“Here in Colombia, it’s gold and war,” Laura Laurens told OC. “I wanted to put those ideas in the same territory.” Take a look at the Bogotá-based designer's latest collection, new this season to Opening Ceremony, and you’ll see both of those politically-charged themes. War can be seen in the dark, durable military fabrics, made in actual army-owned factories, while each piece has been painted with thick, gold-foil brushstrokes.
All together, the collection is a work of abstract expressionism. Which makes sense, because Laurens is first and foremost an artist, and she approaches design with an artist’s sensibility. “I’m not a fashion designer,” she said. “I started as an artist and then by mistake I ended up doing clothes.” It makes her something of an anomaly in a world where designers often attend fashion-focused colleges, then proceed to internships, only later developing their own collection.
Laurens carries that unusual perspective into the design process. “The way I approach every collection is from the concept. It’s not from a trend. I always start like an artist. I say, 'Okay I’m going to start with this fabric. Okay, I want to transform this fabric.' I create the universe.”
Another special signature of Laurens’ dresses, jackets, skirts, and overalls are the gathered bunches of fabric that almost look like black flowers. “It’s presenting the conflict in another way,” Laurens said, “a process of reconciliation in the fabric. Clothes are a language without words so if you go deeper into the concept of those clothes, they are talking about a history, a people, a country.”
The designer's own fashion story begins with dance. “I used to dance ballet, and we made our own costumes—tutus—that’s why I was always in contact with fabric, from performance. That’s where I learned about patterning and cuts. I learned to pattern directly on your body. The way I approach the body—it’s dimensional.”
What kind of real, dimensional person does she imagine wearing her clothes? “The kind of woman that's beautiful, but not an evident beauty. You have to look at them and take your time.” Laurens’ clothes are evidently beautiful. But the more you know about their story, the more beautiful they become.
Shop all Laura Laurens here
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Long-Sleeve Cropped Top in black/gold
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Overalls in black
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Draped Sides Long-Sleeve Dress in black
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Big Pocket Skirt in black
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All together, the collection is a work of abstract expressionism. Which makes sense, because Laurens is first and foremost an artist, and she approaches design with an artist’s sensibility. “I’m not a fashion designer,” she said. “I started as an artist and then by mistake I ended up doing clothes.” It makes her something of an anomaly in a world where designers often attend fashion-focused colleges, then proceed to internships, only later developing their own collection.
Laurens carries that unusual perspective into the design process. “The way I approach every collection is from the concept. It’s not from a trend. I always start like an artist. I say, 'Okay I’m going to start with this fabric. Okay, I want to transform this fabric.' I create the universe.”
Another special signature of Laurens’ dresses, jackets, skirts, and overalls are the gathered bunches of fabric that almost look like black flowers. “It’s presenting the conflict in another way,” Laurens said, “a process of reconciliation in the fabric. Clothes are a language without words so if you go deeper into the concept of those clothes, they are talking about a history, a people, a country.”
The designer's own fashion story begins with dance. “I used to dance ballet, and we made our own costumes—tutus—that’s why I was always in contact with fabric, from performance. That’s where I learned about patterning and cuts. I learned to pattern directly on your body. The way I approach the body—it’s dimensional.”
What kind of real, dimensional person does she imagine wearing her clothes? “The kind of woman that's beautiful, but not an evident beauty. You have to look at them and take your time.” Laurens’ clothes are evidently beautiful. But the more you know about their story, the more beautiful they become.
Shop all Laura Laurens here
Long-Sleeve Cropped Top in black/gold
Overalls in black 
Draped Sides Long-Sleeve Dress in black
Big Pocket Skirt in black 