Nature and man’s action are part of the same holistic system or are they engaged in an eternal open contrast?

Cherevichkiotvichki’s Lithuanian designer Victoria Andrejeva questions herself about this controverted relationship elaborating her creative answer through her Spring / Summer 2014 collection. This year’s main theme “Nature vs. Nurture” is revealed by the juxtapositions of raw materials, which preserve their entrely earthy roots, and artificial fibers altered by the hand of the human being, who paradoxically belongs to nature. The range of classic leathers such as buffalo or horse is infused with an experimental twist that features bark-tanned leathers, laces in linen twine and finishings in burnt plastic which embody the hybrid character of the collection. The nostalgic thick sound of the shoes’ wooden heels echoing on the bare floor evoke nostalgic memories of a faded society, the one immortalized in those black and white photos from the late 900’s, suffocated by the restless pace of contemporary consumerist world. The shoes’ working process still follows the very traditional Italian techniques of shoemaking, artisanally realised in Marche with the Andrejeva’s constant involvement in each step of the production. Although the clean shoes’ design inspired to the past, details such as circular heels similar to industrial springs, broken seams on the back that resemble surgery stitches and bandanges that wrap squared heels like patches make them strikingly contemporary and innovative. In the sterile whiteness of the surrounding space, Cherevichkiotvichki’s pieces seem to reach the status of surgical tools, conveying a slightly creepy idea of ​​medical fascination.

The men’action struggles to dominate the nature, but it’s secretly affected itself as it’s influenced by the raw materials that tries to control.