It is very rare that an emerging label surprises me. There are hundreds that I love, admire and respect, but few that launch a debut collection that actually surprises me. Erik-Yvon did exactly that last Thursday June 11th when he released his debut collection XX-XY at Belleville in Melbourne.
Not one to shy away from colour or creative exorbitance, Erik-Yvon’s knack of pushing boundaries has seen his namesake label recognised by the Australian Wool Awards and Australian Fashion Awards. He seems to stand out where ever he goes too; his vibrant Mauritius heritage and love of prints and patterns is hard to miss.
The most intriguing thing about Erik-Yvon and his label, is that most of what he makes is unisex, and that, coupled with it’s eco-friendly, ethically produced, small run and exclusive nature, makes this one hell of a coveted label.
And most of Melbourne seems to agree – there wasn’t an empty seat in the house at his launch and as a few hundred guests watched elbow-to-elbow and heel-to-heel, his androgynous collection spiraled around the room draped on babes and boys alike. For a designer who has only recently graduated (RMIT), showcasing a 20-something piece collection is impressive, to say the least, and complete with tribal-pop makeup and moves to boot, this was no ordinary launch.
Support Erik-Yvon’s cause and help him to continue manufacturing locally by donating to his Pozible cause now at http://www.pozible.com/project/196412
The Fashion Advocate x
