LONDON: Traditional clothing, like high fashion, is made with elaborate workmanship and luxurious fabrics. Encompassing a surprising variety of garments and styles, it not only embodies the cultural heritage and identity of the regions where it is produced, but also offers a wealth of inspiration to fashion designers looking to create enduring garments beyond fast-paced trends.
This is what it says in the introduction of the book TRADITIONAL COUTURE (in English) and TRACHTEN (in German) by Gestalten Verlag in Berlin and it could be also said about some of the designers showing at #LFW last week in the British capital. In the book the German fashion photographer Gregor Hohenberg portrays the individuals who currently wear authentic, traditional attire throughout his homeland. With his vision of fashion photography (he works for Elle, Vogue and Harpers Bazaar) he captures in each picture his own couture moment, by showing the high precision of detail and tailoring.
It reminds me of the materials, embroideries and details we saw last week during #LFW by designers like Erdem, Christopher Kane, Preen Line and Burberry Prorsum, just to name a few, and it is great pleasure to see the return of high craftsmanship in fashion.
So keep that in mind when you might visit the Oktoberfest in Munich this weekend and I can only advise you to have a look through this beautiful book for your own choice of traditional Tracht.