Posted February 15, 2011
Fashion Designer Kinga Horvath meets the
BMW Motorrad Concept C Scooter
There is no doubting that BMW Motorrad's Concept C study is way ahead of its
time, with its futuristic, sports styling and unique technical possibilities,
but as these special pictures from top fashion photographer Markus Hofmann
show, it wouldn't look out of place in a scene from a science-fiction movie,
set at some point in our future.
Captured against the bright lights of a cityscape backdrop, the Concept C
looks as if it is from another world, as does the sharply-dressed model rider,
beautifully dressed to impress with some unique couture by Munich-based Hungarian
fashion designer Kinga Horvath, who clearly looked to the future for inspiration
for her latest creation.
Horvath's first contact with the Concept C's futuristic looks was enough to
conjure up ideas of a sci-fi nature, which quickly translated into several
unique designs. She explains the reasoning and inspiration behind these latest
styles.
"I was instantly smitten with the idea of the 'future', especially because
you don't often get the opportunity to work with this topic, so lots of ideas
came to my mind when I thought about it. In the beginning I couldn't imagine
what a new BMW 'scooter' would look like, but when I first saw the first pictures,
I instantly fell in love with the design and colours. The BMW's silver, black
and blue colour scheme was a perfect match for how I wanted to plan my 'Conception
C' clothing."
It
wasn't difficult to find the inspiration for this topic and the Munich-based
fashion designer's key influences came from the Silver Screen. In order to
really tune into the genre, she watched science-fiction blockbusters such as
Star Wars, Star Trek and Avatar but also cult movie classics like Tron. Inspired
by these iconic films, she took notes and began the creative process required
to fashion the kind of clothes that wouldn't look out of place on a film set - or behind the controls of the Concept C.
"The most important thing about the realization of these clothes was to find
the right fabric," said Kinga. "On one hand the outfits had to be racy and
comfortable but also needed to look elegant and simple. Conversely, they also
had to be tough and hard-wearing, so as you can imagine it wasn't easy finding
the right cloth, but in the end I found the perfect one to match my ideas,
so I set to work to bring these outfits to life."
Kinga decided to use the classic black colour scheme for her selection of
clothing, as the understated elegance matches the BMW Motorrad powered two-wheeler
and always looks good. Reflective piping in the clothing makes a safety statement
and a strong connection between the rider and machine. Removable sleeves and
the incorporation of body armour into the overall look – borrowed from a motorcycle
dealer in Munich – shows that an element of protection doesn't have to be at
the expense of style, as Kinga believes that fashion-conscious owners of the
future will want to look as good – and feel as safe – as the machines that
they are riding.
"The Concept C scooter gives us a glimpse of the future and the coming urban
lifestyle, and this was also my intention in designing these clothes. Tomorrow's
women will be just as eager to look their best, and these two finished outfits
give an interpretation of what is possible. Of course, we don't know exactly
what our personal transportation needs will be, but one thing is for sure –
in 10 or 20 years the cities will be too crowded with cars, so more and more
people will choose to get around on scooters, whether to go shopping, go to
a party or just to commute to the office. Women will always want to look elegant
and that's why I've created these unique outfits. No woman wants a 'hand-me-down',
off-the-peg dress to wear; they want something made just for them that looks
great and makes them feel special."
Capturing this ultramodern look behind the lens was top photographer Markus
Hofmann, whose job it was to 'fuse' the bespoke outfits with the BMW Motorrad
Concept C design study and provide the kind of environment that would reflect
a possible lifestyle and look of the future.
"The Concept C is a dream to photograph and you don't often get the chance
to take pictures of a scooter like this," he said. "The fantastic city backdrop
was specially generated for the presentation of BMW Motorrad's Concept C study
by the international advertising agency Serviceplan and gives an impression
of a city of the future, much like the 1927 German science-fiction expressionist
film Metropolis. Thanks to the Concept C, Kinga's designs and the unique looks
of model Erin, this vision of the future suggests that we have much to look
forward to."
Credits:
Photography: Markus Hofmann (www.white-photo.com)
Model: Erin (www.louisa-models.de)
Styling: Kinga Horvath (www.kingahorvath.de)
Hair & Make Up: John Elliott (www.artistgroupmierau.com)
Photo Assistant: Petra Höglmeier
Retouching / Composing: Viviane Bonnefond