"He wants to be able to master it all, he is a man of many trades" - Leelee Sobieski.
Speaking directly after the first runway presentation of an Adam Kimmel collection, the designer’s wife surmised eloquently, a designer who embraces Art, Sub-Cultures, decadence and utility. Launched in 2004, following a trip to Florence, during Adams penultimate year of Architecture study, he became inspired by manufacturing in specialist textile firms – part of the reason his Winter ’11/12 collection contains only two ‘stocked’ fabrics, whilst footwear is of Hermès production.A willingness to pursue unique starting points for collections has lead the brand to embrace Adams architectural and artistic past. Collections have not only explored the darkness within sub-cultures, but also the prominent figures which are central to them. Thus the ‘Wild West’ to Snoop Dogg have helped develop collections which contain many ‘key’ items reinterpreted, with others seasonally designed. Until June 2011, as alluded to, Adam Kimmel collections were often shown in art galleries during Paris fashion week. Not only did this give an uncommon vantage point of the collections, it allowed Kimmel to fully expose their work leading to the show, where for example ‘The Gambling’ collection of Winter ‘10/11, showed models in George Condo designed masks playing roulette.
Recent collaboration with American Carhartt, has taken Adam Kimmel in a new direction. From the staple bow ties of main line collections, suddenly customers have the chance to buy the clothes that Adam himself wears. We now have another glimpse into a brand which seemingly shuns much mainstream attention, in favour of pursuing its self-created image – exemplified by their hugely popular promotion videos. If the mark of an artist, is knowing their work, then perhaps Adam Kimmel truly is about to master bringing all his inspiration together just as Leelee suggests.