Some designers put together men’s and women’s collections, and a handful create one with androgyny in mind. Anthracite, designed by Jennifer Le Claire, falls into the latter. Anthracite is a paradox of a fashion line, one that, compounded with its unisex designs, is full of contradictions. In an interview, Le Claire, a fashion photographer and designer, described her line as: “Sleek, sophisticated, filthy, suggestive. Anthracite is a declaration, a statement, a truth. There is no hiding in these clothes, you are there and strong and take a stand. Anthracite is obstinate, in-discussable, it’s blatant sex and power dynamics. […] You can easily be understated and elegant, or add to your existing flamboyance and kink, or be a full-fledged warrior of your own aesthetic agenda.”
Le Claire manages all aspects of designing, from sewing, photographing, and modeling to maintaining Anthracite’s internet presence. Photography, particularly, has influenced her approach to designing. She mentioned: “Well, now that you mention it, I believe it has had an effect in details and silhouette. My newer items have more presence in pictures, a lot of them are shapelier, more geometric, whereas older items concentrate more on ‘only’ feeling good on the body in a functional way and looking good on a person.
“I definitely, in designing, have added the question: ‘Will this fill a picture, will it add to the composition on its own?’ to the process of creating clothes.”
Le Claire began designing as a child and teen – early outfits for stuffed animals progressed into altering her own clothing. Influenced by punk and Riot Grrl at the time, she began putting together her own alternative look. She explained: “I hated what the supposedly alternative industry was selling people as ‘individual’ clothing. Not only was it poorly made, it was uniform to the point exceeding membership in a subculture – it was ridiculous. At that point I decided I had to fully learn the craft of sewing, pattern making and design.”
After earning a degree and completing a few internships, Le Claire created Anthracite. Not influenced by any particular designer, Anthracite’s styles, rather, draw from, in her words, “nature, animals, artist, photographers, other creations and creators (especially those that also combine craftsmanship with aesthetic and function, like custom bicycles), architecture, cars, art, and a number of intangible feelings, ideas, politics, inspirational people, feminism, gender queerness.”
Menswear is just one of three expansions for Anthracite in the future. Fashion-wise, the next terrain for the brand may also be plus-size women’s wear. Le Claire additionally plans to do more photography for her line.
For more information on Anthracite visit, http://www.anthracite-shop.de/