The Karma by QΠШ Robert Kupisz collection for the spring-summer 2023 season is the result of the designer's fascination with the spirituality and diversity of India.
"My first trip took place many years ago, when I was invited to collaborate on a session for Vogue India. I worked there with the most beautiful Bollywood actresses and it was a fascinating experience, not only aesthetically, but also spiritually. Such tolerance, understanding and openness to otherness, whether in terms of religion or worldview, I have never encountered before. During subsequent trips, I took full advantage of what culturally rich India had to offer. I was particularly influenced by their approach to spirituality, above all the ability to absorb seemingly contradictory ideas and beliefs and the deep belief that any faith that leads to the gods is good." - says Robert Kupisz.
The leitmotif of the collection is the dancing Shiva - Nataraja - symbolizing his constant destruction and creation of the universe. The designer used this symbol in the form of prints not only on T-shirts and sweatshirts, but also on particularly eye-catching, airy, sensual dresses.
Traditionally, in QΠШ, most of the collection has universal cuts, emphasizing the brand's message about the lack of divisions. The designs include the brand's signature cotton T-shirts with prints, chunky sweatshirts and trousers, and jeans with shiny denim. Particular attention is paid to transparent, airy shirts and dresses, as well as loose trousers made of flowing ecological viscose, worn in several ways and perfectly shaping the figure. Another distinguishing feature of the Karma collection is the inconsistent gold and silver plating of materials, which emphasize their structure and add shine to shirts, sweatshirts and sweaters, and refer to the material wealth of India.
It is worth mentioning that the collection was once again entirely made in Poland, from environmentally friendly materials - the certificates include GOTS, ECOVERO and OEKO-TEX.
The Karma collection is also a kind of return of the designer to the roots, when the fashion he proposed was a combination of streetwear and grunge rock style. Although the combination of fascination with India and rock is not obvious at first glance, after deeper analysis it makes deep sense. "The greatest rock heroes of the 1960s and 1970s traveled to India in search of inspiration and answers to the existential questions that plagued them. Their experiences and work inspired by the local culture changed the Western approach to Indian spirituality and encouraged people to study yoga and transcendental meditation. " - says the Designer.
Both the photo session by the excellent photographer Agata Serge and the film made by WOW Pictures advertising the collection took place in a real old-school music studio. Models played the roles of members of a grunge rock band. The result is photographic and film material that perfectly reflects the Designer's idea. The spirituality with parallel decadence is almost palpable.
The Karma Spring-Summer 2023 collection is now available for pre-order online at robertkupisz.com and in company boutiques located in Warsaw, Gdynia and Poznań.
PHOTOS:
Photographer: Agata Serge
Models: Nicole Akonchong (Division), Julia Sobczyńska (Division), Viktor Zimmermann (Selective MGMT), Jakub Basiewicz (AS Manangement)
Make-up : Anna Sokołowska
Hair: Robert Kupisz
Styling: Robert Kupisz
Lighting engineer: Szymon Gosławski
Production: Ania Borowska / Art Works, Krzysztof Malinowski / KM Media
Camera and editing: Paweł Grabowski / WOW PICTURES
Assist: Krystian Muciek
Post-production: Paweł Grabowski / WOW PICTURES
Color: Oskar Pospolitak
