Kitschy Couture
ABOUT THE COLLECTION
The Kitschy Couture Spring/Summer 2026 collection “Heimweh“ is a love letter to designer Abarna Kugathasan’s immigrant roots. The collection reflects the emotions of growing up in Germany with a migration background, based on her own experiences as a Tamil teenager, and an everyday life shaped by discrimination, exotification, and the constant search for a sense of belonging - while also embracing the love for a new home, the inseparable connection to one’s roots, and the joy of celebrating diversity and identity. The silhouettes move between traditionally inspired shapes and experimentally deconstructed approaches. The result is a hybrid aesthetic that blends Western and Tamil influences. For the very first time, the label worked with traditional materials, notably vintage saris sourced from the 1990s and 2000s. The classic garment of the sari has been reinterpreted to highlight cultural contrasts and to open up new perspectives on traditional clothing.
All images, detailed collection texts and further information can be found in the official Berlin Fashion Week MEDIA HUB.
ABOUT THE BRAND
Kitschy Couture is a celebration of diasporic identity! The founder of the label Abarna Kugathasan explores the intimate tale of her transcultural self. Merging Sri Lankan roots, Tamil ancestry and a western upbringing. As a child of Tamil immigrants, Kugathasan expresses her own identity and honors cultural duality. The sugary landscape of Kitschy Couture uncovers the diasporic sense of longing and the meaning of homesickness.
Why did you start your label/business?
Kitschy Couture narrates the story of my journey as the child of Tamil immigrants. It explores what it’s like to grow up in Germany, the feeling of homesickness and how beautiful it can be to find one’s authentic self. I share my story with countless others who had to leave their roots behind to begin again - people whose transcultural identities shape their daily lives. KC symbolises all these stories, offering an intimate glimpse into our lives - celebrating cultural diversity and identity.
