The Perfect Fit with The Perfect Tangent

At the Capsule Show in New York City last week, I had the wonderful pleasure of being introduced to Hong Kong designer Pak Man Lee (“Pac”) of The Perfect Tangent, which he launched in 2009.

While the line is utilitarian in nature, each garment is based on the “Golden Ratio Fit,” which is this designer’s pursuit of the perfect, timeless fit.

“The reasoning behind Pac’s investigation stems from the movie “Pi,” which he saw in 1998:

“Mathematics are the Language of Nature. Everything around those can be represented and understood through Numbers. If you graph the Numbers at any system, Patterns emerged. Therefore, there are patterns everywhere in nature.”

The Golden Ratio Fit is based on the famous painting, the Vitruvian Man, which Leonardo da Vinci pained in 1487 as a study on human proportions that Roman writer Marcus Vitruvius Pollio had described centuries earlier (photo top).

Designer Pac develops this notion with the “Fibonacci Sequence” of numbers, which is named after Leonardo Fibonacci of Pisa and dates back to ancient India.

The higher up the sequence, the closer the algorithm approaches the golden ratio. The following image features chest width and the Fibonacci Sequence.

Pac then translates the Fibonacci Sequence into the Golden Ratio Fit with a shirt.

The designer then offers various cuts by compromising different body shapes, as he slims the body by skimming a continuous tangent along the side of the torso.

Finally, on this premise the designer explores assorted styles and cuts for his collections in menswear.

Okay, I admit. The concept goes a bit over my head too. But the end result is more than comprehensible: timeless designs that are unique to the industry.

See the look book here.

Photos Copyright The Perfect Tangent.

Category › Fibonacci Sequence , Golden Ratio Fit , Hong Kong designers , Leonardo da Vinci , Pak Man Lee , The Perfect Tangent , Vitruvian Man

Rene Gurskov “Quiet Days in Clichy” for Spring/Summer 2011

Danish designer Rene Gurskov has just released his new 2011 spring/summer collection!

The title of the collection is “Quiet days in Clichy,” which is taken from American writer Henry Millers’ novel from 1956.

In the novel, Millers writes about the Bohemian life of an artist in place de la Clichy, Paris.

For the collection, therefore, Rene envisions an American writer and student going to Paris for the first time…

Rene takes from what he considers the best part of America; that is, “the freshness, the energy, the bright smile, and the lust for adventure,” about which Rene continues to write:

“The Americano mixed with old world decadence–Paris–place de la Clichy with its extreme mix of people and cultures.

X-rated clubs, Europe cheapest shops, loud women that are not always female, food from every hidden corner of the world, and the fabric stores...

An area where a sweet American can easily lose his focus!

In the collection, there is a mix of both worlds plus glimpses of most worlds.

A piece of stars and stripes remixed by Venezuelan art director Char Alfonzo in New York, mesh sweaters with an African stripe designed in Denmark.

Items are skirt like pants; linen jackets tied together, asymmetric tees, bowling shirts, boxer shorts and the biggest track pants. Enough pieces to dress up and be anything but quiet!”

Rene completes the look with paper glasses from Hong Kong designer Ron Wan.

See the collection here.



Photo & slideshow 2011 s/s collection, Copyright Incircus.

Category › accessories , Danish designers , eyewear , Hong Kong designers , literature , Ron Wan