Last summer, Arthur Arbesser, the Austrian designer recently appointed Iceberg’s creative director, went on holiday to the Greek island of Hydra. There he met with Polish artist Goshka Macuga, who was a Turner Prize nominee in 2008. Her installations revolve around obsessive, almost investigative historical research. In person she’s quite a quirky character, boasting an odd fashion sense—think: a ’70s Eastern bloc, bordering-on-the-derelict kind of aesthetic, with a dash of luxe vintage thrown in for good measure. Arbesser was instantly smitten.
“I like her sense of humor,” said the designer of Macuga, who inspired his first Pre-Fall collection for the brand. “The past is her canvas, from where she creates a new, modern vision. Her work is very conceptual, but she’s the funniest person, full of irony and joie de vivre. This is what I’m trying to do at Iceberg, capture its spirit of lightness and fun, yet filter it through my Nordic, more abstract sensibility.”
Iceberg, an Italian brand in need of resurrection, was quite well-known in the ’80s for its sporty, practical knitwear. A string of talented designers worked on its collections, the most remarkable being Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, a French aristocrat with a penchant for art and an obsession with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and all sorts of Disney characters, which he replicated in blown-out proportions on jumbo Technicolor sweaters. “Let’s say that Felix the Cat is not exactly my cup of tea,” said Arbesser, alluding to Iceberg’s archive. “But I do like to keep a sense of fun in the brand,” he added, pointing out a lineup of streamlined separates: fitted sweaters, tube dresses in diamond patterns and vibrant hues, and high-waisted pants with a ’70s vintage vibe. These were complemented by parkas and faux-fur coats for comfort and protection. As for Mickey, there he was, still grinning but reduced to a graphic motif on a black-and-gray-striped oversize minidress.
