The merchandise collection for the musician’s latest album A CALL TO ARMS comes in collaboration with Heliot Emil
Electronic artist Visionist and regular collaborator Peter De Potter have teamed up with Heliot Emil on a new capsule collection. Featuring three hoodies and three T-shirts, the collection is an extension of the artwork made for Visionist’s recent album A Call to Arms, a soundscape built from the musician’s objection to what he calls a “daydream-society”.
The images that form the basis of the collection began life as a project with De Potter, ostensibly to create artwork for the new album but they also provided something for Visionist, real name Louis Carnell, to focus on during a time when he was feeling adrift. After retreating to his grandmother’s house on the outskirts of Nottingham last March as the pandemic took hold, Carnell found himself in a liminal state of mind. “Suddenly I was in what felt like a false reality, having to reside in a place that had given me so much peace, but unable to not be fixated on this new scary unknown,” he says. “Working on the images with Peter presented escapism, a focus away, a determination to achieve and adapt.”
Overcoming barriers of geography, the two collaborated long-distance on the project with Carnell taking self-portraits and still-life images on his phone, which were then transformed by De Potter into the final juxtaposed compositions, at the same time jarring and weirdly fitting. “My music spoke of hope beyond and a strength to unwelcome thoughts so that was the focus and where the juxtaposition came into play,” explains Carnell. “A Call to Arms isn’t just a battle cry but also a signal for embrace and of trust.”
The evolution into fashion was a natural next step for the pair who both have ties to the industry. De Potter has worked prolifically with Raf Simons while Carnell has modelled for the likes of Per Götesson and scored the Autumn/Winter 2020 catwalk for Heliot Emil. It was Heliot Emil who they turned to help bring the collaboration to sartorial life. Elevating the traditional concept of music merchandise, the collection isn’t just a subsidiary of the album but an extension of both the record and Carnell himself. “I use fashion as a reflection of my state,” he says. “I’m a bit of an introspective introvert and find myself on the periphery of groups. I present music and imagery, and create products, all in order to connect.”
The Visionist x Peter De Potter x Heliot Emil collection is available on Visionist’s website as well as Heliot Emil’s.
