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Retail Pharmacy AW22: Sacrificial Lamb, Artificial Blood

Playing on presentation and deconstruction, hooz and their collaborator Tweaks conceived a complementary photo story–presenting each look in its purest, static form to juxtaposed against the living, breathing and artificially bleeding embodiments of the designs as brought to life on the rooftop runway.

 

Blending experience and aesthetic, construction became secondary to narrative, and the mythology of the hoozverse unfolded. The collection, curated by Retail Pharmacy founder Sophia Boli captures the interdisciplinary nature of the brand.

 

“hooz atelier was a perfect fit for this Retail Pharmacy runway for a number of reasons. One of the most common traits of the designers I carry is that they are multi-disciplinary in their art,” Boli shared with office. “hooz makes ceramics in addition to clothing, and I have other designers who are poets, photographers, illustrators, etc. I really love celebrating people who explore their creativity in multiple ways. I think the clothing people like that produce is just a little more interesting because it comes from somewhere more conceptual. “

 

Explore the collection lookbook and BTS and dive into the hoozverse in our exclusive interview with the designer below.

How did you conceptualize these pieces?

 

How did the show bring them to life? I imagined each look as a particular character essence. The designs themselves are a range of those I’ve worked with over the past year and some were birthed out of the making process for this show specifically. Putting my garments onto a human body brings the look into a new space because my essence is merged with those of the models chosen to present the work to the world –this is why I’m highly selective in who I ask to represent the work. Each model is a muse in the sense that who they are is highly significant when considering the energy exchange taking place when dressing in one’s handmade clothes – their person, their energy activates a unique aura inaccessible through other means.

 

Can you tell me a bit about the mythology behind the show and of the photo story?

 

In 9 looks, 9 characters or …entities of the hoozverse descend upon an event space. Each possesses a potent energy to be conveyed through specified behaviors and repetitive actions. They have arrived with a graceful urgency – imagining a post-catastrophic context met with the arrival of bloodthirsty g*ds.

 

What's the importance to you of representing the collection in the editorial/bts/runway? How does each medium influence the work?

 

The editorial brings on a bit more of a controlled narrative. It creates a permanence we could simply never aim to achieve when dealing with live performance. It also has created space for even deeper levels of collaboration, as I think of the role Tweaks has played in that portion of this project as well as the bicoastal activation of creative communities – the editorial was produced and shot in Los Angeles, while all of the runway came to be in NYC. Documentation of bts and runway are so precious as well, as they become the archive of this happening. We could never replicate what took place on the rooftop of 99 Canal St. on Sept 16 2022 and we would never attempt to. Now we revel in the abundance of evidence of that unique experience.

 

How did you want the show to feel? How do you feel after the show?

 

I wanted people to feel engaged and stimulated without a sense of clarity as to what was going to happen next. I like the audience to feel a bit entranced – experiencing a sort of loss of time. Perhaps a bit jarring but ultimately a transformative experience that removes you from the immediate progressions of one’s day-to-day. I feel fresh and so grateful for everyone who invested so much into this project that I’ve spilled my blood for. I am basking in post-show glow.

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