Ottolinger Punk Couture: Ripped Denim and Hardened Hoodie

WONDERZINE PRESENTS YOUNG DESIGNERS and tells where and how you can buy their things. Our heroes this week are Krista Besch and Kosima Gadiente, the founders of the brand Ottolinger, which produces unisex suits, which are sewn first and then torn and burned to achieve a finished look.

Destruction - the one on which all punk culture is built - never ceases to inspire young talents. So, the designers of the Ottolinger brand first create things, and then they are partially destroyed: they tear, burn, leaving the edges unprocessed, and the seams negligent. After showing in the framework of the show, VFILES Ottolinger was nicknamed the new “punk couture”, and publications like W and 032С immediately described the brand’s worldview as “extreme understanding of beauty”. And this is not unfounded.

Ottolinger is a real product of globalization and an example of a modern relationship to borders, which do not seem to exist: the brand is registered in Switzerland (it is from the same source and both designers), its headquarters is in Berlin, and presentations are held in London. Brand founders Krista Bösch and Kosima Gadiente met at the Basel School of Design: "It turned out that we have a similar perception of beauty and a sense of humor." Later, the friendship turned into long-term working cooperation. Girls inspire and motivate each other. “When I ask whether this or that thing will be carried by Kosim or our friends, and she answers me:“ No, ”it makes me think and work harder,” admits Krista. They work mainly in their own studio in Berlin, and the name of the brand was born there: "Ottolinger" was written above the neighbor's door.

The first full Ottolinger collection will go on sale this fall. It will be possible to find flared trousers in it, as if diverging along the seam and seized by thick white threads, transparent printed dresses, large-knit sweaters and huge hoodies that seem to have burned with a lighter. The use of manual labor and the uniqueness of each thing are two aspects that Ottolinger designers rely on. Girls use many special techniques - clothes, for example, are burned. But one thing is right to burn every thing when you have a tiny stamp with a modest circulation, and quite another when shops all over the world.

Ottolinger has no plans to fundamentally restructure his production, they want to cut and burn their things, even when they become a big brand: "It all depends on how many people we hire, there is always a way out." Ottolinger clothing is designed for both men and women, but the designers themselves do not consider it necessary to focus on this - it is assumed that this is so clear: "We just do what we would wear ourselves." It is planned that in the fall Ottolinger items will be sold in multi-brand stores around the world, but in the meantime, in order to order your favorite item, designers will have to write on Facebook.

Switzerland is our home. This is the place where it all began and where we still draw energy. Berlin was a great compromise for us in terms of housing and work. And the show in London is an impulsive act, but we are still looking for a place to show our things somewhere else. We seek inspiration both in the city and in natural landscapes.