ROOTEDNESS AND LIBERATION

Heirlooms – designed to last forever

We often find inspiration in other cultures, but what about our own? Beyond the clichés a country might be known for, there are many regional peculiarities that are worth exploring. My interest in traditional costumes, which arose from my upbringing in the South of Germany, is directed at the sophisticated traditional techniques of handicraft, the quality of the materials and the inscribed stylistic codes, but also at the way in which traditional costumes connect with the landscape surrounding them, how they are an integral part of people’s lives and are worn for many generations.

I found a local traditional weaving mill and a dirndl tailor. I got to know the people who are connected with this tradition, who have been preserving and developing it for years thus maintaining an important counterpart to the textile industry at mass scale. Starting from the traditional costume of Miesbach in Bavaria that I grew up with, I designed a collection of traditional costumes, influenced by the fabrics of the region and the nature that surrounds it.
I used organic, durable materials, traditional hand craft techniques, plant based dyes and hand knits. The garments in this collection have the potential to become loved, favorite pieces and to become heirlooms – just like I am wearing pieces that my great grandmother created over a hundred years ago.

Mirjam von Mengershausen