Basso & Brooke: British Innovation

Bruno Basso and Christopher Brooke are the self-proclaimed “pioneers of digital print fashion.”  Fashion Reporter Tim Blanks of Style.com has even labeled them “the Pixar of clothes,” and from looking at their designs you would think they were rendered for a 3-D movie.  Industry magazines such as Vogue and Elle have named them as new, exciting up-and-comers in the world of clothing, and the pair are living up to the hype.

Basso and Brooke met at a London nightclub in 2003, according to New York Magazine, and the next year they won the Fashion Fringe Award, earning them a showcase at London Fashion Week.  Basso, who is Brazilian, matched perfectly with Brooke’s English flare, and the duo made a name for themselves almost immediately.  The following year, they were being distributed by fashion giant Alberta Ferretti’s manufacturing and distribution brand Aeffe, one of the most respected names in the business.

This catapulted the men’s collections to the international market, making them available to any client across the globe.  As previously stated, Basso and Brooke’s main attraction to their clothing is the outlandish designs which are plastered across shirts, coats, blouses, paints, gloves – basically anything that they sell.  Staring at one of their designs can be like experiencing a psychedelic trip as one gazes at the varying textures, color tones, patterns and objects.  Images used in their designs range from flowers and mineral-like rock colors, to the theme of their first collection: male genitalia.

However, while their clothes can still be somewhat shocking, the two men have not revisited the “inspirations” of their earlier work.  Geometric patterns used in “frenzied collage[s]” comprise most of the look for their Spring and Fall 2012 collections, according to Style.com.  The Spring line in particular, since it has a tropical theme, features many “florals with galactic, constructivist motifs.”  The collection consists of “idiosyncratic yet sophisticated pieces that looked bang on trend,” according to Style’s review from September of 2011.

The unique image that Basso and Brooke have earned is getting the attention of everyone from celebrities to multi-national corporations.  The line is made for the female form, and Singers Rihanna and Beyoncé have worn Basso and Brooke gowns to awards ceremonies, as well as Actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler and even First Lady Michelle Obama, according to Style and Basso and Brooke’s website.  They have also produced graphics designs for brands such as Coca-Cola, Converse, L’Oreal Paris, Mac and Red Bull due to the overwhelming appeal of their chaotic collections.

Basso and Brooke are not even a decade-old, but still their clothes are immensely popular.  Older, archetypical brands such as Armani, Gucci, Versace and dozens more are being eclipsed by this new wave of sorts, which like Basso and Brooke, mostly rejects the traditions of 20^th-century haute couture.  As the accolades continue to grow, Basso and Brooke’s clout within the fashion industry will do the same.

-    Taylor Burns