The collaboration that presents MINI FASHION FIELD NOTES Capsule Collection at KLFW2018 promotes young and talented designers, featuring an inspiring limited- run collection for the urban traveller.
The limited-run collection is an early result of a collaboration – dedicated primarily to promoting young and talented designers – between MINI and The Woolmark Company, one of the world’s most recognised and respected brands in textile and fashion. The 16-piece MINI FASHION FIELD NOTES Capsule Collection, which was first introduced at the Pitti Uomo 94, features a quartet of up-and-coming international designers translating personal memories from travelling into fashion pieces using the finest Merino wool.
“A progressive and expressive brand, MINI is iconic and sets the trends and style of the creative class in the modern urban setting. This creative spirit and trendsetting expression are also very much present in the fashion industry. This is the idea and movement behind MINI FASHION.” Said Sashi Ambi, Head of Corporate Communications of BMW Group Malaysia.
The designers involved in the MINI FASHION FIELD NOTES Capsule Collection are Liam Hodges (UK), Staffonly (China), PH5 (USA), and Rike Feurstein (Germany). Most of them are alumni of the International Woolmark Prize, one of the world’s most renowned awards for rising stars of the fashion world. Using a variety of colours, forms and material compositions, featuring contemporary, innovative uses of wool as the principal material, the Capsule Collection epitomises the MINI brand’s open and optimistic mindset.
Liam Hodges, United Kingdom
British designer, Liam Hodges, lives and works in London. His work draws rich inspiration from modern sub-cultures, hip-hop skatewear, UK streetwear and post-punk influences which he fuses into punchy, multi-layered statements. His signature elements include wide silhouettes, patchworking and references to hard-wearing workwear and sportswear. These characteristics also feature in his pieces for the MINI FASHION FIELD NOTES Capsule Collection, which tell the stories of his encounters in New York City.
Staffonly, China
Shimo Zhou and Une Yea founded the young label, Staffonly, in Shanghai just three years ago. Their ethos of fashion combines technology and design with experiments on materials and colours for a provocative take on the subject, that is enhanced by unusual and sculpted silhouettes. Their designs exude curiosity and a yearning to explore a world still unknown. All very MINI FASHION, in other words. Their creations for the MINI FASHION FIELD NOTES Capsule Collection focus on Greenwich Park in England, a bolthole of tranquillity for Shimo and Une during their studies in London.
PH5, USA
Brought to life by Wei Lin – the daughter of a large knitwear manufacturer, and award-winning designer Mijia Zhangin in New York in 2014, PH5 majors in advanced contemporary knitwear. The label challenges the conventional vision of knitwear by marrying whimsical designs with the architectural dimensions of innovative knitting techniques. PH5 sets out to create boundary-breaking knitwear with a new and playful twist. Their pieces for the MINI FASHION FIELD NOTES Capsule Collection are inspired by the Art Deco District of Miami Beach.
Rike Feurstein, Germany
The work of Berlin designer Rike Fourstein explores the fine line between art and fashion. Deeply rooted in the vanishing craft of millinery, Rike creates hats and clothing in avant-garde shapes. With a keen eye, she experiments with surprising colour combinations, invents new kinds of surface structures and plays with surrealist details, thus creating contemporary, exclusive and elegant clothes and accessories. Her pieces for the MINI FASHION FIELD NOTES Capsule Collection draw on impressions from a trip to Russia – in particular the Catherine Palace south of St. Petersburg, the original home to the legendary Amber Room.