HIGHLIGHTS 2/6

As part of Berlin Contemporary, Irina Dzhus once again presented her collection during Berlin Fashion Week. In the Fall/Winter 2024 edition, the Ukrainian designer showcased how the boundaries between art and fashion can be blurred. All of her looks are not only intricately designed, progressive in silhouette, cut, and materials, but above all, transformable. In the NEWEST-Showspace, the press café, Irina Dzhus turned her runway into a stage to narrate her very personal story through her designs. She shares the details of this story here.

Your collection is called “ABSOLUTE”, which thematically circles around your personal trauma. One is escaping the war, the other one is processing an abuse experience. How do you transport these quite heavy topics into fashion? 

Self-ironically enough, I have utilized my ‘OCD-driven’ design potential in order to generate highly dialectical, multipurpose outfits. In the mode of self-rediscovery and self-reinvention, I translate ‘patterns into patterns’, deciphering the complex structure of my trauma and redirecting it into avant-garde design solutions. I freeze my intimate memories in 2D-iconography-based outfits with encoded messages.  For the first time fragments of my normally unpublished graphic art is shown. 

All of your looks are so well handcrafted, so detailed and on top of that transformable. Where did you find inspiration this season? 

Thematically, I revisited my comfort zone, referring to modernist comics and gnostic narratives, attributes of social conformism, and gender representation speculations. Sustainable sartorial techniques and textile manipulations pay homage to the craft of kintsugi, as I shape my sculptural apparel from fragments of pre-owned headpieces and scarves. 

What did you focus on color, material, silhouette wise? 

The silhouettes of “ABSOLUTE” are equally naïve and profoundly structured. Also I focus on black and white but the collection is softened with a range of ecrus as well as shades of nude and grey, whereas chromatic choices are deliberately neglected. The fabrics selection is rich in distinctive textures and conceptual finishes, such as a distressed-corset-inspired top with superstructures imitating a face profile, or a transformer jumpsuit constructed from two upscaled gloves holding together.

What is your personal favorite look? 

The key piece of the DZHUS is an oversized men’s coat with an inset contrast silhouette of an embracing female figure. This semi-supernatural counter shape is indivisible from my identity, a mirroring indicator of my existence, and describes an euphoric dream and a paralyzing dystopia.

What is your personal highlight this season? 

In the mode of self-rediscovery and self-reinvention, I translate ‘patterns into patterns’, deciphering the complex structure of my trauma and redirecting it into avant-garde design solutions in a sharply literal way. For the first time fragments of my normally unpublished graphic art is shown. 

For the presentation of her collection, Malaika Raiss once again chose a special location in Berlin: the MANI creative lab. Built in the style of socialist classicism, the building reflects the essence of the collection, namely the blend of urbanity and elegance.

It was essential for the Berlin Contemporary winner to have a diverse cast this season as well, representing all the women she designs for. Character is always the most crucial aspect for her: "A model has to captivate me with her charisma as soon as she enters the room. That is super important," explains the Berlin-based designer who founded her own label in 2012.

The inspiration behind the Malaikaraiss collection is explained by the designer as follows:

"My Pre-Fall 2024/25 collection is titled 'Imagine.' I deliberately want to leave room for interpretations. My idea was to design an essential wardrobe that fits into a single suitcase. In this suitcase, you'll find iconic off-shoulder dresses that hug the body and accentuate curves. The look is casually broken with denim, leather-look materials, heavy double wool, quirky details, and accessories. The latter are all crafted symbolizing craftsmanship, including knitting, crocheting, ceramics, and silver forging.

This season, I was particularly inspired by the 90s. John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers was the trigger. We combined his grungy style, positive California vibes, layering, and the grandpa-thrift style with a hyper-feminine silhouette, dropped shoulders, and low waist pants. And when we talk about low waist jeans, we mean Mariah Carey low waist jeans – without a waistband.

What is particularly significant to me in the Pre-Fall collection is the clash of two worlds and the urban, very casual styling. This applies to the materials as well, such as heavy double wool meeting printed silk, deadstock nylon, crochet, and knits. I also love the color palette, which is minimalistic with few tones but still, in the diversity of looks, appears complex and eclectic.

Since my essential wardrobe must fit into a single suitcase, the presentation is also in collaboration with Samsonite. Together, we have designed the highly artistic set. Additionally, artworks by Anna Zimmermann are featured in both my designs and the set."