The Price of Desire LOOK01
Look composition:
White jersey long-sleeve top with black trompe-l’œil screen print, black wool waistcoat, wide pleated houndstooth trousers with buttoned hem detail.
Styling:
Silver chatelaine.
Analysis:
Look 01 explores the desire for self-realization within the tension between idealism and economic reality. The look presents a dreamer who possesses clear goals and aspirations, yet remains aware of the material conditions under which these dreams exist. The dream is present, but it is not detached from everyday life.
The central design element is a white jersey longsleeve featuring a black trompe-l’œil screen print. The print depicts the lacing of a historical military jacket, but only as an image. The lacing has no functional meaning; it does not physically structure the body but exists merely as a visual reference. In this way, the reference is detached from its original function and shifted onto a symbolic level.
The execution as a screen print on jersey further reinforces this effect. Jersey is a modern, soft material associated with everyday wear, physical comfort, and the present. The military reference is not worn but remembered it appears like a familiar image that still exists, yet has already lost much of its substance. The order it once represented is no longer binding; it survives only as an idea.
At the same time, the use of trompe-l’œil refers to the act of dreaming itself. The motif is deliberately artificial and slightly disorienting, as it depicts something that does not physically exist. This surreal shift is not meant to express an inner conflict, but rather to point toward the dreams of the person portrayed. Dreams do not operate according to logic; they present images, fragments, and projections. The print follows precisely this principle.
The former physical constriction of the body fades into a print on cotton like a relic of the past. The dreamer sets aside the military jacket and begins the pursuit of his dream.
As a defining styling element, a silver chatelaine purse is used. It represents ownership, responsibility, and financial reality. Within the context of this look, it symbolizes the economic pressure that accompanies the young dreamer. Despite his goals and ideals, he is confronted with material concerns. The dream exists, yet it is tied to conditions and comes at a price.
The Price of Desire depicts a state in which dreaming and reality exist simultaneously. The look visualizes an awareness of personal ambitions without anticipating their fulfillment. It suggests that dreams often begin where order and everyday life end—yet not without leaving reality entirely behind.
The Cut LOOK02
Look composition:
Grey wool asymmetrical houndstooth coat, black wool wide pleated trousers.
Styling:
Hair braid aiguillette, functional clock buttons, silver scissors.
Analysis:
Look 02 The Cut addresses the state that follows a break with inherited structures and expectations. The dreamer has consciously detached himself from familiar systems and traditional values he has “cut off the old braids.” What follows is not a moment of relief, but a phase of disorientation in which the stability and security of the past are gone, while new structures have not yet been established.
The central design element is an asymmetrical coat made of grey wool with a houndstooth pattern. The asymmetry runs throughout the entire garment: one side is shorter and references classic military uniforms with clear lines and a chest pocket, while the other side falls longer and features two coat pockets arranged one above the other. This formal imbalance points to a state of disequilibrium. The coat appears fragmented and refuses a clear order a reflection of the young dreamer’s situation after the break has taken place. A single epaulette is placed on the shoulder, deliberately asymmetrical. It references military dress but loses its original function through its isolated use. The reference appears as a remnant of a once-familiar system that no longer provides support. Order is still visible, but it is no longer binding. The break with the past becomes especially evident through the aiguillette made of braided blonde hair. Its form and placement are inspired by the military shoulder cord, yet the material completely contradicts this reference. The cut braid already hangs from the shoulder the act of separation has already been completed. Hair stands for physicality and personal history; as a severed braid, it becomes a visible sign of detachment from tradition and inherited expectations.
A pair of silver scissors rests in the hand. It is no longer used actively but instead refers retrospectively to the cut that has already taken place. Here, the scissors symbolize less the moment of decision than its consequences: the young dreamer now finds himself in a state after the separation, where former certainties no longer apply.
This condition creates a sense of temporal pressure, which manifests itself in the coat’s buttons, designed as functioning small clocks. Time becomes visible and wearable. The clocks refer to expectation and urgency: without the stability of the past, there arises a feeling that one must now achieve one’s goals more quickly. At the same time, they introduce a surreal layer. In dreams, time behaves illogically it accelerates or stands still.
The clock is thus removed from its purely rational function and placed within a dreamlike context.
The Cut depicts a state after liberation. The young dreamer is free from old structures, yet still without new support. Between departure and disorientation, a field of tension emerges in which time, doubt, and the will for self-realization are simultaneously at work.
