HEAT HAZE
GESTUZ SS23 at Copenhagen Fashion Week.
The heat distortion seen on e.g., asphalt in the desert. See also mirage.
The extreme heat is making the skin glisten from sweat. The air smells like sun oil and vanilla. Heat haze is making it difficult to see clearly. We are in LA, it’s the late 90s - early 00s, paying homage to Destiny’s Child, TLC and JLO wearing oversized cargo pants, cropped party tops and showing skin. The Spring Summer 2023 collection is about glam, and feeling sexy combined with utilitarian silhouettes and the modern GESTUZ design.
“For this season I wanted something wilder. I wanted to go all in on glam and sexiness. I was inspired by LA on a hot summer day, where the heat rises from the asphalt and glistening skin becomes part of a look with small tops and cargo pants. The collection is more daring than earlier, but the GESTUZ modernness is eternal.”
Creative director Sanne Sehested
For the Spring Summer 2023 show GESTUZ chose a minimal show location, while engaging the different senses for the HEAT HAZE storytelling. Sunlight is invited to be part of the runway, while the team asked the question: what would HEAT HAZE taste, sound, and smell like? Together with creatives throughout Europe, a special ice-cream, soundtrack, and scent were created to set the scene for the SS23 showing. To pay tribute to the love of vintage, Gestuz has sourced secondhand 90’s vintage boots and the jewelry is Creative Director Sanne Sehested’s own found on her many travels.
The 2001 called on their flip phones, they dig the look.
A quirky collaboration found its way into the show concept when Gestuz teamed up with scent designer Kim Gerlach to customize and interpret what HEAT HAZE would smell like. Over the course of weeks, the partners have worked close together in coming up with the perfect scent for the show. The scent will subtly appear when entering the show venue and should tickle the senses.
”Clean odors of magnolia and other white florals reveal while HEAT HEAZE lingers in an underlying sweetness. Its tenacious creaminess comes from notes of vanilla, as well as molecule one, the ultimate synthetic.”
Scent designer Kim Gerlach.
The colors in the collection are a mix of base colors such as light sand, dark olive green and brown mixed with bold colors such as flaming orange, sunny blue and a bright lime green. The prints are inspired by the 00’s animal prints, which are perfectly mixed with the bold colors in endless combinations.
“Glistening skin becomes part of a look with small tops and cargo pants.”
The Spring Summer 2023 show is styled by Copenhagen stylist Melanie Buchhave, and is all about heat, modern nostalgia and having fun. The viewer is invited to immerse themselves in the hot vibes through all their senses.
A small selection of styles is made as see now buy now allowing customers to get their hands on runway looks on the show day itself.
Shop the online exclusive items here
Constantly working to improve the materials in use, 75% of the collection is made with documented and certified materials such as organic cotton, Leather Working Group, ECOVERO™ viscose and Naia Acetate.