Matti Nives, the artistic director of We Jazz has tried his wings in the sphere of fashion by designing a collection of knitwear. Jazz and fashion will come together at Ääniwalli on 13 November in a launch show where Timo Lassy Fashion Quartet provides the most stylish tunes of this fall/winter. Maria Veitola hosts.
The second pre-event for We Jazz 2014, the week-long jazz invasion taking place in Helsinki this December, the Nivesknits launch show will see the unlikely union of jazz and knitwear. Nivesknits Fall/Winter is a unique collection, designed by Matti Nives, the artistic director of We Jazz. The knitwear will be taken to the runway to the beat of an equally stylish jazz quartet, namely the aptly named Timo Lassy Fashion Quartet. The top-class sax player has founded the group especially for the present occasion. DJ brotherhood We Jazz DJs who usually treat the audience to their warm vinyl delicatessen at Kuudes Linja, will prepare a classy selection for the event, too.
Nivesknits Fall/Winter 14-15 presents graphic design in a surprising format. “The project was initiated when I got the idea to use knitwear as a medium for graphic design”, says Nives who is in charge of the visual outlook of the We Jazz event. “The organic material intrigues me and this collection was created also with the We Jazz event in mind. The collection will set the pattern for the visual outlook of the event with its colour palette and textures. My mentor has been Rimma Gimpel, who has also brought my designs to life.”
The collection consists of a sweater, two jumpers (one for ladies, one for men), knitted shorts, vest and two scarves, each piece unique. Recurring patterns are triangles and their motion, playful colours and asymmetry. Graphic design shows in this perkily colourful collection above all in the details and the overarching thematics.
The Fashion Quartet, assembled by Lassy, is a group of A-listing Finnish jazzers. Georgios Kontrafouris, Lassy’s trusted bandmate from several projects, will be seen at the wurlizer, on the bass a hungry young lion, Teemu Åkerblom, and on the drums Jaska Lukkarinen, known for his own trio and from the hot dance jazz combo Dalindèo.
“It’s good to know that Timo’s group has some potential in modelling that might be made use of. For we have been thinking about alternatives for the traditional catwalk model when it comes to presenting the collection”, Nives explains. Lassy has been recently on the lips of fans of arts and music on account of his newest album Live With Lassy and of composing music for the film Moomins on the Riviera. He is currently working on a new album due to be released next year.
The Nivesknits launch show will be hosted by Maria Veitola of Radio Helsinki, recently awarded in the Musiikki & Media event as the Programme Director of the Year. Radio Helsinki was selected as the Radio of the Year in the same gala.
This premiere of these groovy knits is the second pre-event for the upcoming second edition of the We Jazz 2014 event, organised 8 – 13 December. The event will take place around Helsinki at seven different venues, presenting both Finnish and international top jazz. Part of the programme consists of a number of commissioned works that challenge the traditional concept of the jazz concert. The event is organised by the Helsinki-based creative office We Jazz Oy.
We Jazz 2014 Preview #2: Nivesknits Fall/Winter 14-15
Thu 13 Nov at 7:00 at Ääniwalli
Nivesknits: Fall/Winter 14-15
Timo Lassy Fashion Quartet
Tickets 13,50 € (+ additional fees), pre-tickets: Tiketti
With We Jazz 2014 season ticket free entry
TIMO LASSY FASHION QUARTET
Timo Lassy, sax/ Georgios Kontrafouris, wurlitzer piano / Teemu Åkerblom, bass / Jaska Lukkarinen, drums
http://facebook.com/nivesknits
http://www.timolassy.com
http://facebook.com/wejazz
http://wejazz.fi/2014