Closed – Galleries and Gagarin

DownloadFrom: Godfrey Deeny

1. Alix Browne, Cecilia Dean und Kostas Murkudis

2. Berlin Gallery Weekend and the coolest Soviet of them all, Yuri Gagarin, met at the launch of a new capsule by hipster label Closed. Somewhat appropriately it was entitled Skywalk; somewhat, as Yuri did not actually ever complete such a stroll.
   
   Still, the inspiration certainly worked – as Closed presented a cool, new choice of outfits for men or women, where both selections could comfortably fit into two custom-made garment bags.
   
   Designed by Closed’s recently appointed creative director Kostas Murkudis, many of the looks came in an ethereal petrol blue, inspired by Gagarin’s comment on his first vista from outer space his Vostok capsule that, “Earth was a delicate shade of blue.”
   
   

3. Closed Skywalk

4. What worked best in the Skywalk wardrobe were the thoroughly dandy, high-collar Blade Runner spy coats, racy aviator overalls, suavely cut double zip sweatshirts, sleek motorbike pants and fine T-shirts with a smooth dry hand. All very plausible, and with just enough urban twist to be eye-catching.
   
   Murkudis teamed up with his old buddy, artist Carsten Nicolai, who composed a special video named – somewhat oddly - future past perfect pt. 04 (stratus). It turned out to be a moody view of thick clouds that faintly recalled Cosmonaut Gagarin’s historic orbit.
   
   “Skywalk’s been designed for the new modern nomad,” Kostas told Achtung in the Closed pop-up gallery on Potsdamer Straße.
   
   On April 1962, Gagarin became the first human to enter outer space and orbit our planet. The flight made the Russian a worldwide celebrity overnight, leading him to spend the next several years touring everywhere from Italy and Germany to Egypt and Britain as a propagandist extolling the virtues of the Soviet Union and its scientific successes. You could easily imagine Gagarin wearing this collection on his travels, seeing he was such a rugged individualist. Yuri can even boast probably the greatest single heroic statue of the 20th century, a 35-meter tall cast titanium super hero monument, which still lures tourists today in Moscow. Eat your heart out Thierry Mugler.
   
   Greek-born designer Murkudis also presented his first main Closed collection, fall 2014 women’s clothes, notable for a series of great padded biker jerkins in a range of materials – from tough nylon to charming worn suede lambskin.
   
   “I’m really want to get my hands on the men’s collection next. Really want to,” explained Murkudis.
   
   Closed staged the dual event in a pop-up gallery in an adjacent building which houses his brother Andreas famed temple, 1,000 square-meter temple of good taste and distinctive lifestyle design, apparel, high jewelry and photography products. Crowds thronged to both spaces. This weekend, it all felt rather center of the universe.
   
   Famed for making the best wearing and most attitudinal skinny jeans in the world of denim, Closed clearly wants to up its game into a fully-fledged lifestyle brand. It’s two-pronged fashion assault and vernissage on the most-visited Berlin Gallery Weekend suggests that it is very much on the correct flight path.
   
   

5. Closed Skywalk 2 -- all photos courtesy of Closed