Cottweiler on Making Fashion Experiential

The concept-led menswear label are known for fusing technical fabrication with classic luxury. Here, we discuss their elevation of fashion into an experiential art form through paradoxically wearable clothes.

If I told you that Cottweiler’s designs are born out of conceptual ideas, you’d be forgiven for assuming that their clothes are relatively unwearable, avant garde at the least. And in many respects they fulfil the latter. The menswear label founded four years ago by Ben Cottrell and Matthew Dainty fuses conceptual and character-based ideas with an advanced use of technical fabrication, cutting silhouettes that at first may appear to emulate your comfortable athletic wear, but prove that first appearances can be deceptive.

Citing youth subcultures, sports and terrace cultures as influences, Cottweiler admit that they draw the majority of their inspiration away from fashion. Instead the duo look towards their own personal experiences and social environments, both of which develop and evolve in correspondence to their lives. This incidental shunning of mainstream fashion practices results in a brand that has found its feet through seasonal collections which are at once comfortable, wearable, and practical, created for modern living.

One of many things that distinguishes Cottweiler from their peers is a preference for presentations over catwalk shows. It’s no secret that fashion is an expensive industry to get started in, and financial reasons are often why an increasing amount of designers are opting for presentations. But for Cottweiler, it helps to articulate their concepts. “You have the opportunity to really put your stamp on things. Brand identity is one of the most important things and sometimes we feel that the way things are showcased don’t put across the whole story.” Which is why the two construct an immersive presentation that allows people to fully experience their collection. From the location, to the lighting, to the music, they are as absorbed in creating a mood as they are in coming up with your new favourite clothes.

People's perception of luxury has changed, at the same time that classic idea of luxury will always remain

Spring/Summer 2016 saw Cottweiler design with a calm aesthetic in mind as an intentional juxtaposition to the fashion industry’s hectic pace. As well as applying softer colours and trims to their clothes, the experience itself was holistic, with calm lighting and relaxing music. The pace enabled people to come and go as they pleased, with the option to stay for the whole two and half hours if they so wished. “It’s really interesting for us to see how people behave in different situations and we’ve had a bit of practice now. It almost feels like the pace you would view an artwork in a gallery, you take your time, you find the things you like about it.”

The freedom that Cottweiler allow their fans and followers is something intrinsic to the brand. If you’re buying into Cottweiler, you’re buying into it in the way you want. You’re not force-fed, you’re enabled to experience the brand at your pace. “The presentation lets the viewer look at it in their own way. They can be creative by photographing it on their phones themselves, creating their own image, something they and only they can own.” Seeing how people react and behave in these situations is important for the duo. For their Autumn/Winter 2015 show the presentation was a disturbing and jarring event, without a doubt evocative. Exploring different perspectives on technology, human touch and the future, parallels were found in the work of experimental sound artist Holly Herndon. “We were starting to explore the concept of a kind of different perspective on technology and the future, and mixing technology with human interaction, human touch and nature. She was exploring a similar theme in her music so after we had spoken it was just the perfect fit.”

The two parties paired up and Herndon began conceiving the soundtrack for the A/W15 presentation, merging samples of nature with fabricated electronic sounds. The models were all positioned atop filing cabinets, and at one point the bass was so heavy that it reverberated through the metal and caused one boy to vomit and almost pass out. Their reaction? Success. They want people to remember their presentations, and they’ve definitely achieved that.

We like to confuse people a little bit, that's a part of our identity

This diverse approach to fashion shows started with younger brands but has quickly been picked up by some of the most high-end fashion houses. Fabled French brand Chanel has quickly become known for its recent stint of extravagant catwalk shows, which involve recreating mundane everyday scenarios. From airports to supermarkets, the most minute of details are accounted for, all recreated in iconic Chanel double C-logo style. The result is a changing perception of how luxury is defined, and a reclamation of the experiential as our lives become increasingly more defined by online interactions. The average person now spends more time online and on tech than they do sleeping, so it’s a pertinent time for us to be pulled back into the real world, and experiential events are a successful way to do that.

Cottweiler's deceptive use of fabrication becomes a luxury element in itself. For their Autumn/Winter 2015 range they created a fabric which appeared to be crisp cotton but was actually Teflon coated nylon. While wearing sports and casual wear may have its practical benefits, if you’re working outside of the creative industries chances are your boss won’t be best pleased if you turn up to a meeting in tracksuit bottoms. Which led Ben and Matthew to question, “why does something need to be this technical? Does this really fit into our lifestyles or our customers' lifestyle? People’s perception of luxury has changed, at the same time that classic idea of luxury will always remain.”

Brands like Stone Island have become synonymous with fabric innovation, the Stone Island Shadow Project line aims to redefine technology in terms of quality. And yet thanks to their heritage they still have an inherently traditional Italian design. For Cottweiler, it’s a case of streamlining your life through convenience. “The Teflon coated fabric has got a brushed cotton on the inside so it’s super soft but it’s stainproof, it’s waterproof. It’s practical. People don’t like doing washing every day. The thought of walking around in a heavy tweed jacket in 2016 is insane. You can get that warmth and that protection with something that’s a third of the weight, and it’s easier to care for, and it takes up less space in your tiny flat in London. It’s just a modern way of looking at it.” And it’s an approach that more and more brands are deciding to take as fabric mills use classic fibres and yarns and treat them with modern technology in order to make them more relevant.

The illusion of things not being quite what they seem gives a taste of the brand’s playfulness - if a model vomiting everywhere during a show wasn’t enough to. “Contradiction is a big thing, on a purely aesthetic level we like something to look like something but when you get closer and touch it, it’s something else. We like to confuse people a little bit. That’s part of our identity.” Yet Cottweiler garments remain completely wearable, “we think about the end consumer because we are the end consumer.” They integrate the use of technology, not as a fad, but as a way to improve lives, starting with their own. Experiential presentations act as a conduit for their concepts and brand ethos, as does their involvement with every stage of the planning. It results in a brand that is equipped to evolve with the times and needs of modern living. Cottweiler keep themselves guessing as much as us.