With influences that include the films of David Cronenberg—who, for those unfamiliar, also goes by the "King of Venereal Horror" or the "Baron of Blood"—it's no wonder that Trang Chau's vision for Le Sang Des Betes is a little, well, dark. Lucky for us, the dark side never fails to intrigue.

The label—which translates literally as "the blood of beasts" and is a favorite of indie girls like Kate Nash—was conceived in 2007 as an evolution of Chau's multi-talents: sculpture—in which she earned her BFA—as well as film, architecture and costume design. "I really see making clothes like object making or sculpting. I approach everything three dimensionally; considering every detail and angle of each piece, letting the material guide me through the design process."

For her fall effort, entitled "Aborigine" for a return to the origins of design, this New Garde alum used a compass to draw arcs and circles mimicking the vaulted ceilings of 18th century Gothic cathedrals, which mesmerized her on a recent trip to France. Her acute eye for fit and structure manifest in the sharply-cut geometric shapes, curved lines and simple seams of her dresses, jackets and jumpers, in a mostly black and white palette; each piece possesses enough style and mystique to be the anchoring point of any outfit.

Citing Christiane in George Franju's 1959 film "Eyes Without A Face", Chau envisions her muse: "She's very delicate yet with a very dark past and life; a modern girl who is feminine but with a dark edge. I really like that dichotomy of soft and hard." What results is a collection as futuristic as it is '80s New Wave—try something on and see if you can resist the urge to dance to old New Order videos, we dare you.

And on the DL: celeb stylist Arianne Phillips recently scooped up a few of Chau's pieces when she dropped by the Gen Art New Garde showcase at Silverlake's A+R for the Divine Miss M. As in Madonna. As in, it doesn't get any cooler than that!

For information or to purchase online, visit www.lesangdesbetes.com.

- Caroline Stanley

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Similar Topics:fall 2008, fashion, New Garde, shopping, Styles 2008

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