Robbie Santos of Septième Rebelle channels the textile designs of respected visual artist and Presidential Merit Awardee Juvenal Sansó in a collection titled Voyageur
Art Lounge Manila has truly made the most out of its space in Molito, Alabang. The gallery recently housed endearing garments from Septième Rebelle's Voyageur collection. Inspired by Presidential Merit Awardee Juvenal Sansó, designer Robbie Santos intricately collated pieces of fabric that exude sophistication.
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Before making a name as a master painter, Sansó created textile designs for fashion houses such as Balenciaga. Having just graduated from the École Nationale des Beaux Artes in Paris, he had the foresight to know that immediately competing with European artists for a slot in an art gallery would have been counterproductive.
He had a fresh take on colours, patterns, and materials as an artist. His designs consisted of abstract geometrics, florals, and other botanicals. He also incorporated freer splashes of colour reminiscent of abstract expressionism—a movement currently in vogue in America.
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“We have to remember that America was the new and biggest textile market after the war, and the biggest new segments of consumers were women at home and the youth,” explains Ricky Francisco, director of Fundación Sansó. “Perhaps those were the intended market of the florals and the geometrics. But all in all, with the colour and loosely recurring patterns, we see a shift in lifestyle—a leisure-loving new market which prefers youthful colour and freedom of expression. Working with Robbie Santos, we found out that many of the patterns [Sansó] made could still be sourced in today’s textiles, proving the timelessness of his designs.”
Sansó’s stint in fashion allowed him to expand his network. It was during this phase of his career that he met Elsa Schiaparelli. The iconic designer introduced Sansó to Galerie Lucie Weill, who gave him his first solo exhibition. In the end, his strategy of starting out in fashion paid off.
As a fashion designer who appreciates fine art, Robbie Santos feels a certain kinship with Sansó. Voyageur is his second collection to feature the renowned painter’s textile prints. As part of the collaboration, Fundacion Sansó decided which of Sansó’s prints would be translated onto fabric. Santos then based his designs on the selected prints. Sansó’s studies of geometric and floral-printed fabrics inspired Santos to look for similar textiles as well.
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