The dystopian autumn/winter '24 line-up from the Danish brand, dubbed ‘Shelter’ would be at home on the cast of Dune
Heliot Emil’s garments ought to be seen up close. It’s the best way to appreciate – and intellectualise – all the future-forward details; the toggles and straps, the zips and silver hardware. To that end, this season’s pop-up presentation format suits the brand well. “We wanted people to interact with the pieces a bit,” says brand co-founder and creative director Julius Juul, adding that the brand plans to be back on the runway next Paris Fashion Week. At the heart of the pop-up, which opened its doors today in a three-room gallery space in the Marais, is the brand’s ongoing collaboration with Alpinestars, an Italian brand that makes protective gear for motorsports.
“As a brand, we always want to look at extraneous innovations, happening outside of fashion,” says Juul. But it isn’t just Alpinestars’ technical innovations – namely, the way in which clothing becomes a sort of armour – that appealed to Juul, it was the aesthetic, too. “In the world of motorsports, they don’t think about the visual components as much as we do,” he says. “But it’s really cool that when you neglect these visual outlets, you end up with something that looks unique and interesting.” Merging Alpinestars’ innovations – the fireproof material, the soft armour – with Heliot Emil’s sculptural signature language, we’re left with dystopian looks that would be right at home on the cast of Dune.
But Heliot Emil isn’t just exploring the notion of psychical protection; the collection also grapples with the idea of emotional protection. Dubbed ‘Shelter’, the contrasting hard and soft elements are a visual nod to the ways in which we create emotional armour to protect ourselves.
The more extraordinary pieces, 15 one-off showpieces handmade in Heliot Emil’s Copenhagen atelier from deadstock material from Alpinestars, will be up for grabs on resale platform Grailed. Meanwhile, the more merch-like items are available on a see now, buy now basis. The pop-up’s Instagram moment, however, is not the clothes, but a large sculpture crafted from deployed airbags. “Alpinestars have this suit that has integrated airbag technology. It explodes when you crash on the bike. It’s insane,” says Juul. Fashioned from the exploded airbags, some of which have the handwritten name of the rider who wore them. A visual ode to protection – fashion that has literally saved lives.
See the full Heliot Emil AW24 collection below:
Heliot Emil - AW24
