Occasionally, the insiders of the fashion world become guardians of a secret
which they know must some day be relinquished. This is how we feel about the work
of Swiss native Markus Huemer, who has been showing his collection Markus Huemer: UNIT in New York since 1999. Shunning the commodification of fashion after paying his dues at the standard Seventh Avenue design houses, Huemer began a quiet and private dialogue between the object and the wearer which, over the years, has morphed into a
conversation rife with a potent yet discreet sexuality. His use of traditional
materials (jersey, corduroy, fine cottons) is juxtaposed on the human body to
reveal and conceal, creating allusions to themes as divergent as sensuality,
bondage, privacy, and dislocation. The precision of his cuts display the skills
of a gifted tailor intent on reconfiguring classic principles of tailoring. Along with a line of clothing, accessories, and bags for women, which has garnered fans as eclectic as Björk and Eve, Huemer recently launched a smaller men’s collection which is developing its own cult of die-hard devotees. Markus Huemer: UNIT is currently available at avant-garde meccas such as Seven in New York, Fidelio in Zurich, and Super Boys Market in Tokyo, but it’s only a matter of time until the pieces find their way into more mainstream boutiques. But for a little while longer, the secret is yours to keep.

-Waleed Khairzada

Photos: Markus Huemer fall ’04 by BEAUTY IS FRAGILE