In his second collaboration with Jason Bradburry, Harald Lunde Helgesen presents ‘The Crystal Farmers’ fashion film. The ‘Crystal Farmers’ is a fictional story where subterranean farmers take great risks when entering deep caves in order to reach crystal fields where they harvest precious minerals to be traded in the nearby city. Harald tells this dangerous story of resistance through a collection of raw, intricate clothes which combine traditional tailoring with functionality.Watch the fashion film below.
After winning the Swarovski Crystalized Elements award with his HLH:2509BC collection at the 24th International Festival of Fashion and Photography of Hyères in 2009, Harald talks to us about his new collection and future plans.
-How was your second collaboration with Jason Bradburry for your new fashion film?
The second one is supposed to be the difficult one, right? With all the pressure to create something to match or even surpass the previous one. We had a very interesting process with lots of trial, error and development. For me it is important to keep on learning along the way and setting challenges for oneself.
-How did you come up with the idea of ‘Crystal Farmers’ collection?
The idea and concept behind the collection and film started with the Crystallized Swarovski Elements Price I won in Hyères in 2009. It led my thought on to luxury industries like diamonds, fur, gold and such. These products are consumed by the richest in the world but often produced by poor people living in deprivation. I created an imaginary culture around a crystal farming society. The collection reflects their work in the mines, their traditional crafts and their influences from the city nearby.
-Future plans?
I am a finalist in the ITS (International Talent Support) competition in Trieste, Italy!! My immediate future will be all about finishing a new collection titled “Palimpsests” and doing exciting competition briefs for Maison Martin Margiela, Diesel and Skunkfunk. The show is in mid July, so stay tuned!
-Are there any designers you would like to collaborate with?
There are many! I think collaboration is the future. It can be quite lonely to do and develop projects alone.
-Do you face any challenges or fears considering your job?
There are lots of challenges and a few fears. I enjoy the challenges and I think some fears and doubts are signs that you are still moving forward into unknown territories and that you have a critical eye to your own work.
Visit hlh.no for more information about Harald Lunde Helgesen
