Spanish born, London based designer Luis De Javier unveiled his first ready-to-wear collection exclusively for Selfridges & Co. With couture custom pieces worn by Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, Cardi B and Rihanna amongst others, this gender-neutral, ready-to-wear capsule collection marks the first time that De Javier’s designs become widely available for purchase, the brand’s fearless sensuality and bold silhouettes distilled into wearable and accessible pieces for customers.
The capsule is love letter to queer culture and to the underground nightlife scene which have informed the brand’s DNA since its inception, the playful, sex-positive debut ready-to-wear collection features Luis De Javier brand hallmarks of vegan leather, tailoring and unabashed sexuality in a range of jackets, corsets, mini dresses and trousers, offered in a signature palette of black, white and red, with additional pieces in striking yellow and nude also introduced.
“It was a new challenge to create ready-to-wear whilst staying true to the brand’s ethos and message. I am endlessly inspired by my community, so I naturally want the people that fuel me to make these clothes to be able to buy them and wear them. That’s what brings me joy at the end of the day: to actually dress those people, to make them feel beautiful and free. So this collection was about taking the brand’s DNA, and translating it to pieces that are very easy and very wearable”.
Creating work that celebrates the intersection of queerness, fashion and club culture, Luis De Javier envisions a hedonistic future, populated by creatures in dagger-sharp shoulders and cinched waists – an armour of sorts that transcends gender and sexuality, encouraging wearers to be stronger, bolder and less afraid to express themselves. The collection is presented in Selfridges’ level three Designer Studio in a bespoke display featuring tiled walls and a soap dispenser, reminiscent of the club bathrooms where many of the ideas for the collection were born.
