Project Overview

In follow up to the debut collection Aves Insecta, the second collection from Tettmann.Doust, Corpus Ephemera, concludes their anatomical study on birds and insects.

Organisation

Tettmann.Doust

Team

Elke Doust & Naomi Tettmann

Project Brief

In Corpus Ephemera SS12, Tettmann.Doust soften their scientific gaze to deliver a sensual range that harnesses the fragile beauty of birds and insects, their rituals, and the delicate traces that mark such a passage. Like the shed skin of a cicada, a silken cocoon, this collection is imbued with the exquisite suggestion of both faltering and burgeoning life. In turns playful and restrained, sheer layers delicately spun are paired with fine kangaroo leather, intricate prints and elaborately beaded finishes. Following on from Aves Insecta, Corpus Ephemera concludes Tettmann.Doust’s detailed study of birds and insects in a final elegant tribute.

Project Need

Tettmann.Doust attempt to dissolve the seasonality of fashion, by presenting collections which explore annual themes and pattern blocks, so that winter and summer may flow into one another seamlessly, promoting timelessness and longevity.
Style alone is not the primary motivation behind the label, rather to produce garments which deal foremost in a concept. Style follows intuitively, secondary to the idea itself, but not without consideration to accessibility and function.
Tettmann.Doust have developed new aesthetic values by combining seemingly disparate elements. By exploring the beauty of contrasts and opposites, and combining this with the inspiration they draw from the natural world, the partnership provide a novel perspective through the harmonious marriage of their thought and skill. Seeking to bring craftsmanship and couture finishing to the ready to wear market, Tettmann.Doust indulge their dedication to artistic practices new and old.

Design Challenge

With their second collection, timing was certainly a challenge for the label. Having taken time in bringing the label to bear for the first collection, the second was the first time the pair had worked to the pressure and constraints of the bi-annual nature of the industry.

Sustainability

Tettmann.Doust do not practice fast fashion, rather slow fashion that they believe will stand the test of time. As a way of maintaining this stance, they produce small quantities of garments that are not based on current fashion trends. Onshore production ensures the support of local workers and their skills, cuts down on freight involved in sampling & production and enables Tettmann.Doust to oversee work at close hand, maintaining high quality standards. These standards are also upheld by the process of in-house sampling, which allows the designers full control over design and finish, assuring the longevity of garments not only in terms of design, but also of make.
Now, in their second season, Tettmann.Doust have the infrastructure to help support the development of other young designers, by offering internships and work placement positions. In doing so, they are able to pass on their ideas of sustainable craftsmanship. At this stage of their business, this mutually beneficial practice is one of the ways in which they are able to actively give back to the industry.