SS25 WOMEN'S RUNWAY SHOW  'ATNES' COLLECTION

THE MANDRAKE HOTEL LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM ON SUNDAY 15TH OF SEPTEMBER 2024

 

THE CONCEPTUAL NARRATIVE FOR THIS COLLECTION BEGAN WHEN MY PARTNER AND I VISITED DUNGENESS EARLIER THIS YEAR. AS WE WANDERED THROUGH ITS DESERTED SHORES, WE FELT AN ENERGY UNLIKE ANYTHING WE HAD EXPERIENCED BEFORE—A PROFOUND MIX OF COMPLETENESS AND EMPTINESS, A SENSE OF FULLNESS AND LONELINESS. THE DESOLATE LANDSCAPE, WITH STRANDED BOATS AND ABANDONED FISHING EQUIPMENT, EVOKED EMOTIONS I RARELY FEEL. THIS FEELING REMINDED ME OF THE FIRST TIME I MET MY PARTNER, WHO, WHILE SEEMINGLY COMPLETE, HELD AN AIR OF AMBIGUITY AND SECRECY.

 

THIS COLLECTION ORGANICALLY GREW FROM THE INSPIRATION SHE PROVIDED ME, SERVING AS A CONTINUATION OF MY CREATIVE JOURNEY. FOLLOWING THE FW24 COLLECTION, WHERE I EXPLORED INDUSTRIAL THEMES AND THE FUTURE OF HUMAN LIFE, WITHIN THE MOUNTAINS. THIS TIME I FOCUSED ON THE RESILIENT WOMEN OF THE SHORES—STRONG, INDEPENDENT, AND SELF-SUFFICIENT.

 

MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY PARTNER IS A CONSTANT SOURCE OF CREATIVE ENERGY, AND I WANTED TO DEDICATE THIS COLLECTION TO HER AND OUR 9-YEAR RELATIONSHIP. THE DESIGNS REFLECT HER WARDROBE AND OUR SUMMERS TOGETHER IN MY HOME IN SPAIN. FROM MORNINGS SPENT CARING FOR ANIMALS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE TO AFTERNOONS ON THE BEACH AND EVENINGS IN ELEGANT STONE-BUILT RESTAURANTS. MY PARTNER ALWAYS MAINTAINS AN EFFORTLESS ELEGANCE, AND STRENGTH- EVEN IN CASUAL BEACH SETTINGS, WHICH DEEPLY INFLUENCES THIS COLLECTION.

 

WE COLLABORATED WITH ECCO LEATHER, UTILIZING THEIR DEADSTOCK AND NON-SELLABLE SKINS TO EMBRACE A MORE CIRCULAR AND ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE APPROACH. MANY OF THE PIECES FEATURE HAND-STITCHED AND SADDLE-STITCHED FINISHES, CRAFTED USING TECHNIQUES FROM THE VICTORIAN SADDLERY. 

 

WE ALSO DEVELOPED A UNIQUE TEXTURE INSPIRED BY JAPANESE UPHOLSTERY, A LIGHTWEIGHT, BREATHABLE LEATHER TEXTURE THAT REMAINS HEAT-FRIENDLY DESPITE BEING LEATHER. 

 

ROUNDED, COCOON-LIKE SILHOUETTES IN THIS COLLECTION ARE A CONTINUATION OF MY SCULPTURAL EXPLORATION, PAYING HOMAGE TO HEDE BÜHL, ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITE SCULPTORS. HER INFLUENCE IS DEEPLY FELT IN THE ORGANIC, SCULPTURAL SHAPES THROUGHOUT THE COLLECTION. I ENVISIONED HUMANS EMERGING FROM THE OCEAN, ENCASED IN COCOON-LIKE, SCULPTURAL "SNAIL HOUSES"—A FUTURISTIC CONCEPT OF HOW WE MIGHT ONE DAY ADAPT TO LIVE IN THE SEA.

 

I COLLABORATED WITH RICK OWENS ON BOOTS EARLIER THIS YEAR, RICK HAS ALLOWED ME TO ADAPT AND RECOLOUR THEM FOR THIS WOMEN'S SEASON. 

 

LAYERS OF POPCORN KNIT WERE DRAPED OVER THE BODICE AND THEN HAND-STITCHED TOGETHER TO REPLICATE THE TEXTURE OF NETTING RESIDUE FOUND ON THE BOATS IN DUNGENESS. I DISTRESSED THE FABRIC AND PLACED IT UNDER WOODEN PALLETS ON MY TERRACE, ALLOWING THE RAIN TO CREATE AN ORGANIC RUST EFFECT AS IT DRIPPED FROM THE NAILS.

 

THE COLLECTION’S COLOURS ARE DRAWN FROM THE SURROUNDINGS I OBSERVED WHILE ON MY TERRACE IN WHITECHAPEL. OUR HOME, WITH ITS AGED BRICK WALLS AND METAL FINISHES. I’VE COMBINED THESE TONAL, TEXTURED ELEMENTS WITH THE PALETTE OF A PAINTING I CREATED IN 2021, "WHAT DO YOU SEE," RESULTING IN THE RICH, VIBRANT COLOURS OF THE SS25 COLLECTION.

 

IN SOME LOOKS, I INCORPORATED 'M' SHIRTS AS A PERSONAL TRIBUTE TO MY BROTHER MAX, SYMBOLISING MY SUPPORT FOR HIS ONGOING BRAIN TUMOUR TREATMENT. THESE SHIRTS WILL BE LAUNCHED ON OUR ONLINE STORE. ALL PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO THE BRAIN TUMOUR RESEARCH FOUNDATION IN BERLIN, WWW.HIRNTUMORHILFE.DE

 

I WANTED THIS COLLECTION TO FEEL PERSONAL. WE HAVE SO LITTLE TIME, AND THERE IS OFTEN SO MUCH DENIAL OF EMOTION. THANK YOU, SENTA, FOR BEING MY ONE AND ONLY.

 

WITH LOVE,

LEO PROTHMANN