sitetitle

dress up your car

They own the catwalks of the future, he is a master of staging. Graduates of London’s famous Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design have interpreted the character of the latest Audi models. French photographer Grégoire Alexandre adds a further dimension to both autos and outfits.

Four designers, four cars

“The A1 is surprisingly bold. My fashion should be as well.”

Marie Hill The 27-year-old garnered a name for herself among young designers long ago. In 2009, she won the “L’Oréal Professional Young Designer of the Year” award, among others. Audi in Ingolstadt introduced the young Dane, who doesn’t even have a driver’s license, to a completely new world. Therein lies the appeal of her interpretation of the A1. Her look is impartial, pure. The Dane selected pure silk as her material because it is comfortable to wear. Her flesh-colored outfit hugs the body like a second skin. Decorations formed out of simple safety pins aren’t immediately apparent. “I wanted to create a simple, no-frills gown, but one that is highly complex in detail,” says Marie Hill. That meant playing around with light-absorbing (silk) and light-reflecting material (metal). Grégoire Alexandre takes up this idea to conjure an urban world of nothing but small mirrors.

“The A8 is all about craftsmanship.”

Rita Grave She considers the A8 a work of art. It’s no wonder. The 34-year-old Latvian studied art history and worked in an art gallery before switching to fashion design. Fascinated by the shape of the A8, Rita Grave focused first on the silhouette of her outfit. “It should be elegant, supple, linear. And I wanted to emphasize the shoulders,” she explains. The Latvian rejected unnecessary trimmings. But her eye for detail is reflected in the asymmetric hem of her dress and the unusual leather belt – which pay homage to the four rings. And the matt crepe fabric captures the lightness of the new A8. Photographer Grégoire Alexandre and set designer Jean-Michel Bertin fashioned the perfect landscape out of simple cords to match both the car and the fashion.

“The accentuated seams are reminiscent of the lines of the A5 Sportback.”

Viktor Smedinge During his training, he learned all the different sewing techniques. “I didn’t want to restrict myself just because there was something I can’t do or don’t know,” says the 25-year-old Swede. He usually seeks inspiration for his unusual designs from details found in architecture or film. However, he has never used a car as a “pattern.” The young designer likes to work with contrasting textures, for example setting transparency against thick materials. He has remained true to this style in his latest creation. Dark gray organza over a slightly pink-colored silk slip. “The accentuated seams are reminiscent of the lines of the A5 Sportback,” says the Stockholm-born designer. The skyline in which both models are embedded also seems to be very graphic. In fact, it is fashioned out of simple adhesive tape.

“I wanted my outfit to capture the motion of the A3 Cabriolet.”

Daniel Lee The 24-year-old Brit has a very artistic approach to fashion. And he loves to work with surfaces. That’s why he also learned to knit at Central Saint Martins because knitting can be worked especially well into different forms, explains Lee. For his stunning outfit to match the A3 Cabriolet he chose sophisticated duchesse satin. He gives his dress a special look by using relatively heavy fabric to create elaborate folds and creases. “I wanted to get the feel of the fabric roof while capturing the motion of the A3 Cabriolet,” says the experimental Brit. The emotion of driving a convertible is reflected in the bright red color. Grégoire Alexandre had his set designer stage the catwalk for convertible and model using torn rolls of paper.