Faith can come in many forms. Elma Leminen’s collection Holy Hell combines Catholic garments with contemporary fashion. The graduate of the Swedish School of Textiles wants to prompt new ways of thinking and discussing modern archetypes and new groups of belief. Leminen has recreated the classic suit, the military uniform, the biker jacket, jeans and American football attire as ’holy’ fashion statements, and the aesthetics of each archetype has been updated through upcycling, digital material development and laser cutting. Whilst ‘The Businessman’ look merges a traditional suit ensemble with a ferraiolo cape (which is clergy attire) adorned with laser cutting falling crosses, ‘The Biker’ marries loaded biker codes with the virtuous nun where discarded leather pieces are recreated with resemblance to both a biker jacket and a liturgical long mantle known as the cappa magna. The ‘American footballer’ wears the Catholic team number and logos that are transfer printed onto knitted fabric. The underlying clashes are intended in order to spotlight dualities with a collection that unites contrasting dress codes and different sets of values, highlighting that the world and its people are complex.
