This season, Manoogian’s work found a home within the penthouse of the Greenwich Hotel. Designed by Axel Vervoordt, this particular space within the hotel boasts plastered walls and earthy wooden plank floors. Throughout the photography produced for this season, it is hard to tell where a sweater begins and ends, as shades of ecru, taupe and charcoal are enveloped by the dark and cozy ambiance.
Lauren Manoogian embraces a mindful approach to design. Each season, she creates new pieces with nothing less than graceful persistence. Limited only by natural textile choices and a signature monochromatic color palette, Manoogian has proven time and time again that although these are boundaries she sets herself, they do not stifle her creativity. Rather than becoming a hindrance, they have allowed her to explore new methods of draping and structure, which are informed entirely by fabric composition. Highlighted through her work is a deeply personal knowledge and appreciation for textiles and their continual development. It is through this solid foundation that Lauren Manoogian is able to foster a creative space built upon a dedication to sustainable and sincerely handcrafted production practice.
“There is a beauty to nature, we cannot control everything about it.”
Lauren Manoogian
Lauren Manoogian’s approach to fashion design aligns significantly with the aesthetic and principles of Axel Vervoordt. Both creators are led by material and texture, fascinated by the concept of balancing opposing qualities. According to Vervoordt, the best way to inhabit a space is by surrounding oneself with architecture, furniture and art that is rich in the honesty of their material and purity of their intent. A home should be an expression of your soul, representing the way you want to live and the ideals that define your tastes. There is a strong emphasis in his work on the importance of time and the inherent beauty of things.
In this way, their work was brought together to create photography for Manoogian’s FW20 Collection that strengthen one another. There is an organic austerity that the space helps define in Lauren Manoogian’s collection, and a tactile warmth that her work invites into the penthouse. The knitwear she has produced this season is sumptuous as it plays with silhouette and layering, while remaining timeless in its construction. From the weft of a scarf to the plush knit of a sweater it is evident that this focus on material only emphasizes the creative genius behind Lauren Manoogian.
