I was not going to write anything about this. I wanted to write something about this. I wrote this for my TOM*/ETC fall-winter 2015 mini-reviews: “Deconstructed patchwork of recycled cultural references is a delightful modus operandi to embrace… However, the militarist homage-to-camouflage for me is hard to reconcile with. I’ve got my eye (and wallet) on standby for next season!” In the end, I didn’t post it. However, Keniya-X as “a brand of culture & authenticity” as well as its Toronto runway presentation fascinated me beyond a quick note-to-self after all…

I’m loving the mashup and layering of fabrics vintages, cultural vantage points, colors and textures within individual garments and altogether looks. Struggling real hard with the use of camouflage, though. On one hand, I have “a position” regarding military-style, a position worth elaborating on at a later point… On the other, within the context of this collection camouflage is claimed as a deconstructive element for “redefining street culture” … aside from the question of what exactly is meant by street culture, any and all of it would certainly benefit from demilitarization efforts.

Encountering Keniya-X via TOM* platform also made me further question the pros and cons of runway format and/or fashion weeks as default industry gateways. Blog photo reports heartbreakingly reveal barely filled front row… and if we were to allude to the oft-implied benefit of worldwide media access that fashion weeks provide, well… what good does a GQ Brazil mention do to sales of a “deconstructed customized ready-to-wear hand crafted in Canada” label? It’s not within haute couture genre or price range, but it’s not mass producible either. Do these pieces become auction items them? How do I move that jumper off my wishlist and into my wardrobe? I’ve got my eye on standby 😉