Hasta La Ideas

Photographer Luis Gispert’s book and exhibit exploring the subculture of custom counterfeit fashion

Artistic jack-of-all-trades, Luis Gispert’s work spans a variety of topics, but his pieces exploring cultural relationships and our near divine connection with consumerism have made him a standout over the last decade. In the last two years Gispert uncovered a niche subculture within the world of custom automotive interiors. After stumbling across a small group of people who deck out their cars with faux fashion logos and fabrics, he started documenting the wild one-off installations and bizarre use of fraudulent iconography in a variety of forms.

In his upcoming show “Decepción,” at the Mary Boone Gallery, Gispert will showcase his imagery focusing on this elusive counterfeit fashion culture, timed to help kick off NYC Fashion week. The collection, which extends beyond cars into clothing, bags and other accessories, nicely parallels the blown-out extravagance of fashion’s biggest month by peeking inside a similarly elusive world filled with eccentric characters.

The images (some pictured are exclusives to Cool Hunting) will also appear in a yet-to-be-titled book due out later this year in which Gispert further documents this obsession with brands and their associated logos. A far cry from the counterfeit bags available on the streets of most modern metropolises, Gispert’s imagery digs deeper into the phenomenon, giving rise to questions of indulgence, desire and status.

At first glance the characters in Gispert’s pictures seem almost comical, the unusual nature of their actions overshadowing their humanity. But after considering the lengths to which these individuals went to achieve their goals, they become consistently more charming. Their idiosyncrasies burst forth from their garb, a testament to the innovation of the human spirit.

The show opens Thursday, 8 September 2011 and runs through 22 October 2011. Keep an eye out for Gispert’s book coming later this year from Ohwow.