With a philosophy founded on simultaneously being ‘involved and responsibly participating in the design of the present and the future’, fashion in Basel, Switzerland, is not so much just ‘made’ as more properly ‘done’. The little word ‘do’ in this context signals a significant difference because, in contrast to fashion metropolises such as London, Paris or New York, where fashion education often goes hand in hand with absorbing urban, subcultural influences and ample warehouse party research, this small picturesque town directs its gaze contemplatively onto itself, in the process finding its raison d’être in a symbiosis of art and fashion, concept and meticulous execution. At the latest since Priska Morger took over the creative direction of the course in 2011, ‘doing fashion’ has increasingly been mentioned in the same breath with fashion education’s most renowned institutions, such as London’s Central Saint Martins or New York’s Parsons – The New School for Design. Basel’s good reputation by no means preceded it but has continuously been cemented over the course of the last few years – one graduate show at a time.
On 29th March, ‘doing fashion’ welcomed its 2015 graduates onto the catwalk of the Dreispitz Basel, a kind of derelict warehouse setting perfectly suited to accommodating the close to 600 visitors per run-through. Two large black-and-white video screens projected the show simultaneously into the venue, providing views from all angles and adding to the playful confusion as to what nook or cranny the models might be rushing past you from next. BA and MA graduates shared the bill this year, with WUETHRICHFUERST being the only ones from the latter. The whole evening was presented as a ‘Soul Promenade’, a fitting motto considering that all showcased graduates presented highly individual design positions; and these ranged from very wearable updates on the classic men’s wardrobe (Delia Matthäus, Rebecca Ammann) to slightly more-out there gents donning strong colour pops in playful texture and material clashes (Arabella Miller). ‘Love is all you need’ came to mind when Lisa Rechsteiner called for a new ‘ReLOVEution’, while Nadine Scherer worked it Missy Elliott style with a collection that merged various subcultural styles with street-smart elegance.
Bringing the evening to a stunning close, the aforementioned design duo WUETHRICHFUERST dived into past memories and ‘found’ their MA certificate somewhere between Hulk Hogan and their grandmothers’ (in)ability to be a table. Sounds ‘out-there’? Sure does, but it is testament to their highly developed craft and input of their alma mater that the result was nothing short of a stunning, cohesive collection balancing between fashion and art, mastering both conceptual artistry and excellent execution.
Harald Weiler
