Ones to Watch: The Berlin-based designer that is making a case for couture

Dawid Tomaszewski

Dawid Tomaszewski

We’ve feared the permanent death of couture for quite some time now. Since being eschewed for the faster world of ready-to-wear in the ’70s, the art form seems to be shrinking in significance ever so slightly year after year. So it’s exciting to see new talent taking an interest in the techniques of old master couturiers. Take Dawid Tomaszewski, the Berlin-based designer whose decadent pieces display timeless elegance and attention to detail, establishing a “new couture.”

Born in Poland, Tomaszewski has been (quite thoroughly) educated at the London College of Fashion, the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin, and the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznan. In 2009, he was shortlisted for Berlin’s “Designer for Tomorrow” prize and even received some attention from houses like Sonia Rykiel and Comme des Garçons. For Spring 2011, he experimented with a mix of structure and lightness: frothy, stiff ruffles shown alongside billowing, sheer dresses. Magnifique! (Or should we say, herrlich.)

Among our favourites from the collection: a long, airy white dress that looks as if it’s printed with rope, as well as the voluminous oyster-coloured feather pieces. The collection is full of showstoppers for evening and just goes to show that even if traditional couture dies out, its luxurious techniques don’t have to.

View the Dawid Tomaszewski collection »

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