Benjamin Huseby and Serhat Isik are finding the light.
The design duo behind the GmbH label have had a tough few months, between leaving their position as creative directors of Trussardi, and Isik being involved in a serious car crash. Speaking the day after the ANDAM awards, they were disappointed to have left the finals of the competition empty-handed.
The Trussardi situation is now in the hands of lawyers. The Milan-based house is in the midst of a major shakeup, and it’s understood the goal is to restructure the company for a potential sale.
“We were kind of stuck there without getting paid for many months, without really having a person to answer to, so it felt a bit like a ghost ship,” Huseby said. “Honestly, it was quite torturous.”
Their spring collection, titled “Kurban,” was conceived as an antidote to gloom, and rooted in their multicultural identity. (Isik is Turkish German and Huseby is Pakistani Norwegian.)
It refers to the ritual of sacrificing animals during the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha, which was in full swing as they spoke, and derives from the Arabic word meaning closeness.
Ceremonial clothes inspired Isik’s design process, with garments draped over one shoulder, or trailing flowing capes. He also dug into photos of his circumcision ceremony, for which he wore a cape with a peacock on it.
“There was a lot of that trying to find closeness and relief in that process, and I guess that also describes the light colors and the lightness of the collection,” Isik said.
Tailored jackets were cut away in front to expose the navel, or the brand’s growing swimwear offering, with its overtones of sexy clubwear. Their summer wardrobe ranged from a pristine white croc-embossed biker jacket and pants, to fluid shirts and shorts in a pastel dégradé printed with white Arabic script.
After showing on the women’s calendar for the last few seasons, they plan to present their second full womenswear collection separately in September. The first is about to land in stores, alongside a new bag collection. As the saying goes, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.