RICH VALENTINE X KAMILĖ GALLERY: ‘THE FUTURE IS US’
RICH VALENTINE
KAMILĖ GALLERY presents THE FUTURE IS US, a sustainable fashion exhibition presenting environmentally conscious, sustainable high fashion by RICH VALENTINE. The exhibition opening June 11, 6 – 8pm and collection will be displayed though July 2nd at the KAMILĖ GALLERY.
RICH VALENTINE is an art collective and hip-hop group formed in Perth at the end of 2017. Their members include Christian Alteri, Bailey O’ Donnell, Brayden Franker, Hadley Houghton, Jorge Fonseca, Julian Alteri, Patrick Tigtig, Raphael Soulier-Chaix and Sallay George.
Each artist wields an array of artistic practices that come together to create the full spectrum of RICH VALENTINE. The result is a honed, precise articulation of themes and ideas, powered by the chaotic force of genuine expression—a balance that threatens to fall apart, yet always perseveres through to stunning new dimensions.
The Future Is Us takes into account the structure of the artistic collective along with the ethos of reclaiming materials to present a revolutionary definition of rich. Wealth and value, money, and the exuberance of expensive designer clothing are challenged.
In their place, Rich Valentine emphasises the compounding value of collaboration, the possibilities of abundant creativity, and the ability to flip cast off materials into creative, artistic expression.
KAMILĖ GALLERY
This viewpoint synthesises the collective spirit of the group and the sustainable mission of using the detritus of a world obsessed with fast fashion to supplant that industry.
Some pieces bring this viewpoint into direct confrontation with the viewer. A white, knee-length jacket is scrawled with the brutal facts of the unsustainable fashion industry. The jacket holds a large screen that reflects the viewer, forcing us to bear witness to ourselves inside the work.
This inversion of the logic of clothing is fitting for a series that seeks to invert the logic of fashion itself. Where we expect for the wearer to use a piece of clothing to display themselves, here a piece of clothing is used to frame and contextualise the world at large.
Still other pieces simply play with recycled and up-cycled material in a purely aesthetic way, and these help stitch the works together and build out a greater horizon for the series as a whole. After all, the new fashion will still need a place for play and aesthetic exploration on its own terms.
This conceptual depth is a trademark of RICH VALENTINE’S work. As musical performers, they don’t seek to make hip hop, so much as they seek to create the complete idea and gestalt of a hip hop group. In the same way, their fashion design doesn’t only entail garments, rather they are presenting an entire approach to, and commentary on, fashion.
It is in the combination of theme, material, construction, and presentation that The Future Is Us emerges—a poignant statement on the state of fashion, a work of fashion in its own right.
All pieces designed and made by RICH VALENTINE for RICH VALENTINE
Creative director: Christian Alteri
Head designer: Raphael Soulier-Chaux
Shot and styled: Aviva Stella Brackenridge
Model: Annie Brooks
