Mode Suisse: My Moments to Remember

What’s hot 2019 in Switzerland? We all asked and Mode Suisse answered in their 15th edition, showcasing curated designers and schools. Hammering beats opened a show that let forget Switzerland’s not a forward fashion country.

Newspapers might ask where the market for this edginess and forwardness might be, I say this is just what we need: Bold inspiration, designers that are not afraid of stepping out of mainstream boredom and create for the sake of fashion as an art instead of seeing their trade as a money machine. Let me show you my favorite moments:

Amorphose:
New Silhouettes for Heroines

Designer Giancarlo Bello put the audience under a spell with his feminine and dramatic collection. His play with the silhouette and his vision of women as strong yet beautiful creatures is extraordinary. Especially the red futuristic look (worn by Toni Dreher, winner of Germany’s Next Top Model) who surrounds its wearer with a kind of a red shield was amazing in his freshness and visual boldness.

Jacqueline Loekito:
Heartbreak in Pink and Red

Dedicated to a dear friend who died from cancer, Jaqueline Loekito’s collection is not what you expect from a traditional mourning outfit: The Basel-based designer stays true to her favourite colours red and pink and her habit of breaking gender rules. Statements like “Fuck Cancer” and broken hearts are part of the bittersweet looks. Long lives the hope that the most extraordinary knitwear on the catwalk will heal hurt hearts!

Rafael Kouto:
Upcycling the future

The collection of Locarno-based designer Kouto is a wild fusion of cultures, colours, shapes, and fabrics: Africa meets the West in his upcycled creations made of mass-produced and discarded garments. It was refreshing how new old can be in a throw-away society. We need more of this as an alternative to current production!

Mourjjan:
The Roaring Times are Back

Zurich/Mykonos-based designers Roland Rahal and Raphael Muntinga presented their creations of luxury, glitter, glam and chic. The new collection featured their take on a beaded flapper dress bringing up pictures of the Roaring Twenties and this showstopper of a dress. 20s meets the now and it’s wow!

Forbidden Denimeries: 
A new approach to masculinity

If you ever doubted if men should wear skirts, here is the final reason why they should! Newcomer Mikael Vilchez shared a new vision of a modern man that was refreshing and far from stereotypes with us. This denim look and how it combines sportiness with feminine masculinity is what dreams are made of!

Quynh Bui:
Fading in Vibrance

While the collection of Head Genèva alumni Quynh Bui was inspired by 19th- and 20th-century workwear and featured a lot of denim, this orange splash of an outfit excited me most. The designer combines used and new materials, giving a new life to the existing pieces. The whole collection is sustainable and wants to bring awareness to a fabric that is a major contributor to pollution.

Last but not least:
The company

Besides being thrilled by the shows, what I love about events like this is the company of like-minded fashion people. It’s like a family meeting where everybody gathers together, like Christmas in fashion. I spent the eve with two of the best people in the universe, Gerold Brenner and Cherry Greta and enjoyed to see a lot of lovely faces during the eve. It was a blast, thank you Mode Suisse, please come back soon!

Pictures: Mode Suisse Edition 15 Alexander Palacios/Eduard Meltzer