“I wanted a sweatshirt, open in front, with lots of pressure so that it would look like clothing from the Renaissance, children’s clothing for big people or the other way around.” The story behind Agnès b. is first and foremost about giving oneself the liberty to do what one wants. The origins of the cardigan lie in summer 1972. The young Agnès made quick work with a scissors and ended up with a sweatshirt before tacking on a few add-ons. She had actually just invented the emblem of her style. The snap cardigan incorporates the key ingredient of any timeless piece: simplicity. Without any creative distractions, Agnès offers fashion that can be lived out according to the times: design that never ages. In 1979, the Cardigan was officially released in Paris with the Agnès b. stamp, and would soon become an essential staple in undefinable wardrobes everywhere; after all, it’s so multi-purpose that it could never pigeonhole any silhouette into any one style. Success would soon follow: Agnès b became the emblem of effortless French fashion magic and would export its iconic cardigan, made by a fashion brand that is beyond fashion itself.
Its DNA is unreluctantly adaptable to each and every personality: ever since its initial release, 150 colors and more than 40 variations in fabric or shapes have graced this unisex mainstay. Still seeking a few novelties, the stylist invited photographers to give their own interpretation of the snap cardigan during Paris’ Photography Month in 1994. Martine Franck, Bernard Faucon, Steve Hiett, Dominique Isserman, and Jean-Baptiste Mondino would play with the piece through their own lens, beyond place or time, to deliver their final say. Until September 14, in addition to new shots and sketches from Agnès herself, the stylist will be peeling back the curtain during the Singapore Cardigan Expo. This exhibit is modeled around living light that tickles some of the emblematic Cardigan’s immense silhouettes. Afterwards, it will get exported to Taipei, Hong Kong, then Shanghai. In 2014, the exhibit will travel to the U.S. before concluding its world tour in Europe, with Paris as its final stop.
Leave a Reply