By the tides, by the waves,
in the water, I’m the slave
on the land and on sand
I’m the master, I’m the man
for the leaps and the laps
over peaks and white caps
stuck in rips or sand traps
wherever I am, the land of mishaps
misadventure, rambling gestures,
meddling matters and imperial pall bearers
I question their agendas
this spectre of splendour
where lays their comfort
all hidden with feathers
I poke and I pester
with words, my dark jest, there
but, too often the offender
I received the censor
A formal letter:
‘Be gone, to wherever,
Forever!’
So on the road to never
the peddler of measure and questionable teller.
though this solitude I treasure
I tire of the pressure
for I am weak and I am slender
creaking, cracked leather, wet hair in the weather
the emotional debt collector
and The Spectre of Splendour.

January 3rd, 2010: This signifies the first time that Yatzer uploads images of this artist’s work accompanied by a presentation of an exceptional showroom under the name VOPNABÚRIÐ = THE ARMOURY, a conceptual store located in Reykjavik – in the now-abandoned fish-packing district in Iceland.  Since then, the showroom has attracted much interest, and the owner, the artist, Sruli Recht, has channelled his design talent into the creation of a complete menswear collection, that was more than well perceived. Today, Sruli presents us with his second menswear collection for SS/2012 with the serene title; By the tides, by the waves’.

One aspect of Sruli Recht’s work that sets him apart as being very distinctive, of course besides his remarkable talent, is the fact that every collection’s inspirations and motives are translated into poetry. Through this manner, the designer manages to convey the collection’s mood and atmosphere, while deviating from today’s commercial industry standards towards the fine line that separates commercial fashion from art-fashion.

‘By the tides, by the waves’ constitutes the second complete menswear collection by Iceland-based designer,  Sruli Recht. According to the creator, the inspiration of this work was derived from the images viewed by the window of his house; ‘water, mountains and mist’.  The collection consists of 42 styles (reaching approximately 100 including the material variations) matched with making total looks. Pieces range from coats, jackets and cardigans to trousers, shorts and leggings complimented by small accessories, jewellery and footwear.

Regarding the garments and production techniques, it is worth mentioning that the garments are constructed from one pattern piece, of course where the width of the material is adequate enough. For example in the case of a shirt, the cuff comes from the same part of the fabric as the sleeve, which is also the part of the body and the collar.

Tackling the theme ‘materials’, Recht for one more season, sticks to locally-made materials employing a large selection of cottons, linens, silk and timber backed-up by reindeer and horse skins. Also regarding the use of materials, it could be said that the highlight of the collection would definitely be the use of Icelandic basking shark skin.  We agree a rather odd choice of material but there is more than a simple choice behind it- there is a story…

The designer explains how he ended up using shark skin as one of the materials for his new collection;
One day outside my studio, I saw a flatbed truck driving past, and on that truck, I spotted a pile of wet glistening materials. My brain said it was fishing nets... but that sharp little voice at the back of my neck disagreed: "That this pile was once alive.  Chase it.  Chase it down." And into my car I got, and followed that truck till it stopped.  And on it?  Five, reeking colossal beasts, brown, wet and far beyond dead.  "To where will these sharks go?" I asked.  "West," said the driver, "to the plants where they become oil and meat."  Procuring the recipient’s number, I dialled and requested slithers of its mic-rose thorn skin to be sent to the Tanner in the North, for whom the impossible is but a days work.  Twelve days later, in a relatively anonymous white cardboard box, we received from his skilled blades, a new first — basking shark (or shark skin, or whatever name you want to give it), and by far not the last first, from his skilled blades, baths and alchemical know-how. See it, smell it, but recoil from its iron maiden touch... for the skin of the shark is more dangerous than its bite’.

Shark or cotton, ‘gravity’ or ‘tides’ one aspect remains certain; the distinctive design talent and extraordinary production techniques that characterize Sruli Recht’s work, and make his collections, season by season, an increasingly large contribution to today’s fashion and of course men’s’ wardrobes…