Olivia Doose Polimoda Graduation 2024
Olivia Doose
Polimoda Graduation 2024
Danica Samuel | June 24, 2024
Photography by Filippo Fior / GoRunway
“James are you sure you're the one that's not a mess here?" Those were the words from Michael Alig (Macaulay Culkin) to James St. James (Seth Green) in the opening scene of the biological film Party Monster (2003). They're standing in a dingy club bathroom in Halloween-like costumes— one of the many eccentric androgynous outfits used to convey the character's alias they subscribed to for the night. Later, we're narrated into the underground world of Club Kids— a famous group of youth-centric party promoters who ruled New York City's nightlife in glittery, glamour, outrageous antics. Directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato shed light on a dark world filled with deep addiction, cognitive dissonance, and a disguised eudemonia derived from melancholy.
Amidst the darkness, there's a fabulousness that exists in nightlife fashion, where outfits set the tone for escapism. The flamboyance, bright-coloured, and cinematic ensembles from this era have inspired runway collections across the globe. A peephole into the instances that make up the fashion of Club Kids is the transformation from dusk to dawn, indicating a night of fun: dishevelled hairstyles, imperfect post-party outfits, and smudged dewy makeup from sweaty dancefloor performances. This is what designer Olivia Doose embodies in her 2024 graduation collection for Polimoda.
"My collection is a transformation of self and how environments and factors influence that," says Doose, whose six-piece showcase was a distinct interpretation of the 90s Club Kids, with a general reference from the Party Monster film. Doose's high-fashion take on the flamboyant and eccentric group maintained the theatrics but with a unique subtlety and clean lines.
"It's like the downfall to the after-after party. I wanted to show how one person can come into a situation—experience and grow or evolve into a different person or a different form of themselves. So I used the metaphor of girls traveling home after-after and how their night or even their life has changed through it all." One scene in the film that depicts a more profound transformation is Keoki (Wilmer Valderrama) coming out with Michael after an electrifying kiss in an alleyway dumpster, fresh from a night out and running out on cab fare.
The theme for the 2024 graduation show at the evocative garden of Villa Palmieri in The Florentine Hills was 昇華 (SHO-KA), a Japanese term meaning 'transformation for the better.' Under the guidance and direction of Italian designer Massimiliano Giornetti, head of the fashion department, students developed their interpretations of metamorphosis.
Thigh-high sheer leggings with graphics flocked throughout.
Photo by Armando Grillo / GoRunway
The 'Ultra Nature' redesigning of the outdoor venue highlighted the complexities of Doose's draped, ruffled, twisted and cut-away tailoring — a practice she explored for the first time. Utilizing fabrics sourced in Florence and furthering her love for knitting, the foundation of her collection depicted frozen moments in time: dancing the night away or the walk home where sweat turns garments diaphanous, and puffed pockets become a part of your outfit (Look 1).
Doose, who grew up in Port Perry, Ontario with an Italian grandmother who ushered in her love for fashion design, invites a playful combination of fabrics, consistent hues, and textured synchronicities into her work. Learning to create non-obvious shapes in her previous and current collections, the now Italian-based designer is graduating with a unique aesthetic as a debut designer in the fashion world. Sculptural keynotes like the high-collared and shredded gown (look 3) are a delicate, refined, hand-knit masterpiece that established a high point in the collection. The meticulous cut-away, free-flowing dress (look 6) was a time-consuming and challenging workpiece consisting of carefully stitched silk tulle and chiffon.
The added details: thigh-high leggings with graphic patterns flocked throughout (look 4), strappy bondage-like leggings (look 1) and a contemporized 17th-century ruff (look 4) accentuated Doose's variations of an elevated Club Kid. Still, implementing the imperfect moments of the after-after party, the feathered knee pads (look 5) derived from exploring a fashionable way to fall gracefully when the heels that took you through the night are no longer bearable. "I told the models, don't worry if you fall if it's part of the concept, girls." She laughs, retelling the preparation for her graduation show. "I said, if you walk a little funky, remember you have kneepads on, so you're fine."
The intentionality of Doose's storytelling—derived not from a grand novel or narrative but from the subtle everyday nuances we take for granted—sets her apart from her peers and has distinctively marked a trajectory of uncommon, captivating designs that will certainly influence the future of couture.
"Design storytelling is a way to fall into your world and I think it s important as designers to really be one with their story. I like to have like a strong story, to figure in the jounery, guide you take aspects of real life and real inspiration," explains Doose, "The more you see the more you do the more you can put into your work."
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