Fashion & Style
One Shirt, Eight Different Ways at UPC Boutique
How many ways can you style a shirt?
This was the Show|OFF challenge faced by eight pairings of photographers and stylists, who stared down a single one-of-a-kind hand-shredded shirt by new local design duo Thomas and turned the piece into eight elegant images that are on display at contest sponsor UPC Boutique.
Couple Drew Thomas and Mikey Thomas went from sharing a bed to sharing a label when each found themselves stymied by what they saw as a lack of sartorial selection in Toronto. "Not a lot of stuff looks good," said Mikey.
"So we started deconstructing our own clothes to make something not generic," Drew said.
After working separately, the two decided to start their double-namesake label and selling their pieces at Yorkville's UPC.
The high-fashion, unique pieces also had enough netutrality to be a stylist's dream, making it a great foundation for stylists and photographers to each create something different with the same article.
And why not throw a party while they're at it? Event planners Lauren Burns-Coady and Kristie Muller put out the call to a gaggle of their fashionable under-30 friends to craft the looks and images.
Participants included Justin Borbely, Richard Auto, Karen Roze, Claire Edmondson, Hannah Sider, Petra Collins, Norman Wong, Adam Levett, Sarah Kosloff, and Lara Vincent (who took the idea 3-D with a miniature clothesline filled with tiny plastic dresses).
"We wanted a reason to go out, and something that mixes fashion and art," said Muller, who, along with Burns-Coady, also styled one of the shoots.
The opportunity to give the stylists and photographers free rein was a tantalizing one. "It gives them the platform to express themselves without restrictions," according to Burns-Coady. "When you're working with magazines or clients, you often have to consider the advertisers, but we wanted no rules."
Photos by Fara Winestock.
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Can't find the 8 pics on UPC site.
I'm gonna cut my hair like these guys so I can be a super-fashion dude too
hey it's richard autio.
Thanks for all your comments!
Merriemelodies, we'll be posting the pictures on our blog by this afternoon so definitely check the site:
www.upcboutique.wordpress.com
Leave it to Toronto to sell blatant Raquel Allegra knockoffs as original designs.
Save your money and goggle shredded shirts,the how to video is the first thing that pops up.
Shredded pieces were not strictly invented by Raquel Allegra, the influence is a reference of the punk movement years ago.
Besides the fact that Thomas' pieces are far more accessible, unisex and cater to a younger clientele.
But you're right, if anyone wants to shred their own shirt, all the power to them.
If not, Thomas' pieces can be found at upc boutique www.upcboutique.com at a price point of $120 to $180
"Not a lot of stuff looks good" so they'll just copy an artisan's aesthetic, turning craft into generic trend? Give me a break, they're not deconstructing anything, just mimicking a design detail that a couple fashion blogs think is 'cool'. Shredding may not have been invented by Raquel, but the way the garment is draped, the careful, controlled pulling of the threads is an obvious allusion to her work. Doesn't artistry mean anything? This is hardly punk, you're just a bunch of trend-hopping fashionistas - notice how the clothing isn't even featured in any of these shots, spare the one shot of the 'art'. This crowd is so self serving, you people make me sick.
So gay!
I'm sorry you feel this way. There are many others who love the pieces by 'Thomas' and do not think they are ripping off anyone. You seem very angry about this and I'm not sure what we've done to offend you this much.
"went from sharing a bed to sharing a label"--so fuckin inappropriate. I COULD CARE LESS about what's being done in bed or that they're a couple--all these things detract from the actual talent they possess.
what's truly "Brionic" is that we share a name and I couldn't hate this piece and accompanied photos anymore than I do--perhaps next time you feature a designer you could take an actual picture of...the designers?
as for THOMAS, fashion rips off fashion all the fuckin time--mainly because of a lack of accessibility. So for those of us who are not "cool" enough, with money to WASTE visiting LA, a THOMAS piece will more than suffice.
Would this mean Lina Osterman, Obesity and Speed, Julius, Rick Owens, and many other labels are just blatantly ripping off Raquel Allegra by integrating shredding into their designs as well? I think not. Raqauel Allegra was not the first and will not be the last designer to use shredding in the design process. Every label executes the technique to portray a certain aesthetic to coincide with their collection/designs.
To XOXO, would Racquel Allegra herself not be a "trend-hopping fashionista" by using the shredding technique in her designs?
And to Andrew Richmond, I would assume that someone who was accepted into any form of post-secondary education, you would be able to produce a better comment than "so gay!". That's assuming that you're using the word "gay" as a synonym for "stupid", of course.