Michael Sontag explores the ornament for the first time in his collection for Autumn / Winter 2017. If you know Michael Sontag’s collections, you’ll know that they’re about draping, the cut, the way the clothes move when a woman walks. They’re playful, however in a very pure way. It took seasons until the designer started to use more powerful colours. Needless to say… ornament?? Yet, it’s part of a designer’s job to challenge his own limits.
‘I saw a dance piece by Adam Linder that revolved around the ornament in a broader sense. It’s called ‘Kein Paradiso‘ (‘No Paradiso’). The stage and all the costumes had the same pattern and that intrigued me. If I understood correctly, the actors were quoting from ‘Ornament und Verbrechen‘ (‘Ornament and Crime’ by Adolf Loos). It was on my mind now and then, and this time, I thought I’d go for it.1 the designer explains.
Thus Sontag attacked the ornament by embracing it – although the term ‘attack’ might be a tad too aggressive in this case. The use of floral elements is very delicate, so let’s not call it a revolution. It’s an evolution. To avoid standstill. To explore. Step by step. An approach more (Berlin) designers should take.
