This collection attempts to delineate the human profile in abstract, psychological and literal ways through silhouettes and storytelling.

– Kyle Denman

Detachment, Circularity, Anxiety, Vibration, and Homeostasis are five out of the eight human conditions and names of each look in Kyle Denman’s “mul·ti·po·lar—ex·ist·ence” collection, which are showcased among the works of a select group of international designers, in “CLOTH, Construct, CULTURE: fashion builds a story” … Here is a preview of one of the looks by Kyle Denman.

“mul·ti·po·lar—ex·ist·ence”, which premiered at New York Fashion Week in 2021, explores the interconnectivity and the multidimensionality of the human experience.  Denman says, “Each look in the collection is intentionally created to demonstrate different aspects of the human condition and how we as people are interdependent elements whose souls become intertwined through chance and circumstance.”

A sneak peek about Vibration: In an interview with Denman, he expressed that many of the looks demonstrate the breadth of movement and identity, with Vibration coined as a walking sculpture, “this look is meant to be a source of physical and sensational vibrations, explaining that the vibrations of one person’s actions should and will impact another.”

In a statement, Denman describes the connection of the face profile, movement, and the human experience: 

Vibration is inspired by the notion that a single encounter with another person can impact one’s life forever. Not only are the physical vibratory levels present through the hundreds of hand-cut face silhouettes on the skirt of the dress, but there is a sense of transience as the dress moves, symbolizing an individual’s fleeting action but lasting impact. At the same time, each face moves with—and in response to—the others, mirroring the ways in which we humans are collectively sharing, albeit independently from one another, the human experience. Thus, Vibration seems to juxtapose the idea that we as humans are individuals who share a collective consciousness; we are living paradoxes. 

Denman was named on Forbes inaugural 30 Under 30 Local, Los Angeles list, is a Project Runway winner, and “mul·ti·po·lar—ex·ist·ence” won him the 2021 International Design Award Fashion Design of the Year.

More About Kyle Denman

@thekyledenman 
Kyle Denman Fashion website

More about Kyle and “mul·ti·po·lar—ex·ist·ence” plus a view of runway looks – “mul·ti·po·lar—ex·ist·ence”: fashion and the human experience | A Talk with Kyle Denman

Exhibition Details

CLOTH, Construct, CULTURE: fashion builds a story, curated by Rhonda P. Hill, 24 October 2023–24 January 2024, Parallax Art Center, Portland, Oregon, USA

Feature Image: Kyle Denman, “mul·ti·po·lar—ex·ist·ence”, Look 007: Vibration | Photographer: Ilya Savenok; Model: Tolu Ayanfalu | New York Fashion Week September 2021