Jude Benhalim x CoLab - A Fashion Meets Arts Infusion
Art installations are some of the simple pleasures of life, if you don't think so, or if you've never seen one, then I strongly urge you to go somewhere or do something that allows you to judge for yourself.
Last night, I stumbled out of my Uber onto the corner of thee Um Kalthoom building in Zamalek. With no sense of direction and a phone on 2%, finding the launch party I'd just seen the invite to an hour earlier, seemed like it would be a bit of a struggle.
Times likes these make me feel thankful for the helpful nature of people in Cairo, I asked around and ended up at the entrance of a marble clad building with a sign that said "Jude Benhalim x CoLab".
I'd never been to Co Lab before this event; for those of you wondering this is a collaborative design workshop that allows for creatives of any profession ranging from art, architecture and design to fashion, industrial design and engineering efforts to quite literally collaborate, display their work virtually or physically and even manufacture their ideas and turn them into a reality. CoLab is what we like to call these days, a conceptually driven innovative "space". It is a must see.
The entrance to the event felt like a mix between a movie screening, underground club, and video art showing. The first thing I saw upon walking in was a 3D art installation, with video streaming, sound, light, depth and all. Making my way through the space, there was a protruding balcony that adds intrigue to the creative journey CoLab takes you on. I was impressed, but hadn't actually seen any jewellery yet.
Upon entering the exhibition space, I was met with a mannequin dressed in a robe resembling that of an ancient Greek maiden. A piece of Argentinian fashion designed by Mariana Iglesias entitled "Evolvente".
The space was divided into a exhibit area and a "workshop" section, orchestrated with the help of recently launched PR agency Flare. The collection called "Urban Rebel" featured more geometric shapes and mechanical elements, veering off the stone and gem path that was a Jude Benhalim staple in the past. The most interesting part of last night's event was that, for anyone who has been following this growing label, the brand's conceptual as well as design development was evident in both the pieces and method of display.
The "Workshop" section allowed for consumers to envision the design process, which always adds depth to the pieces themselves. Personally, I enjoyed this element of the night most.
As for the designer herself, dressed in a wonderfully elegant tulle black dress paired with black sneakers - points for taking fashion risks - she was lovely and I want to thank her for the invite and for helping taking our fashion scene outside the box by spearheading this avant garde exhibition.
“Fashion, for me, is anything that’s aesthetic and beautiful. Art, food, film. It’s something that I appreciate and really like.”
