Article by Kevin Young
Photo credit Xue Liang
Libertine a collection of freedom, rebellion and differing from the norm are the ideals instilled in this brand designed by mastermind Johnson Hartig. Libertine is an innovation to the industry delivering high fashion flair that is ecofriendly. It’s no surprise that Hartig’s upcoming spring collection was shown at the 2014 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week proving to viewers that his eye-catching designs are a staple to the international fashion scene. This is epitomized by the appearance of the actor, comedian, and rapper, Nick Cannon who came out to view the Libertine assortment.
For women Libertine incorporates a lot of shiny beads embedded into dresses, skirts, and shirts. These designs are for those ladies that just want have fun without caring what people think of them. The amount of confidence exhibited by the models sporting these designs was like an aura that encased the whole Pavilion. Libertine isn’t only focused on outfits but on witty accessories and jewelry to complement these outfits too whether it be elongated chains or wacky shades.
For menswear the designs were just as electric and colorful as the women’s line. Models rocked the runway wearing street urbanized looks with sparkling confidence. Menswear focused on using black as the main color foundation yet mixing it up with patches of every hue under the rainbow. These designs focused on being more casual with shorts and hoodies yet spunky at the same time.
To conclude the show, Hartig along with all of his models paraded down the runway in a casual yet fun social media montage taking selfies while cruising past photographers. The models genuinely looked like they were having fun and crowd just fed off of their energy igniting the whole auditorium into a frenzy of cheers.
Hartig was ecstatic when asked about his collection and entry into the fashion industry.
“It started in a really roundabout way. I studied painting and drawing in college and was always a late bloomer. I met this woman named Cindy Greene in New York City and we just started building these clothes together and it became Libertine. Fashion means my livelihood. It’s a creative output for me. It means fun, color, excitement and being able to become something one isn’t. It means love,” said Hartig. “I combined 90s rave with 80s punk 70s punk and new wave altogether. I just find inspiration all over, I can’t pinpoint one source of inspiration except for the jewelry that was inspired by these ravers I ran into.”
Hartig’s vision of creating a vivacious loud show nearly mimics the experience of being at a concert or rave. “Electric” is the perfect adjective to describe his collection as he constantly flaunts that word around. As for future trends Hartig will explore the idea of having sequences that rotate color when you move around and to have pattern on pattern while piling on endless levels of jewelry.
Leave a Reply