Words by Cristina Fisher
Victor Wilde of Bohemian Society presented his Spring 2010 collection during LA Fashion Week at the LA Fashion on Broadway series held downtown at the Los Angeles Theatre. “Flowers in the Attic” was the collection’s theme, which was eco-friendly using found and recycled materials. The women’s line included shredded and dyed cotton t-shirt dresses, hand-printed leggings, fishnet and distressed tanks, leather pleated shorts and pastel skirts made of vintage lace. Favorites were a floor-skimming tie-dyed dress with jeweled back and an off-white lace skirt with a pearl buckle. Accessories such as wood bangles, giant bone necklaces and a skull headdress kept with the raw, vintage primitive bohemian aesthetic. A men’s hand-printed trench coat, topped knee-length denim shorts, and dyed blazers were key looks.
We caught up with Victor for a few more words about his line. We also took some shots at the show.
What was the inspiration for this collection?
The show was inspired by the sheer will power it took to get it done. Flowers in the Attic refers to where the collection was finished. A borrowed attic, because right now I’m homeless. The collection is fun, playful, sexy, with a rough edge. Surrealism, psychedelica, pirates, tribal, outer space, kaos and the renewal of spring.
Please talk a bit about the recycled fabrics used for the line…is everything found/vintage?
The materials are mostly used, recycled, vintage, found, borrowed and stolen. Some were even used out of the garbage. Literally. I also want to add that I used a blow torch, a 40 caliber Berretta and a pump action 12-gauge shotgun to finish/distress certain garments. Yeah pretty crazy, and it was all organized and finished by hand within a week’s time by my assistant and myself only.
Is the print dyed and/or silk screen? What about the accessories?
We did all hand-dyed and silkscreen prints as well as sewn on printed bandanas bought from the dollar store. The accessories were all done by me, mostly with parts from a dubiously acquired medical skeleton, railroad nails, a hand-sewn teddy bear made from a velvet picture of the last supper…antlers, feathers, real snake bones, a license plate, bandanas, a bicycle reflector and a horse shoe.
What’s next for you?
Collaborations with a few American and Japanese brands, opening a retail store in New York City, keep on making art…
Where can I direct people to find your pieces?
The Bohemian Society website or direct via email.
If you want to see other photos from the collection, check out the Apparel News site.
