The Diffraction of Light

Crystals. There is a kind of light that is perceptible only on the other side of darkness. Spinoza knew this. It moves through the colour spectrum, through the shadowy non-colour — black — and beyond. That is where we discover a luminescence immanent to the universe itself. It is the dark light that is condensed in matter. Absorbed in the crystal. This is the light which at rare moments plays upon the surfaces of cut gems. It is the kind of light that provides us with a model of thought and of its object. Both are part of the same refractory crystallisation process that gives rise to those scarce works of art that can themselves be called crystalline. Deleuze knew this too. Remember Goya’s Black Paintings. If I am not mistaken, it is the same process that makes possible that unique event which is an ArdAzAei garment. Each and one of these pieces of mathematical embroidery inhabits a crystalline ecology in which life and death are intimately intertwined. Interwoven, yes. But not the same. That is the secret of the luminous philosophy of the Lapis Lazuli. Think of ancient Persian architecture’s sense of precision and symmetry, its vibrant equilibrium. Organic yet rigorous. As has been pointed out, each garment has two sides: its inner world, and its outer appearance. It is indeed through the attention paid to a garment’s inner world that its outer radiance is revealed. It remains dark.

Professor in Philosophy, Curator and Art Critic

It is with great pleasure we welcome you to the Musée d’Art Moderne for The Diffraction of Light, ArdAzAei’s second couture collection.

The Diffraction of Light sits at the heart of my design philosophy, which is informed by my experience studying gemology prior to founding ArdAzAei. The science of the inner properties of a gemstone, gemology uses optics to reveal the beauty reflected in its outer gloss. Through simply passing light through a stone, an entire inner world is opened. It was, for me, an encounter with deep geological time that invoked the sense of the sublime a way of seeing that felt like a secret, one which I am pleased to share with you today.

The secret is that a gem’s beauty is a reflection of its inner world, and this is also true of fashion, particularly couture. As such, an ArdAzAei garment has two sides: its inner world, and its outer appearance. It is through the attention paid to a garment’s inner world that its outer radiance is revealed.

The Diffraction of Light explores these ideas across 24 looks, their forms and silhouettes informed by the geometry of gemstones, and the stunning patterns that come about when we shine a light through them. 

The theme of light is also translated, quite literally, through developing the lightest of fabrics, revealing the care of construction within each garment, and through the placement and orientation of patterns to emphasise the effects of light diffraction. In creating this collection, I have been experimenting with using mathematical positioning of seams, pleats, embroidery, and folds, to create the effect of light emanating from within a garment.

Every detail is precious. This is why ArdAzAei works with France’s most esteemed craftspeople to construct our couture; why we place so much focus on developing our own fabrics and having them and full creations certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard. As true beauty comes from within, and I want everyone who wears ArdAzAei to feel radiant.

23/24 COUTURE COLLECTION 

<p class="p1">A study of luminescence through the medium of couture, The Diffraction of Light debuts a variety of custom-developed textiles which accentuate the interplay of light on fabric as they gently fold and drape around silhouettes inspired by the geometry of gemstones, and the stunning patterns that come about when we shine a light through them.</p>

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