For the first time ever Swiss fashion designers belonging to the Mode Suisse collective have shown their work at the London and Paris Fashion weeks. London saw fledging stars Marc Stone and Julian Zigerli exhibit their A/W 2014 men's collections. Zigerli became known after he was selected by Giorgio Armani and Italian Vogue to present his "One and Only" collection in Milan in January. "It was a big show with 350 guests. I met many important fashion industry people and I feel like I know my way better now in such an environment," said the young Swiss designer to Hello Switzerland.
Other Swiss talents on show in London were Katka and Zuzka Griesbach, popular for their exquisite leather handbags; Ginny Litscher, known for her feminine ethereal scarves; Claudia Zuber, famous for her surgical precision in cuts; Studio Winkler, whose designer established her name with a striking palette of colours and a futuristic take on belted robes and wraps; and the two fashion schools in Basel and Geneva.
The British Fashion Council and the Swiss Embassy in the UK invited the designers, whose shows were curated by Swiss fashion platform Mode Suisse, to the International Fashion Showcase to introduce them to interested buyers, the international press and public.
"As for Paris, it was our own initiative as it is still THE most important place for all fashion labels and also for emerging designers, Yannick Aellen the co-founder of Mode Suisse told us, adding that the group is taking a measured approach to bringing Swiss fashion to the international stage – not least because of the cost." Our approach is slow and reflected," he says, "We would like to be able to give well selected Swiss designers a chance to visit Paris every season. This is important if one day we want to have one of these designers showing their collection down the catwalk in the official schedule. We need to create a certain buzz and are very hopeful that introducing some of these names in two of the world's biggest fashion capitals, famous for nurturing emerging talents, will give them opportunities to grow and become globally known brands."
