"...a la recherche de Brancusi" - pure art in a complex show

(story to be published in tomorrow’s issue, April 3)

This weekend has been dominated by high quality fashion, theatre and music. On Thursday and Friday evening one of the Media Pro studios in Buftea hosted the most fascinating fashion show that has ever been accomplished in Romania: “…a la recherche de Brancusi,” conceived by Janine atefan Sarbu. Director Alexandru Darie, composer Adrian Enescu and scenographer Maria Miu also made their contribution to the show that was a perfect “merger” between fashion, theatre and music, a successful sequel of the designer’s latest performances (as they are more than simple fashion shows), “Jazz” and “Eclipse.” Novelty elements this time were music, composed especially for this occasion by Adrian Enescu, location (a very inspired choice for this particular event) and the original “search for Brancusi,” in fact harmonising the Self with the small and the large Universe. Even more than in “Jazz” or “Eclipse,” models were characters in a complex theatre performance, as the expression means were multiple, starting with the highly personalised outfits and all the way to the light used on the set. The four parts, identified by performances by three characters embodying innocence and the return to origins, were conceived as a crescendo, and the bride was chosen to solve the conflicts that arose. A combination of original moods, subtly analysed, just like in the work of Proust (whose name was not randomly summoned in the collection’s title), could be sensed in “…a la recherche de Brancusi.” The collection itself (in fact a pretext for a true theatrical performance) was based upon the four elements of nature (stone, earth, metal and fire), each of their characteristics being mirrored in the form and colour of the outfits. “The search for Brancusi,” a study on the form of garments, was an adjustment of Brancusi’s coordinates to fashion art, nonetheless remaining in the sphere of originality. The stage of the show conceived by Janine atefan Sarbu, seen as a barren land, comes to life with every step of the model-characters, with every musical accent (perfectly marked by movement), with every colour sent by spotlights. The search for perfection ends when femininity, nature and spring are found. “…a la recherche de Brancusi,” the couture collection of Janine atefan Sarbu, is much more than a simple fashion show. Without any overstatement, we can call it ART!