Coming from a theatrical background, Rachel’s approach to design still carries some semblance of disguise. Her new collection finds her with an established identity, going deeper into her distinct aesthetics.

Rachel’s case could be seen as a symphtom of our times: at the beginning of 2007, the English designer decided to abandon everything, discouraged by the theatre industry. But when no one was expecting it, a new Rachel Freire debuted in the English fashion week, without having ever studied fashion design. The rumor spread across blogs and specialized magazines and, now, she ventures into the future with Future Noir, her winter adventure. It is a déjà-vu of the arms race that bets heavily on androgyny without nostalgia or cheap tricks.

Fashion is constantly reinventing itself; or at least it tries. Nevertheless, tired of striving for innovation, she seems more appeased with learning how to reformulate herself. That’s why earthly definitions are useless for her latest collection if, even with her plastic identity and luxurious monochromatic sensuality, her new collections looks too artificial. “It’s weird being publicly visible. In the past my work has very much left me anonymous, so it’s a whole different world. I'm enjoying watching it. It makes me feel slightly schizophrenic.” And she adds: “my most important influences are belligerence and objection. And not being able to buy clothes back in the day in Liverpool that didn't suck. And maybe the theatrics of Mugler and McQueen, Grunge, 80's and 90's trashbag movies and music lent a hand too.”



And that’s because, after all, it’s all about fashion: it’s a matter of seduction and addiction: “Clothes create your identity, or recreate it depending on your mood. I think that's why i enjoy militaristic influences so much. Uniforms and structure bring with them a great feeling of empowerment. They also have practicality and durability which transcends trends which I love. It is the same with corsetry. I've never seen it as restrictive, more a way to mould your body to your will and immediately influence your mood or that of people around you. I love the apocalyptic aesthetic because it is in itself organic. It grows from practical elements combined with an evolving functionality. I really adore things which look great when they're fucked up.”

Coming up next to Rachel Freire’s life is an approach to a unisex touch: “I think my work is actually very feminine, but in a quite harsh way. This took me by surprise so I want to flip this on its head next. Because I have quite a short attention span! And as soon as I've done something I'm inclined to want to experiment with its exact opposite.”

Text by Nicolás Longo for VNFOLD