The current edition of Mode Suisse presented itself with a new format: At the Swiss fashion event, not only young talents were selected by a jury, but also ‘friends’ from local boutiques, fashion schools and established Swiss designers showed their collections.
For the first time, the ‘Miele x Mode Suisse for Positive Impact’ prize was also awarded with the new cooperation partner Miele. This was presented to Nina Yuun, the organizers announced on Monday. Mode Suisse was held Monday in the Kunsthaus Zurich and, in addition to two fashion shows, also offered a showroom where all collections could be seen, as well as a shop.
The two shows held in the evening mixed the selected brands with the ‘Freund:innen’. In the first presentation Adeline Rappaz and Sophie Fellay follow – friends Students of the Head fashion school in Geneva – on Qwstion, a label chosen by the jury that focuses on plant-based bags. The Vestibule Store then provided international flair at the second show, presenting looks from major international brands such as Isabel Marant and Nili Lotan. FashionUnited has summarized the most exciting collections and looks.
Loaded with bags
The bag label Qwstion, which also uses the plant-based material Bananatex for products, sent a model onto the catwalk who was just loaded with bags. Five simple shopping bags became the focus of the look, which only consisted of dark jeans. The resulting voluminous silhouette is reminiscent of a weekly shop where the person is loaded with bags on all sides.
Dot meets couture
Adeline Rappaz presented her couture collection “Le Temps des Rêves” (The Time of Dreams), which fused 80’s punk aesthetics with elements of 50’s couture. Voluminous pieces, touches of glamor and detailed craftsmanship meet rocking elements such as high boots, piercings and hats reminiscent of colorful punk hairstyles and a grittier DIY aesthetic, creating an interesting interplay of these two cultures and times leaves. The collection was not only convincing in Zurich, but last year Rappaz won the audience award at the 36th Hyères International Fashion, Photography and Accessories Festival.
Surrealism and playing with fabrics
Anamorphosis experimented with fabrics and shapes. The Swiss label has been part of Mode Suisse since February 2019 and the current issue deals with the surrealism of the Belgian artist René Magritte. Giancarlo Bello, the designer behind Anamorphose, plays with silhouettes and brings together very stiff, tight-fitting materials with wide, flowing fabrics.
The modern party girl
Sarah Bounab is one of the newcomers who is one of the Mode Suisse participants selected by the jury. Last year she was a graduate of Head Genève.
This time, Bounab presented a modern evening wear that relied on metal details, fresh colors and upcycled leather. Young styles that combine high-leg short dresses with tall leather boots create the perfect modern party look that also celebrates the return of the Y2K trend.
“All we ever wanted was everything”
“All we ever wanted was everything”, the title of Jacqueline Loekito’s collection is clearly legible on one of her looks. It was a rectangular piece of denim that becomes a dress with a window in the chest and two holes for the arms. The piece is combined with red over-the-knee platform boots, which accentuate the outfit even more alongside the square dress. She was inspired by the photography of Jessica Backhaus.
Ball gown instead of ball gown
Doing Fashion Basel, the fashion division of the University of Applied Sciences Northwest Switzerland, was also represented at Mode Suisse with its master’s and bachelor’s students.
Also present was Nadine Raeber, who investigates in her bachelor thesis how movements of the human body are related to emotional states, she explains to Hochparterre, a publishing house for architecture, planning and design. On the Mode Suisse catwalk, she sent a “ball dress” that is tight at the top and wider at the bottom. The special thing about the piece are the medicine balls used below, which create an exciting shape through the placement.
