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Architects: Sibling Architecture
- Area: 100 m²
- Year: 2018
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Photographs:Sean Fennesssy
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Manufacturers: Gaetano Pesce, Memphis Milano, Rimex
Text description provided by the architects. Fashion collector Octavius ‘Otto’ La Rosa has an archive of one-thousand-plus avant-garde fashion garments, which includes pieces by Comme des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, and Walter Van Beirendonck. These garments can be purchased online, but have seldom made it to public viewing in the past.
The importance of archiving, documenting, and viewing fashion is core to Otto’s practice and reflects the increased cultural importance of fashion in the collections and exhibitions of museums and galleries. In order to make the high-end of his archive public, Otto created a new outlet, Dot Comme, as a gallery to display a unique collection of garments that are artworks themselves.
The neutral territory of the white cube is transformed through texture. Undulating bulbous white walls hide changerooms behind. Dimpled stainless steel creates depth and reflects light. Not everything is out in the open at Dot Comme.
Most of the archive is concealed behind one of the doors, which references Rei Kawakubo’s first store where the collection was concealed in a backroom. Shoppers may scroll through the online store of Dot Comme at a table by Gaetano Pesce and Memphis Milano, which is from owner Octavius La Rosa’s personal collection. Once selected, pieces are then brought out for display.
