Lover (clothing)

Lover is an Australian fashion label launched in 2001 by designers Susien Chong and Nic Briand. Lover have "managed to garner praise from Vogue to Vice Magazine". [ [http://www.loverthelabel.com Introducting - Lover] ] The label has risen to prominence in Australia and internationally, developing a cult and celebrity following. Lover's look embodies "romance, drama and a touch of rock'n'roll swagger". [ [http://www.fashionwindows.com/gallery/designers/lover.asp Fashion Windows] ]

Lover began as a Bondi Markets stall during the weekends in 2001. Susien Chong's "vintage style" clothing attracted many customers inclucing actress Claire Daines who purchased two of the emerging label's polka-dot blouses on a trip to Sydney. [http://www.who.com/who/magazine/article/0,19636,7401041018-713866,00.html "Loving It" - Who Magazine] ] Three months after the stalls inception boutiques began requesting Lover stock.

Lover's collections all draw upon various inspirations from the worlds of art, music, film and pop culture. Each collection, according to Nic Briand, "has a narrative and central character". [http://www.refinery29.com/archives/editorialfeatures/000961.php Refinery29 "Behind the Collection: Lover] ] Constant influences on the duo include Jean Luc Godard, early Woody Allen films, Black Flag, Marianne Faithfull. Nick Briand's influences tend to be "heavier" such as the Wu Tang Clan, comic books and Jimi Hendrix, whereas Susien Chong's are "softer" elements such as Picnic at Hanging Rock, ballet and Roberta Flack.susien and nick

Rather than using the traditional print catalogues Lover have used online look books and short films or video installations to display their wares. In a 2002 display at the Corner Shop in Paddington, a video installation titled "Rosemary" represented the collection. "Its about a girl who has a crush on a boy at a party... she's wandering around the house looking beautiful in Lover clothes" - Susien Chong. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/08/26/1030053033207.html Sydney Morning Herald] ] In 2007 Lover revisited the medium of film to make "Waiting For Mick" which depicted the mood and clothing of their Altamont collection.

Collections

The overarching theme of any Lover collection, and the ethos behind the brand is the idea of the loss of innocence.

Lover has released eight collections to date. They are:
*Melodies (S/S 2004)
*Miss Francoise (A/W 2004)
*Broken Hearts (S/S 2005)
*Performance (A/W 2005)
*Black Magick (S/S 2006)
*Lover Loves Levis (March 2006)
*About a Girl (A/W 2006)
*Black Rose Army (S/S 2007)
*Altamont (A/W 2007)
*One + One (S/S 2008)
*Electric Ladyland (A/W 2008)
*Love Bomb (FW 2008/SS 2008.09)

Melodies

Melodies features a palette of cream, pale blue and black with polka-dot motifs and the Lover trade-mark over sized buttons. The use of contrasting fabrics such as satin and denim shows Lover's interest in the juxtaposition of girly with tough.

Influences
*Meg White
*Françoise Hardy

Miss Francoise

Black, white, red and midnight blues create a loud and vibrant edge to a collection with a title as sweet as Miss Francoise. Over sized buttons and satin are present staples. The collection has an overriding masculine edge with pieces such as crisp white shirts, cuffed wide-legged pants and suspenders.

Broken Hearts

The Broken Hearts collection features tailored, classic, simple staples in a basic palette of black and white with splashes of red and pink. Black denim used in cuffed shorts and straight-legged jeans gave the collection street smarts whilst the striking red pumps used in the look book gave the collection sass and vigor.

Lace began to creep into their designs this season with an off the shoulder number that was featured in "Nylon" magazine (US).

Influences

Susien Chong has commented that she was "inspired by lovelorn 'girls working their way through the crowds at gigs around Sydney'".Susien Chong]

Performance

Performance tells "the story of a shy schoolgirl violin player who is awakened by the sounds of her brother's Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath records" according to Nick Briand. [ [http://www.loverthelabel.com Dazed and Confused magazine] ]

Cuffed shorts, loose girly blouses with lace detailing, raunchy satin, statement winter coats, logoed tees, high necklines, vests, fabrics that need little embellishment, oversized buttons, pinafores and photography by Steven Chee are elements which are associated with Lover and came together in Performance.

Influences
*"Freaks and Geeks"
*Ballet
*1970s Rock

Black Magick

Black Magick was the collection that made Lover a "one to watch" brand. Fashionistas were flocking to get their hands on the pinstriped denim cuffed shorts and the "it" dress of the season, the white lace Black Magick dress. Velvets, denim and folk-influenced floral trimmings made this collection hippie without being all about free love.

