Kitschy Couture

ABOUT THE COLLECTION

The Kitschy Couture Spring/Summer 2026 collection „Heimweh“, is a love letter to my cultural heritage. 

What does it really mean to grow up in Germany as an immigrant? Torn between the longing for a lost homeland and the need to find your place in a new one. A constant search for acceptance and belonging - for identity and self. While everyday life is shaped by discrimination, exotification and the constant search for a sense of belonging - embracing the love for a new home, the inseparable connection to one’s roots and the joy of celebrating diversity and culture reflects on the duality of a transcultural life. 

With “Heimweh” we wanted to get even closer to the essence of Kitschy Couture. For the first time, we worked with traditional materials such as vintage saris from the 1990s and early 2000s, carefully sourced from a small business in India. We draped and reshaped them into silhouettes that feel familiar, leaning into references from clothes we used to wear as teenagers. Those nostalgic elements are layered with the emotional value of the traditional garments we’ve grown up with, worn by our mothers, our aunties, sometimes even passed down. Holding a special kind of cultural and personal resonance, we channeled the feeling of intimacy into the many pieces we made from vintage underwear following clear inspiration by sari drapery in the Kitschy way. 

In this spirit of cultural dialogue, we also collaborated with Converse to create a limitededition shoe collection that blends traditional craftsmanship and streetwear. The designs feature intricate beading techniques alongside Kitschy-coded prints, bringing together elements of South Asian heritage with the energy of youth culture. And speaking of roots - Heimweh also became a love letter to our home base in Pforzheim. All Kitschy Couture pieces are developed and produced in our Kitschy studio, and for this collection, we created a special line of Pforzheim merch. Using collaged imagery inspired by the everyday realities and aesthetics of immigrant life in Germany, these pieces pay tribute to the city that we come from. The collection travels to Berlin - carrying with it stories and perspectives from a place that continues to shape who we are. 

This collection represents a journey into the past, reflecting my teenage years growing up as the daughter of Tamil immigrants. Yet it is also an homage to all children of immigrants, being raised between two worlds. 

The Kitschy Couture show invites you into a world of cultural diversity, longing for a society where culture is celebrated and identity is lived. With „Heimweh“ we invite you to not just observe immigrant culture, but to experience and celebrate it with us.

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.