Awarded
Franziska Lüthy
Womenswear collection 'Hickory', winter 2007/2008
Fashion Design
Awarded
Womenswear collection 'Hickory', winter 2007/2008
Fashion Design
Knitted quotations and memories
Franziska Lüthy's girlish tops are seductive – and it is difficult to say why at first. Her 'hickory' collection consists of ten knitted pullovers reminiscent of clothes as they used to be. We feel we are familiar with the garments, and yet there is something off-putting about them. This quotation game captivates viewers, it takes them over – and that included the jury. The collars are reminiscent of school uniforms, the puff sleeves of national dress blouses and peasants' clothes, and the buttons wrapped in wool and knitted patterns of holes of grandmother's wardrobe. The textile and fashion designer explains that the statement made by knitting is a central theme of her work. She tries to transform the images associated with knitting, the game with fashionable and conservative elements into a timeless and modern form, into garments for young or young-at-heart urban women. She was inspired by the children's clothes of the 1940s, images from New York at the time of industrialization, and by rural environments and farmhouses in the autumn. Franziska Lüthy's tops are plain, and incorporate subtle details. Thus for examples she picks out the edge of the collar, a clash of two colours, sleeve cuffs and the inside of the neckline with dark strips of wool. This accentuates the various elements. Some of the tops fit on the hip, others have high waists or are loose. The silhouettes and cuts are soft and feminine. They are all made of the finest Merino wool in autumnal shades reminiscent of woods, earth and berries.
The jury are commending Franziska Lüthy's collection twice in succession. They praise the items' high craftsmanship and point out that the fashion designer has developed the same theme further, and that the details have become more expressive. They admire the many playful little details and mildly disturbing features, like for example the slightly asymmetrical sleeves.
Ariana Pradal
Franziska Lüthy
Born in
1972
Education
Textilgestalterin HFG