blues, and sleepy greys speak to the lull of dusk. Mirroring the collection’s colour story, Alexis’ glowing morning and evening-scapes engage in light play, spanning the all-encompassing glow of the sun to the concentrated energy of a fluorescent light bulb. 

Through contrasting fabrics, our AW21 offering also foregrounds the tactility of clothing, asking us to feel rather than observe our garments. Lush with texture, Alexis’ dream renderings reflect the collection’s many disparate textiles. Wispy tails of tall grass and puffs of cloud call to the fuzzy mohairs and featherlight alpacas that make up the collection’s sweaters, trousers, and skirts.

“Space Matters” envisions clothing as its own environment. Alexis’ digital renderings breathe life into this sentiment, encouraging us to be mindful of the space that surrounds our bodies, clothing and beyond.