Influences
*Folk music
*Charles Manson
*Tarot Cards
*1960s

Lover Loves Levis

Available in two washes the Lover Loves Levis jeans were produced in a tuff skinny cut. The jeans featured an over sized button to fasten the jeans, a black Levis patch on the back, contrast stitching and a Lover monogrammed lining along the inner waistband. The jeans were made in a limited edition of only 1,000 pairs.

The jeans were accompanied by a tote bag featuring the Lover monogram and a key ring with a large button motif.

Lover were drawn to the collaboration with the denim giant due to the fact that "Levis rock'n'roll youth culture heritage was a perfect fit with the mood of" their A/W About A Girl collection. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/fashion/yankee-levi-takes-an-aussie-lover/2005/11/18/1132016986764.html "Yankee Levi Takes An Aussie Lover" - Sydney Morning Herald] ]

About A Girl

About A Girl featured bleached-out white, grey/purple plaids and black. Patterned lace tights and skivis were the base for many of the collection's looks. Vests, pinafores, floaty blouses, playsuits, over sized buttons, cuffed shorts and a stand-out white lacey dress were the threads that linked Lover with their past collections.

Influences

*Kurt Cobain (Nirvana)

Black Rose Army

The Black Rose Army collection depicts a transformation from innocent and "rich heiress to sex-bomb renegade"; [ [http://www.vogue.com.au/fashion/show_coverage/2006/2006_2007_mafw_spring_summer/schedule/lover/lover_review] Black Rose Army Runway Review - Vogue Australia] this is the Patty Hearst story.

Set to a discordant and raw soundtrack by the Kills the runway show chronologically depicts four distinct periods in the Patty Hearst kidnapping saga. The first is innocence; represented via the use of white dresses, blouses and pinafores. The next phase is Patty Hearst at college; slogan tees, cuffed shorts, bandanas, denim and louder colour accents such as red, yellow and blue highlight this change, whilst the slow seeping of black into the palette suggests the darkness which will come. The third period is during her period as a fighter with the SLA; uniform-like khakis drench this radical phases pallet. The last phase is purely black, featuring black corsages to symbolise the death of Patty's innocence.

Influences
*Patty Hearst
*Symbionese Liberation Army, (SLA)
*Berkeley in the 1960s
*Nick Briand commented that Black Rose Army was influenced by the last half of Martin Scorsese's documentary "No Direction Home" about Bob Dylan, The Kills, "Zabriske Point", the first two Public Enemy albums, Glen E. Friedman's photos of the LA punk scene, the box set of "Peanuts" with Charlie Brown, Joseph Szabo's "Teenage", early blues players Son Lightnin Hopkins and Robert Johnson and "Curb Your Enthusiasm".bra]

Altamont

Influences
*Altamont music festival
*The Rolling Stones
*1970s

One Plus One

One Plus One is a collection of "no fuss, easy piecs that could be mixed and matched, dressed up or down. Simplicity with a twist!" [ ["Lover" - Oyster Magazine, Issue 72, 2007] ]

The One Plus One collection sees the introduction of a swimwear line featuring 12 styles in either lace knit, french stripe or denim. Reflecting the interest in 1970's skate culture the line was intended to be "At home on the bleachers of a lazy suburban swimming pool mixed with denim jeans or sitting on the beach" [ ["Lover" - Oyster Magazine, Issue 72, 2007] ] .

Influences
*Dogtown and Z-Boys
*California in the 1970s
* The Z-Boys skating crew
* 70s skating culture
*Robert Altman's 3 Women
*Harvest by Neil Young
*Prayer of Death by Entrance
* Electric Ladyland, Jimi Hendrix
*Imagine Our Love, Lavender Diamond
*Bright Black Morning Light

To accompany the collection Lover used All-white Vans hi-tops and Authentic Vans in white.

Love Bomb

FW 2008/SS 2008.09

The latest collection includes bell sleeves, velveteen jackets, leather short pants, neck detailing and a tailored jumpsuit. [cite web | last = Wooller | first = Retna | title = Lovestruck | publisher = JCReport.com | date = June 19, 2008 | url = http://jcreport.com/intelligence/susien-chong/190608/lovestruck| accessdate = 2007-06-26 ]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.loverthelabel.com Official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/loverthelabel Myspace]