Menswear Special: Serum Versus Venom- An interview with David Gensler
Brooklyn-based fashion brand, Serum Versus Venom (SVSV) returns this summer with in full force in celebration of the brands new vision. Created in 2003, Servum vs Venom has been engaged in a long-term study on the interconnectedness of craft and utility focused on the pursuit of creating a new luxury. Seven Halos spoke with photographer, designer, and Founder David Gensler about his brand and the future of SVSV.
It is about balance. You can’t have good without evil, light without darkness, happiness without sadness…the meaning also changes for me as I evolve and grow personally.
These days it is about our attack on blind mass consumerism and our struggle to engage an industry that is very set in its ways.
What is the inspiration behind this season’s collection? To clarify, we are not on a seasonal calendar. We are in a constant state of design, production and development. Our in-house factory serves as a laboratory. We have 15 highly skilled craftspeople to help turn a concept into reality almost overnight. My inspiration is the same it has always been, “Collisions.”
I enjoy taking fabrics and materials meant for other applications or styles and exploring ways they can be used.
What direction do you see menswear going in the coming seasons and how do you feel Serum Versus Venom will play a role in this? I think the American workwear trend will wane. I would like to see people exploring the future again – venturing into the unknown, versus being trapped in the prison of nostalgia.
I can appreciate the quality and craftsmanship of most workwear – but why copy it? Why not dream about how most people work in our common era and design workwear with modern specifications in mind.
Can we expect to see any women’s wear in the near future? Yes. The brand started with mens and women’s in 2003 & 4 and only recently we focused on men’s. We did so for no other reason than to push ourselves on each garment – not an entire, traditional collection.
I will hopefully begin showing a few designs in late August, early September. I want to collide softness and beauty, with the pending threat of the apocalypse.
Tell us a little bit about yourself, how did you get your start in the fashion world? I started out as a photographer, which was great because it was pre-digital era and I had a chance to master the old craft of photography. This plays a big roll in how I approach design today.
I then shifted into industrial design and advertising, then marketing and strategy. The common thread between the disciplines has been an obsession with craft and taking your time to build things that are sustainable – not “trending.” I was also a strong admirer of fashion designers and wanted to express my own viewpoints. I was working with a large hip hop company that also did fashion and when I left to start The KDU, I just jumped right in and started SVSV. I have had the chance to learn from some amazing people that are truly masters of the craft of fashion. I also view each garment as an object, not just another shirt or jacket or pant – I think this shifts the focus to utility and function over just hollow style.
So, we here at Seven Halos know why the brand is awesome, but let the people know why they should think the same. WOW! thank you. I am not sure how to answer, so maybe we can take a wide angle stance… our modern age is a congested place. It has a density that has never been seen before -moving rapidly and consuming everything in sight. As we are pulled into this system, attempt to slow down and ask questions. Why is this jacket or these shoes so expensive? Are you paying for a brand name or true quality? Who actually made this object? Were they paid well to make it? The digital reality we all live in has a funny way of allowing simulations to exist as tangible realities – I think it is smart to support things that have no fear to walk a different path in an attempt to create real value. All of our products are designed, patterned, cut, sewn and finished here in Brooklyn NY. We know everyone that actually makes the garments – a very rare reality in an industry that is concerned only with cutting costs, not producing quality.
_____________
Special thanks to David for sitting with us to chat for a minute 
Below are some images from David’s latest collaboration with the L.A.-based artist, Victor Antonio featuring designs from Servum Versus Venom.
PS:Did we mention David was an amazing photographer? He is the mastermind behind the lens for most of the images you see below
To learn more about SVSV,contact general@serumvenom.
And visit : SERUM VERSUS VENOM
[...] Fellow fashion blog Seven Halos sits down for an exclusive interview with Serum Versus Venom founder, David Gensler. They cover topics of how the brand name came about, inspiration, and what’s to come in the near future. For the complete Q&A, check it out at SevenHalos.com [...]
Apaprnelty this is what the esteemed Willis was talkin’ ’bout.