For autumn/winter 2010, Antonio Azzuolo at a.a. drew some of the collection’s inspiration from the Hutterites.The Hutterites are a communal religious group who find their origins in the 16th-century Reformation.
Tracing their roots to the radical Christian leader Jacob Hutter (1500-1536) of Tyrol, the Hutterites sprung up in Tyrolean Austria.
Pacifistic and communal, the Hutterites are Anabaptists, closely related to the Amish and Mennonites.
Eventually, the Hutterites spread to Moravia, Transylvania, Ukraine, and Russia. Finally in 1874, they found their way to North America.
Hutterites set themselves apart from mainstream society in many ways, one of which is their clothing.
Besides separation and difference, Hutterite clothing stands for equality and cohesiveness.
Hutterite men wear dark clothing to symbolize modesty. Belts are not allowed; pants are held up by suspenders. Simplicity is imperative; deviance is unpermitted.
Photo Jacob Hutter, Public Domain at Wikipedia.
