full look. BRIELLE
The term biophilia means “love of life.” A love of life helps sustain life. Gabrielle Szynkarsky is a firm believer of this ethos. The young designer behind the brand Brielle has put this hypothesis at the heart of her SS19 collection, ‘BIOPHILIA’. In an age where we’re spending more time in buildings and cars than in nature, Brielle is trying to bridge this disconnect. Her designs beckon us to listen to the desire innate in all of us to recognise the beauty in nature and return to it. “Beauty is what we have had in front of us since the beginning of time. It is what the planet has provided us with,” she explains. Our modern lifestyle has wreaked havoc on nature, but with BIOPHILIA Brielle urges that the damage can still be undone.
full looks. BRIELLE
full looks. BRIELLE
The potential for renewal, after defeat, is a theme Szynkarsky has had to grapple with in her own life. From the age of six, skiing was her passion and she dedicated her life to competitive alpine ski racing, even attending an elite ski academy with ambitions of competing in the Olympics. Her dream was cut short due to knee issues. The passion that had steered her life was suddenly gone. Instead of dwelling on this disappointment, Szynkarsky navigated this setback with discipline and determination that lead her to her second passion: fashion.
full looks. BRIELLE
Now based in Montreal, the designer has found her role in fashion is to connect the human body to nature. This takes biophilic design in architecture and emulates it through fashion. Her collection evokes nature using 100% organic materials and working with natural elements like wood and dried plants. Her art references nature in more ways than one. “A lot of the pieces that I create in my studio are inspired by poems that I write,” says Szynkarsky. BIOPHILIA was conceived and guided by a poem she wrote.
full looks. BRIELLE
BIOPHILIA
Why do we distance ourselves from what the world has given us?
Why do we escape from the true beauty of our world?
Why do we create a disconnect between our human bodies and nature? When it is the opposite of what we should be doing.
Humans enjoy the company of other living beings, but yet we push them away?
We are so fascinated when seeing nature at its fullest, but how are we able to look away so quickly?
We say it is unhealthy to be far from nature, yet we have continued to create concrete walls that block the organic connection that our body’s, minds and souls demand. Why don’t we try harder to break through these barriers?
Our human bodies were put on this earth to interact and be one with Nature. Why are we escaping Biophilia?
Drawing on the poem as more than a mere reference, but using it as a life force behind her couture designs, Brielle’s SS19 collection physically reflects these concerns and gloriously challenges this concrete world we dwell in apart from nature. In the editorial photographed by Gerardo Alcaine, her creations come to life, defiant and hopeful. With its humble approach, majestic construction and environmental conscience, Brielle heralds a new age in fashion, with a young generation of designers capable of reinventing the fashion industry.
full looks. BRIELLE
Discover Brielle’s SS19 collection on its website and follow Brielle on Instagram here.
fashion designs. BRIELLE SS19
photography. Gerardo Alcaine
fashion + styling + artistic direction. Gabrielle Szynkarsky
model. Fatima Thioye @ Folio Agency
make up. Hayley Godin
digital retouching. Yuna Kersalé
