If you are even remotely familiar with fashion and should come across a brand describing itself as a ‘fusion between fashion and art’ the least you could do is to frown upon that vague and over-used catchphrase. Unless you had stumbled upon Each x Other, a “unisex and collaborative” Parisian brand whose modus operandi is based on inviting artists, designers and craftsmen to design models for their collections.
Founded by fashion designer Ilan Delouis and artistic director Jenny Mannerheim, Each x Other is characterized by simple, linear, androgynous clothes – designed to be worn by both men and women – decorated by artworks created by artists, musicians, videomakers or designers. Conceived as a ‘publishing house’, Each x Other sees itself as a platform for promoting and ‘democratizing’ art, making it accessible to a wider audience by exploiting fashion world’s broader reach. While this concept may seem naïve if read strictly from an art world perspective, Each x Other’s approach to production and distribution of art multiples “for a price comparable to an item of clothing [...] beyond the classical cultural circuits of galleries and museums” suggests a deeper awareness of both discipline’s dynamics.
Each x Other’s clothes could be described as timeless classics – elegantly cut suits and trousers, delicate shirts, jackets, T-shirts and jeans – covered in eclectic prints, bold detailing and artsy finishings. Perfectly wearable with a pinch of eccentricity, their designs are utterly appealing and fresh, even though the concept of transforming art to clothes gets slightly lost in the process. Each x Other wishes to act as a magnetic point, “drawing artists from the four corners of the world into an ever-growing creative community, suggesting that for a new generation of collectors buying art may become as regular an activity as buying shoes.”
