House of Laurel Builds on Form and Feeling in “Architectura”

For this Spring and Summer season, Rajo and his team meditated on the idea of "special spaces" and the feelings these entities bring out in us. "It's the feeling that you get when you see an emotionally-moving building, or the awe that transpires when you see great physical structures," he expresses. "I wanted to somehow translate this admiration of mine into our practice."

This intersection of fashion and architecture is not unfounded, as the two have always been parallel disciplines. In the spaces one moves in, one also learns how to present and express oneself.

To conceptualize the designs, the House of Laurel referred to the spaces that imbued a sense of vigor. "We looked at our favorite rooms and buildings, and imagined the collection from the shapes [we saw] or the feelings that we got," he shares. "This relationship is what we tried to explore."

There were two primary directions for the collection in terms of shape. One was what he called "ovoid" or rounded shapes, while the other was more angular or linear.

"We wanted to see how these two directions would intersect," Rajo states, citing that from his observations, the architectural scene is experiencing a "spherical Renaissance" that was too overt to ignore. Alongside rounded silhouettes and soft volumes were sharp angles and firm construction.

Several textiles were utilized to bring the multi-piece roster to fruition. "Most noteworthy are textural materials like raw silk and textured organza, as well as a lightweight "tencel" that is just so perfect for the summer," the designer shares. Aside from these fibers, textured chiffons and pure cottons were also incorporated to meet the season's need for airiness.

Colors often define the seasonal identity of a collection, and while the House of Laurel has stuck to their usual palettes in the past, Architectura is actually a "great departure" from its usual approaches.

"We were quite adventurous and intuitive with the palette as we [wanted to] introduce our clients to color that they perhaps don’t have in their current wardrobes," says Rajo, who underscores the importance of diversifying one's usual wardrobe. To achieve this, the collection highlighted pleasing hues of lilac, delicate shades of yellow, dusty renditions of blue, and electifying tints of orange.

"We approached the color story of the collection as if we were building a room and decorating it," he explains. For the atelier, it was important to keep things fresh and inviting, as if they were painting the interior of a home where the sun's rays constantly seep into. "How can we bring forth great interiors and great architectural forms and translate that into clothes?" he recalls musing.

If one were to ask him, Rajo admits that producing a Spring and Summer collection presents more challenges to a designer. Crafting clothes for this season entails aligning oneself with the idea of lightness.

"It is almost like a constant edit or reduction of an idea, similar to the philosophy of how can we express our narratives with less words," Rajo puts it, emphasizing that a designer must always prioritize both form and function with their work.

"It is that brevity and the disciple of minimalism that can be challenging. You create with the idea of less. That can be quite the task," he says.

As warmer weather takes its course, Rajo hopes that his patrons, old and new, continue to dress mindfully, considering all details when it comes to how they'll present themselves.

"We have always designed with our clients in mind. We are quite blessed to have a loving and very loyal client base," Rajo shares. "These are men and women who appreciate the whole process of creative intention."

"They appreciate pieces that have this uniqueness and originality about them, ones that enhance their lives and satisfy their desires." And through Architectura, the designer only hopes to continue meeting wearers where they are, in whatever spaces they choose to occupy.