Mode Suisse has long been considered the epicenter of the Swiss fashion scene. Every year, the Zurich event puts the country’s fashion in the well-deserved spotlight and creates a proper platform for the creations of various fashion designers based in Switzerland.
Like last year, this time the program was not only dedicated to up-and-coming talents selected by a jury, but also offered a stage for the so-called ‘friends’. In addition, the ‘Miele x Mode Suisse for Positive Impact’ prize from cooperation partner Miele, established in 2022, was awarded for the second time.
The whole thing happened in two consecutive shows on Monday evening in the foyer of the Kunsthaus Zurich. There, expressive young designers, talents from various fashion schools, already established labels and retailers shared the catwalk and demonstrated how much charisma there is behind the Swiss fashion scene.
Feminism, disco escapism and Japanese craftsmanship on the catwalk
At first glance, the diversity of the evening may seem overwhelming – the HGK Basel fashion school alone, which opened the event, started with creations from 16 students – but it is not just the love of fashion and tailoring, but above all that Messages and the fluidity of the collections that connect the designers of Mode Suisse.
The label Danz selected by the jury, which took part in the show for the first time this year, describes itself as a textile and fashion label that stands for feminist themes, social consciousness and sustainability. The made-to-order collections “revolve around socio-cultural themes and are always feminist,” says 21-year-old designer Mara Danz, who founded her brand in 2021.
With her collection, the designer translated this message into skirts and dresses that were reminiscent of 19th century crinolines, but modernized with transparency and floral prints and shown on male and female models. While Danz relied on black at times, the designer didn’t shy away from brighter colors – including a striking turquoise.
Designer Sarah Bounab also relied on color. Bounab was already part of Mode Suisse last year with her label of the same name and presented her collection this year together with glasses from the Swiss brand VUI.
She strives to redefine evening wear, create a glamorous utopia and, with her fashion, invite “a neo-disco fairytale,” as it says on her website. The influences of the legendary New York nightclub Studio 54, which she cited, are close and were close with some dazzling looks in silver and red, but there were also some pieces that were almost suitable for everyday wear when combined with button-downs.
Compared to some of the designers represented at Mode Suisse, the Tokyo-born and London-trained designer Kazu Huggler is almost an “old hand”. This year she presented her collection “Tan Couture” and dedicated herself to creating contemporary fashion from traditional Japanese textiles.
Each of her pieces was created from panels of fabric reclaimed from antique and traditional kimonos, which had been returned to the original panels before giving these fabrics a second life in a new form. The designer wants to emphasize both the positive and sustainable effects of the use of fabrics and preserve the cultural heritage of the Japanese textile and fashion world.
The brand Louis Origine, a “friend” of Mode Suisse, was also dedicated to Japan. The label was founded in 2020 by Laure and Steve Gallay and, with the “Amode” collection, was dedicated to Japanese weaving and mixed it with Italian tailoring. In the sea of colors of many of the collections that evening, the designer duo’s monochromatic offering stood out primarily because of its simplicity.
Fashion lets actions speak for themselves
Mourjjan designer Roland Rahal presented his latest couture collection at Mode Suisse, but it was not this that was particularly dazzling, but rather the ‘Mourjjan 4 Children’ project he spearheaded. This was awarded the “Miele x Mode Suisse Award for Positive Impact” at the event, and with good reason. Far from the glamorous world of haute couture, ‘Mourjjan 4 Children’ is a charitable project that decorates scarves and hoodies with drawings by refugee children in Lebanon. With the proceeds from sales, ‘Mourjjan 4 Children’ offers a three-week educational program to traumatized children, including from Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, in southern Lebanon.
Something that should actually be taken for granted these days, but is rarely discussed on catwalks, let alone seen, is adaptive fashion. Adapted by SPS, a project of the Swiss Paraplegic Foundation and the Swiss Textile School, presented a barrier-free collection for paraplegic people that made no compromises in either design or functionality.
The barrier-free collection was designed by the models seen on the catwalk and students from the Swiss Textile School in joint workshops, because every detail of the clothing has to be right – after all, it’s not just about the look, but – as it says on the Swiss website Paraplegic Foundation is called – because it “has to be sitting down”.