Fashion brand RUI revealed its Spring Summer 2024 Collection titled “Absent,” that explores the intricate dance between the inner self and the external world, examining the often blurred boundaries between them. As one journey through their external environment, desiring, exploring, and dominating it, there is a constant intertwining of the internal and external realms.
SPRING SUMMER 2024 COLLECTIONS
This intertwined existence leads to the gradual retreat of otherness, the elements that are distinct or unfamiliar. Yet, these elements sporadically emerge, manifesting in unnoticed spaces and cracks. This establishes a nebulous, symbiotic relationship, where both entities nourish each other, often appearing absent in their dynamics, lost in a balance of power.
The RUI Spring Summer 2024 collection brings this relationship to life, representing both the allure and defiance towards the external world. The designs feature sharp “horns” that seem to sprout from within, tightly wrapped around the body with thin binding tapes. The pointy adornments create a deceptive perception of their texture, seeming soft only upon closer inspection. The collection is further accentuated with symmetrical prints inspired by evolving insect patterns, coupled with crinkle satin that mimics snake skin. These details, along with deliberately torn cuts and fine laddering knit texture, represent the distinctions between species.
The “thorns” in the designs stand as metaphorical representations of nature’s resilience and humanity’s inquisitive outreach. As human intervention in nature intensifies, there’s a reciprocal contemplation from nature’s end. For this Spring collection, RUI adopts a modern approach to disassemble the notions of progression and retreat. The setting is a meticulously crafted artificial relic situated in a Parisian glass sunroom. Old, sand-covered furniture is concealed by drapes hanging from the roof. The ambiance is brought to life by the visitors who traverse this space, animating the atmosphere.
A mysterious red-eyed entity blends into the moving crowd, observing, imitating, and exploring the surrounding artifacts. This being engages in an existential drama within this static environment. The atmosphere is thick with an interplay of ghostly anonymity, overwhelming forces, and sanguine warmth.
RUI’s Spring 2024 collection is marked with a philosophical understanding of dualism and unity. It alludes to the physical interaction of spaces while hinting at the spiritual desolation entrapping humans. In the void of “meaninglessness,” the internal world is bounded by invisible barriers. Within these confines, one could envision a chaotic wonderland or a realm of stark emptiness. The rhythm created by the interplay of internal and external worlds, in their absence from each other, lets one discern the voices of both realms.
love rui! congrats on beautiful paris show