The First Doubt LOOK03
Look composition:
Black wool jacket with front closure and asymmetrical pockets, black denim jeans with soutache braids and coated finish.
Styling:
Charivari.
Analysis:
Look 03 explores the belief in order, structure, and established systems. The look presents a dreamer who consciously orients himself toward familiar rules and seeks stability within them. In contrast to other states within the collection, the desire for change remains quiet and restrained here.
Security and orientation take precedence.
The central garment is a black wool jacket formally inspired by military uniform clothing. Shoulder epaulettes, clear lines, and functional details refer to discipline, structure, and belonging. At the same time, the jacket contains a deliberately introduced yet very subtle detail: the asymmetrical pocket arrangement. While uniforms have historically been almost always designed symmetrically, here one side features a pocket with a flap, while
the other side has only a slit pocket. This small disruption becomes visible only upon closer observation.
It is precisely this subtlety that is essential to the meaning of the look. Outwardly, the order still appears intact, yet it already shows the first signs of disturbance. The young dreamer does not openly question the system but begins internally to perceive its rigidity. The deviation remains minimal and controlled—it is more a thought than an action.
The black jeans reinforce this break. Denim is a material historically not associated with military contexts and instead represents everyday life, labor, and the present. In addition, a soutache braid is sewn onto the trousers, a decorative element traditionally used on military jackets rather than on pants. Through this displacement, the decorative detail is removed from its original context and reinterpreted. The coating of the trousers further emphasizes their contemporary character and distances the garment even more from historical uniform clothing.
As a styling element, a charivari is used. Historically known as jewelry, a trophy object, and a good-luck charm, it is worn here for the latter reason.
It is meant to bring the dreamer luck on his path toward fulfilling his dream.
The First Doubt depicts a state of holding on. The dreamer still believes in order and systems because they provide orientation. At the same time, small deviations suggest that this belief is no longer entirely unquestioned. The look visualizes a moment of inner loyalty in which doubt already exists but has not yet found a visible expression.
The weight of becoming LOOK04
Look composition:
Grey fitted jersey zip hoodie with pleated volume sleeves, layered skirt in heavy cotton and silk.
Styling:
Silver charivari, Round silver brooch.
Analysis:
Look 04 addresses the pressure that accompanies the process of becoming. The look presents a dreamer who has already begun to actively engage with his goals and to take responsibility for his own dream. This state is marked by doubt, as well as by the burden of continuing consistently along the chosen path.
The central design element is the voluminous sleeves of the grey zip hoodie, formally inspired by historical gigot sleeves (leg-of-mutton sleeves). The pronounced volume in the shoulder area appears almost like a physical weight and refers to the inner pressure the young dreamer places upon himself. The desire to realize one’s dream is not portrayed here as light or romantic, but as something that carries weight and must be borne.
The historical sleeve reference is deliberately translated into a contemporary context. The hoodie is made of jersey, a modern, soft, and elastic material associated with everyday life and the present. The combination of a close-fitting silhouette and exaggerated volume creates a tension between control and overwhelm. The zipper and ribbed cuffs firmly anchor the garment in contemporary casual wear and prevent it from being interpreted as historical costume.
A charivari is worn on the hoodie, attached not to the trousers as traditionally, but to the chest area. This deliberate repositioning removes the object from its original context. Within this look, the charivari functions as a personal companion on the path toward achieving one’s goals. Historically often worn as a good-luck charm or trophy object, it here refers to the desire for support and protection within an uncertain process—a talisman meant to assist in the fulfillment of the dream.
The styling is complemented by a round silver brooch that appears as a quiet, almost understated element. It further concentrates attention on the upper body and reinforces the theme of carrying and enduring. The accessories do not appear decorative but rather function within the narrative of the look.
The white gloves, which are merely powdered onto the skin, function as a surrealist trompe-l’œil. They suggest protection and control without actually existing, pointing to the fragile balance between outward composure and inner uncertainty. As a consciously artificial detail, they dissolve the boundary between body and garment and intensify the sense of exposure within the process of becoming.
The Weight of Becoming depicts a state in which the dream is no longer only imagined or believed in, but must be actively pursued.
The look visualizes the moment in which responsibility becomes tangible and the path toward self-realization begins to grow heavy. The young dreamer carries this burden consciously—not as a sign of failure, but as a necessary consequence of his own ambition.
