Noir, nostalgia and fashion: Fearless and innovative, Alexis Bittar, NYC born and bred jewelry designer and cinematic storyteller showcased his Fall Winter Accessories Collection at his third New York Fashion Week. Bittar is a pioneer of avante garde statement pieces and intricate metalwork, ranging from crystal studded cuffs, lucite earrings, necklaces, and jewel-laden clutches. Interestingly, his parents, of Syrian and Irish descents, were antique collectors and socialist pedagogues, which clearly informed his craft. Thriving in an industry founded on perfection, he focuses on the experience of fashion, rather than surface-layer observation.
It is no wonder then that he elected to juxtapose an immersive live performance to the exhibition of his mesmerizing wearable masterpieces. His selecting the Performance Space “a haven for many queer and radical voices shut out by a repressive, monocultural mainstream and conservative government” further testifies to the subversive nature of his craft. Bewildered by how different this presentation of my favorite jewelry line was to typical New York Fashion Week shows, I had to dig further. And what I discovered are endless culture fractals both informing and being formed by his work.
For starters, what was the eerie voyeuristic performance all about?
Set in a 90’s seedy motel room, the dimly lit stage features a scantily clad but royally accessorized lone model—i.e. serial killer/ vigilante. Note: There’s a cameraman in bird-eye view, which adds yet a another layer or strange voyeurism. She frolics about, cleaning, changing clothes as the old school television blares, and then welcomes an older man whose pervy intentions invite seduction and murder. She entices then strangles. His motionless corpse ironically becomes another accessory to the model, who proceeds to lackadaisically tidy up and operate playfully.
What does it all mean?
A satirical commentary on the broken systems of gender oppression, the performance is a reenactment of his new viral mockumentary social media series: The Sexecutions of Amanda Gates, co-directed by Klimovski. Amanda Gates in the actual series is played by none other than ‘Jazelle’ or @UglyWorldwide–known for her self-deprecating attempts to artfully ‘uglify’ herself, which always backfire because she’s so hot and cool.Amanda Gates was a notorious serial killer in the 90’s who targeted male sex offenders. Her complex legacy holds up a mirror to current systems of power and sexploitation. Uglyworldwide told V magazine in their piece on this new series:
“Amanda Gates for some, is your worst nightmare, and for others, a Hero. She is a woman’s darkest thought actualized. The fear she strikes in others isn’t just through her rage, but her poise, power, and confidence,”
Bittar reaches audiences through layered storytelling, as he releases his series on Instagram through February. Equipped with faux documentary footage and mock interviews with the heroine’s Detective, Sister and mother, the mockumentary is “interspersed with spine-chilling reenactments” operating at the interstice of art, fashion and social commentary.
Where is the Jewelry again?
Remember, the model is wearing jewelry, and a signature prized clutch is exhibited on stage. Meanwhile, in the adjacent dimly lit room, are museum-like cases enclosing his statement necklaces, signature handbags, sculptural bangles and earrings. Suspended on black pedestals, the jewelry is accompanied by blaring TV’s stacked atop one another in rows—eerily digitizing evidence cards.
