VETEMENTS

VETEMENTS IS A DESIGN COLLECTIVE FOUNDED BY GEORGIAN FASHION DESIGNER DEMNA GVASALIA ALONGSIDE GURAM, HIS YOUNGER BROTHER. AFTER STUDYING ECONOMICS, HE ENROLLED AT ANTWERP’S ROYAL ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS, GRADUATING WITH A MASTERS IN FASHION DESIGN IN 2006. HE WENT ON TO DESIGN WOMENSWEAR FOR MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA IN 2009, MOVING TO LOUIS VUITTON, INITIALLY UNDER MARC JACOBS IN 2013. IT WAS, THOUGH, THE CREATION OF VETEMENTS THAT THRUST HIM INTO THE INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT.

VETEMENTS, WHICH MEANS “CLOTHES” IN FRENCH, PRODUCED ITS FIRST COLLECTION IN FALL 2014, IT WAS, HOWEVER, THE DECISION TO SHOW FALL/WINTER 2015 IN A RENOWNED PARISIEN GAY SEX CLUB “THE DEPOT” THAT PUT THEM ON THE MAP. IN SPRING/SUMMER 2016, THEY BROKE INTO THE MAINSTREAM WHEN GOSHA RUBCHINSKIY WALKED THE CATWALK WEARING A MODIFIED DHL T-SHIRT. NOTABLE FOR THEIR DECONSTRUCTION/RECONSTRUCTION, SHOULDER PADS, EXTRA LONG SLEEVES, AS WELL AS THEIR IRONIC SLOGANS, VETEMENTS IS WELL KNOWN FOR STRETCHING BOUNDARIES, APPROPRIATING ELEMENTS OF CONSUMER CULTURE WITH THEIR UNUSUAL COLLABORATIONS AND UPSETTING CONVENTIONAL FASHION PROTOCOL BY PRESENTING FASHION SHOWS IF AND WHEN THEY WANT. MANY NOTABLE INFLUENCERS AND CELEBRITIES ARE KNOWN TO WEAR VETEMENTS LIKE KANYE WEST, RIHANNA AND KENDAL JENNER. 

WITH THE EXIT OF DEMNA, GURAM HAS TAKEN OVER AS THE CREATIVE VOICE OF VETEMENTS. GURAM SAID THAT HE SEES THE BRAND FOCUSING MORE ON TAILORING AND QUALITY FOR THE FUTURE. ACCORDING TO HIM, “THIS MOMENT SIGNIFIES A NEW ERA FOR VETEMENTS, AN ERA OF GROWTH AND MAJOR EXPANSION”. BRILLIANT MARKETING IS GURAM’S FORTE AS A RESULT OF HIS LAW AND BUSINESS DEGREE AND GAINING SALES EXPERIENCE AT BURBERRY. HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE BUSINESS MASTERMIND BEHIND VETEMENTS BY COMBINING THE MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SHOWS AND ESPECIALLY SHOWING DURING THE PRESEASONS SO THAT THE CLOTHES WERE AVAILABLE FOR SALE FOR A LONGER PERIOD. RECENTLY LAUNCHING A YOUNG TALENT PROGRAM OUTREACHING TO FASHION STUDENTS, HE WANTS VETEMENTS TO BECOME AN INCUBATOR OF TALENT. VETEMENTS WAS RANKED 9TH ON THE LYST INDEX OF THE HOTTEST BRANDS OF 2019.