Almost in Command LOOK05
Look composition:
Black wool zip jacket with double-button closure and adjustable collar, white knickerbocker trousers with side button closure, trompe-l’œil white socks.
Styling:
Wooden dream catcher, silver charivari chain, Runway styling: hair epaulettes.
Analysis:
Look 05 – Almost in Command presents a state of holding onto order and structure. Within the collection, this is the look that most strongly references historical forms of dress. The dreamer appears controlled, almost disciplined, consciously moving within familiar systems. The desire for self-realization exists, yet it does not openly manifest outwardly.
The black wool jacket and the white knickerbocker trousers clearly refer to historical clothing and uniform aesthetics. The silhouette appears closed and regulated; the body seems guided and contained. Compared to other looks in the collection, this one shows the least distance from order and structure. The look conveys the feeling of standing just before a position of control or authority, without having fully reached it.
For the runway presentation, the look is complemented by epaulettes made from real, elbow-length black hair. Formally, they reference the classical military shoulder marking, yet the material radically transforms this reference. Hair is bodily, intimate, and personal; its use in place of a traditional epaulette creates a surreal shift and strips the military symbol of its rigidity. The epaulettes remain recognizable in form, but lose their original meaning of rank and authority, becoming an ambiguous and slightly unsettling image.
A second, more subtle layer emerges through the styling with a wooden dreamcatcher, which the model holds in his hand. The dreamcatcher symbolizes wishes, hopes, and inner visions and is meant to literally capture the dream of the young dreamer. It remains a private object, not part of the outward appearance but belonging instead to a personal sphere of retreat—traditionally placed above the bed. The dream exists, yet it is still protected and kept hidden.
Another central element is the charivari, which is not worn visibly at the front in the traditional manner but instead attached discreetly at the back. It is also empty without trophies or symbols of achievement. This detail suggests that the young dreamer has not yet attributed success to himself.
There are no accomplishments that could be publicly displayed. The adherence to order can therefore be read as a protective mechanism, compensating for uncertainty.
The white powdered socks employ the technique of trompe-l’œil, creating the impression of a worn garment that is in reality applied directly to the skin. This surreal detail points to a form of protection that is only apparent: order and control are visibly staged, yet remain fragile and constructed.
The legs, as carriers of movement and progress, appear protected without actually being covered—an image of cautious forward motion under controlled conditions.
Almost in Command describes a state just before change, in which external control and inner longing have not yet come into alignment. The look portrays a dreamer who clings to the familiar because the step toward his own dream is still accompanied by uncertainty. Order and discipline provide stability not out of conviction, but out of caution.
Dreaming Awake LOOK06
Look composition:
Black fitted jersey T-shirt with double-breasted button closure, grey wool wide pleated trousers.
Styling:
Green apple.
Analysis:
Look 06 presents the dreamer in a particularly reduced and contemporary form. Within the collection, this is the look with the strongest connection
to everyday life. The figure could exist within today’s urban environment without attracting attention. The look establishes a link to lived reality and anchors the collection in the present.
The black T-shirt is closely fitted and made of jersey, a material associated with comfort, flexibility, and daily wear. The double-breasted button closure formally references historical military jackets, yet here it is reduced to a single detail. The reference is neither expanded nor reinforced but intentionally left isolated. As a result, it loses its original function and becomes a design quotation within an otherwise clearly modern garment.
The T-shirt as a typology is unmistakably contemporary. It stands for accessibility, informality, and reality. Through the combination of jersey and military-inspired buttoning, a tension emerges between the familiar and the reinterpreted, without the look appearing historical. The reference remains present but does not dominate the overall image.
As a styling element, the model carries a green apple. The apple is a direct reference to the surrealist work The Son of Man (1964) by René Magritte and alludes to dreaming in a literal sense. In dreams, everyday objects often appear within unfamiliar contexts. Here, the apple functions as a symbol of the dreamer’s aspirations.
At the same time, the apple remains an ordinary object. It can just as easily be read as a simple snack, perhaps carried on the way home. This dual meaning is intentional and highlights how closely dream and reality can coexist.
Dreaming Awake describes a state in which dreaming and everyday life exist naturally side by side. The look avoids dramatic gestures and presents the young dreamer in a calm, realistic form. The dream is neither loud nor outwardly displayed; instead, it is part of daily life present, yet unobtrusive.
