Basel | Switzerland
For more than 10 years the Institute of Fashion Design Basel has been at the forefront of turning out some of the best creative minds that the international fashion industry has to offer. With its practical focus, the industry as well as on design, the institute’s commitment to its graduates is almost unparalleled. The Institute of fashion design Basel has become more commonly referred to by its mission statement – Doing Fashion. This is due to their way in which they approach fashion, practically.
Doing Fashion teaches their students to participate and get involved in shaping the fashion landscape, both in its present form as well as the course of its future. The institute goes beyond the textbook approach and equips its students for an ever-changing and challenging industry.
“The Institute of Fashion Design Basel sees education as an investment in the future of culture, art and design as an indispensable mouthpiece for the world in order to critically question the present. Doing Fashion encourages young talents to boldly break away from conventional fashion understanding, from their concept of beauty and body images. Developing your own design language as a fashion designer is at the center of the knowledge transfer.”
Clear proof of this can be seen in the student’s designs, the construction of their creations as well as the way that they are presented. Each year the graduate fashion show displays the best that the Institute of Fashion Design Basel has to offer and has become a staple for fashion insiders to attend and watch for new and exciting talent. This year’s show has been no exception. We take a look at two of the graduate’s collections.
Jacqueline Loekito
Born in Jakarta, Jacqueline Loekito moved to London at the age of 19 in order to study Fashion Design at UCA. During this time Loekito interned with both Giles Deacon as well as with Meadham Kirchhoff. The young designer and stylist is a champion of the A-gender movement, blurring the lines between traditional gender-silhouettes and individuality. Loekito’s collection’s main pallet was red and shades thereof. Layering and texture combinations formed a basis throughout the collection. The designer used mostly opaque fabrics with bold knitwear and patterns creating intricate contrasts. Although the pieces are generally loose in shape, they are combined with fitted and at times accentuated focus areas such as the waist.
“Genderless clothing has been my vision since the first day I started to study fashion back in 2006. I have been referencing the past, challenging men to wear pink, a dress and heels additionally using the similarity idea. The purpose of similarity idea is to retrain people’s eyes that wearing the same clothing for both genders is acceptable and should be celebrated.”
“I believe that in the future there will be no separation between menswear and womenswear clothing in stores. This was realized sooner than I expected when Selfridges, a big department store in London, started the A-gender pop-up shop that has gender-neutral clothing. It is rewarding knowing that your conceptualization is happening in society today”
Nadine Möckli
2018 graduate Nadine Möckli started her education in 2014 at the FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland. During this time Möckli interned at Schueller de Waal in Amsterdam in and at Conny Groenewegen. The collection comprises of rich textures, fabrics and colours. Each look is extremely eclectic and although it seems uber futuristic, the designs are reminiscent of ancient tribal and ritualistic wear. They are a blend of the future, ancient tribal leaders and eastern empresses.
“Fashion is more than clothing. In contrast to today’s accelerated daily life, characterised by multi-functional clothing, I want to make clothing that again celebrates individual moments. The body is pleasurably provoked and so the wearer’s attention is brought back to the moment. The abstract patterns and accessories are generated from poses and postures observed in everyday life. Sleeves lead the hands to pocket openings. Generously expanded cut parts invite the wearer to react and interact with the piece of clothing. The face is laid in a ceramic bowl and thoughts can flow past the ceramic further through the fabric of a glove in the shape of a long tail which appears to become blurred at the floor. Brooches become chains, which then lead to a ceramic clutch”
“Sensual, playful and absurd. The collective Wack Wacked Fashion Club opens up a fashion analysis and suggestions derived from it for our society with a slight twinkle in the eye. In organised, exclusive happenings, one receives the opportunity to experience, smell, taste and hear fashion and its function anew.”
