Profiles: Chris Grech — “Style as Narrative”
Chris Grech (@chrisgrech), rocks the escobar drip/grungy heroin-chic rockstar/mediterranean vibe looks effortlessly. There’s careful choice and thought that goes into the outfits that he creates.
Browse through his feed and you’ll see a story being told about who he is. There’s a sharp sense of aesthetic that has been developed and honed throughout the years.
Apparel and Attire sat down to chat about narratives in style, how aesthetic intersects with everyday life as a soon-to be architect and more.
Lets talk about style. How do you describe yours?
Style wise, I’m really into the colour black (I’m going to become an architect in a few months after all) and Hedi Slimane’s whole rockstar look, although lately I have been deviating away from that because I’ve grown bored of it.
I still think black will always be a mainstay in my wardrobe as that’s the colour that makes me feel most comfortable, and the idea of this tailored, sharp, slightly more grown up, rocker character (think Haider Ackermann’s Berluti as opposed to a grungier take by Slimane) will always remain — although it’s not the only character I’m drawn to now.
I’d also describe my style as quite seasonal now. Before I was very stubborn that I had to have a consistent “look” throughout the whole year, but slowly I’m starting to realise that “real style” is being able to adapt and dress for one’s own context (weather and place) and social situations, effortlessly.
What have you been experimenting with lately?
I’m finally embracing my Mediterranean background (I’m Maltese), especially in the hot summer months, so now I’m pulling from more sources of inspiration— the music I listen to, the colours of the environments around me, the way other Mediterranean cultures have approached dressing for similar weather/contexts, and how other designers have been inspired by this context — I find this all deeply fascinating.
TL;DR version: I’d describe my style as a more sophisticated, tailored take on a rockstar character in the winter (think Haider’s Berluti), and as a (wannabe) 70s Colombian drug lord in the summer.
So where does this all come from? How does this tie in with your work?
I think it has to do a lot with my background and the career I have chosen.
Architecture school has taught me a lot about proportion, silhouette, material, texture, detail, and colour — all of which are also applicable to other creative fields, including fashion. The principles are the same, it’s just that architecture is static, while fashion is dynamic because there’s movement — that’s where draping and how fabrics hang off the body come into play.
I believe there’s also an element of “storytelling” involved in both as well. In architecture, we create spaces that would become buildings so that a certain narrative or story can happen within. In fashion, there’s also this element of narrative — collections often have a theme in which the clothes are a snapshot of the world that the designer is creating.
So in a way, being a designer is essentially the art of world building, conveying a certain mood/atmosphere, and most importantly, being able to realise and tell these stories.That’s why in a lot of my fit pics, the outfit is almost secondary to the background. I’m more interested in conveying a particular atmosphere where the outfit and background work together to create a cohesive story.
What inspires your devotion to aesthetic narrative?
I have always been fascinated and attracted to good design and aesthetics. Granted, I’m going to graduate as an architect, but buildings aren’t the only thing I want to do — furniture, interiors, graphic design and (of course) even fashion are all things that I’d be interested in creating.
Honestly, I think in this life, as long as I’m creating beautiful things, I’m happy.
How do you see your wardrobe changing?
I see my style as an evolution, rather than a revolution. What this means is that at its core, my general sense of style and aesthetic hasn’t changed that drastically over the years. All I’ve been doing is a continuous process of refinement and tweaking. Sure, tastes evolve over the years but I think that the overall direction has remained (mostly) the same.
For me, fashion is less about the end result, but more about the process or journey of getting there. If I had to pick one word to describe my end goal in all of this, it would be “effortless”. So the idea of refining one’s style until you could pretty much reach for whatever without much thought, and you’d know you’ll look good regardless. I find that concept very attractive.
I think one of the most notable lessons that I learned along the way, was to start appreciating all sorts of fits and silhouettes.
My attitude is more relaxed now, and I understand that skinny fit is not the answer to everything. A direct consequence of this is that nowadays, I tend to reach for trousers instead of skinny jeans when going out because I think the silhouette is much more flattering and interesting (especially if pleats are involved). Not to mention that they’re also way more comfortable, especially in the summer months.
Another exercise that I’ve been doing over these last two years or so is “upgrading” to more luxurious takes on casual pieces. Take for example, a velvet blazer. I know very well that my lifestyle does not allow for me to justify such a purchase, because I simply don’t have the time nor places to wear it. On the other hand, I’m much more interested in say, a velvet bomber or a trucker jacket instead, since my lifestyle is more casual so it would definitely be enjoyed on a regular basis. I’m very interested in elevated takes of more casual garments, and I can see myself continuing down this route for a while.
…oh, and boots. One could never own too many boots
How will you take your sense of aesthetic and design all these types of things?
I think my sense of aesthetic that I have “curated” for myself over the years has been similar to one long, ongoing research. The funny thing is that, in hindsight, I seem to be attracted to things that in some shape or form, have existed (and hardly changed) in this world for many, many years. Fashion is the most obvious example as a lot of it is recycling old ideas from the past; architecture is similar, although on a much slower cycle since buildings take time to build!
Just like in fashion, when it comes to design I tend to take inspiration from multiple different sources. I’m a firm believer in not reinventing the wheel — I have very little interest in novelty for novelty’s sake, because there is so much “old” design that is beautiful and just works already. Older people, older fashions, older buildings… older stuff excites me. So what I like to do is get inspiration from what has come before, and present it with my own vision (or narrative) for a more “contemporary” audience — for our times. I think this element of translation is necessary and important, because otherwise it would simply be copy and pasting — I believe there needs to be some original input or contribution from the designer.
Style isn’t just about the visuals. There are stories being conveyed by how you dress and conduct yourself.
Choosing and building your aesthetic is one way to craft your story.
What are you conveying? What kind of story do you want to tell?
