Worldwide: More high-end designers now embracing latex basics too.
There’s a trend I’ve noticed lately in latex womenswear of offering made-to-measure and custom pieces alongside well-edited latex basics to appeal to every pocket. Simpler styles from William Wilde, Westward Bound and House of Harlot have all caught my eye and appealed to my budget as of late.
You might pause and wonder why anyone would pay higher prices for bras and pencil skirts when they’re already available on the lower end of the market.
But there’s a lot to be said for choosing latex basics designed by an expert with greater pattern-making skills, as ultimately you’ll get more wear out of something engineered to flatter your shape.
For the impatient latex shopper, basic pieces can sometimes ship within days, rather than a month or more, which now seems to be the norm for many of the most popular manufacturers.
A custom creation can take weeks to come up with the proper fit, get the effects right, and order in that one-of-a-kind print or colour. Whereas a bra dress can be made in hours and sometimes be ready to ship the next day — simple work that can keep a designer afloat while waiting for the next one-off commission.
Sometimes it’s just freeing to step back and simplify.
One of our favourite European labels, Ardita, known for custom cut and ornate embellishments, has been off the radar for a couple of years, but happily, has just relaunched its website.
The revamp showcases a brand new collection called Ardita Essentials, offering simpler lines and easy pieces designed to mix and match, orderable in dozens of different colours and variations, allowing infinite possibilities.
Story: Heidi Patterson
Main photo: Sister Sinister models well-made latex basics from Westward Bound’s Red Label collection – by Nath Sakura
Image, right: Three Alexandra Line cupped styles from the brand new Ardita Essentials latex basics range
Ardita listing
House of Harlot listing
nath-sakura.net
Westward Bound listing
William Wilde listing
Prices are also varied, depending on the latex chosen, so the label should become more accessible to fans unable to spend hundreds of euros for a one-off creation.
Since Ardita has always been fashion-forward, it makes sense that it would offer collections at different price points, including a more affordable and accessible latex basics range, much like a traditional fashion label.
Says designer Barbara Ardita’s partner Massimo (aka photographer ArdiFoto) of the new pieces: “We decided to start with the Essentials as a base on which we will further construct our new ideas and other collections.
“But don’t get fooled by the simplicity of the designs. We did a lot of research to get the best fit for the new styles, and they have a very detailed finish level.”
The new site boasts crisp shots of the new range courtesy of ArdiFoto, and, as you might expect, a distinct fashion sensibility. Our picture below shows three cupped styles from the Ardita Essentials’ Alexandra Line.
