Inflatable Latex Trouser's by Harikrishnan - Research

The Inflatable Latex Trousers

    In this research, I will talk about the uncommon shape of trousers by Harikrishnan. I chose his famous design for my research because the trousers' unique shape motivated me to make my designs with a unique shape. His unique trousers designs were made for his graduate collection at the London College of Fashion (Hanh, 2020). 

    Harikrishnan is a fashion designer from India and moving to London, UK. He moved to the UK in 2017 and became a fashion designer focusing on menswear with unique designs using latex as the main focus material (Antón, n.d.). His latex material is why he became a famous fashion designer and still uses fabrics for his designs (Antón, n.d.). The purpose of making these uncommon trousers designs is to create a different perspective in design, which can be seen in this quote "They let me perceive the world differently, more like from another viewpoint entirely detached from the stereotypical notions of the human perspective, arousing curiosity." (Harikrishnan, n.d., quoted in Antón, n.d.).

    I like his inflatable latex trousers because the shape is unique. I have never seen a shape like the one he made, so when I first saw it, it was stunning and attractive. Also, the fabric or material that he used is creative, which is latex; I did not even think about that; his design is so out of the box. Latex is also a sustainable material; he mentions, "But this also means that the material remains biodegradable and will eventually return to its natural form, meaning zero waste or harm to the planet." (Harikrishnan, 2020, quoted in Hanh, 2020). The main focus of his work is the trousers themselves because of the material and the shape he made; he is a genius fashion designer.

    Harikrishnan motivated me because he created something only from imagination to real life. "I believe in the power of imagery and narrative" (Harikrishnan, 2020, cited in Hypbeast, 2020). I agree that we can make fashion designs from our imagination, and fashion is one medium to create a story, especially to express feelings. It is one of the magic that fashion can offer to the designer. His work inspires me the most because the material he used is unique, and maybe I can use a unique material in the future. Moreover, the shape of the inflatable latex trousers influenced me to create a unique shape for my corsetry design collection for my final project, and I can create from an uncommon perspective to make it exciting. 

    Reference List

Hanh, J. (2020). Harikrishnan makes inflatable latex trousers available for purchase. [online] Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2020/08/19/harikrishnan-inflatable-latex-trousers-buy-sale/ [Accessed 15 Feb. 2024].

Hypebeast. (2020). London’s Harikrishnan Explains His Divisive Inflatable Trousers. [online] Available at: https://hypebeast.com/2020/3/harikrishnan-inflatable-trousers-pants-designer-interview-london-design-college [Accessed 15 Feb. 2024].

Antón, M. (n.d.). Metal Magazine. [online] metalmagazine.eu. Available at: https://metalmagazine.eu/post/hari-krishnan [Accessed 15 Feb. 2024].