by Michaela Piontková
Prague is becoming a more and more popular tourist destination, especially with the Brits. Many know it for its sightseeing, cheap beer, and festivals, but what about the fashion scene?
Mercedes Benz Prague Fashion Week (MBPFW) might not be as famous as its other international brothers, but one thing is for sure. It’s perfectly organized. Never have I ever attended a show that started on time, while here it was ten minutes before the estimated start and all the models stood in the lineup ready to go.
Other than the exceptionally good organisation, the MBPFW works similarly to other fashion weeks. VIPs, less-VIPs, press, red carpet, and one brilliant show after another. Like other fashion weeks, Prague also presents home designers as well as international ones. Here are our picks of designers you should check out!
Tobias Schubert
While still studying at the prestigious Prague University UMPRUM, he’s already established his name on the Czech fashion scene with his brand Tobias Equipment, which is now rebranding to Tobias Schubert.
Tobias describes his brand as a bridge between haut couture and ready-to-wear, something that’s not often seen in the Czech Republic. This was evident in the collection; a lot of furs, a lot of leather, a lot of prints, but also finely crafted dresses, leather jackets, and coats. The duality of the brand is also seen in its non-binary focus, where the majority of the collection was gender-neutral and outfits were worn by both male and female models.
What also differentiates Tobias from others is his inspiration in cosplay.
“I have a great admiration for cosplay, those people create from anything available. Unfortunately, they aren’t acknowledged as much, even though they’re skilled in so many disciplines. I too don’t only focus on fashion, I also make equipment for concerts and music videos, and like cosplayers do, I also try using different materials you might not expect to see.”
This has become his signature as we saw different cosplay elements throughout his previous work. For his first two collections his models wore elf ears, in this collection we saw hand-painted skulls. He makes the accessories an important part of his collections rather than something that supports the clothes.
Tomáš Němec
A designer known for his movie-inspired collections made his debut in 2022 with Æterna, a collection inspired by Gaspar Noéh Lux’s movie, and ever since then, he has been one of the most anticipated designers on the Czech fashion scene.
“My inspiration comes from film, theatre, TV series, and pretty much anything that has a certain aesthetic, certain theatricality. This collection could be set in White Lotus season 2, a very exaggerated Italy. The previous one was more of a French Noir.”
Presenting us with another of his movie fantasies, Nemec showed his Cruise 24 on Friday the 24th of
April winning the audience over once again.
“A lot of people were comparing it to the Italian Riviera, I was thinking more of a hotel lobby. The show started at 5 pm which for me is a time of sort of a meeting point in hotels. Some people are coming back from the beach, some are going for dinner, some are heading to the bar, you see a lot of different characters which is what I was trying to reflect in this collection.”
Indeed, the collection was what every woman imagines herself wearing when getting engaged to her extremely hot and hardworking boyfriend in the middle of July in Italy where he took her to celebrate her birthday. Black corset mini dress, black silk tunic, white bodycon dress, leopard print long corset dress, lime green oversized maxi dress, long split red chiffon dress, and many more, made this collection one where truly every woman can find her style. As the designer himself said, it’s a collection representing all different characters.
Luckily, Nemec’s dresses are more accessible than the dreamy fiancé and can be found in his atelier in Prague or at least admired on his Instagram.
Jean Gritsfeldt
During the week of the brand’s 12th anniversary, Jean Gritsfeldt traveled to Prague to present his
collection dedicated to women.
“I’m tired of the patriarchy. We want to point out that the society is still heavily oriented on men. As a member of those who stand on top, a man, I’m trying to break this and help her, serve the goddess that a woman is. Beautiful, and intelligent, I believe that we are in the era of women, with all the wars and disasters that are happening in the male-dominated world.”
Indeed, the collection was full of black dresses with feminine hourglass silhouettes completed with gold accessories. The most significant piece was a black sequin minidress with golden armor placed over the upper body and tights presenting a woman as a strong warrior.
As if Jean wasn’t already loveable enough for his admiration and respect for women, he adds to the list of why we should be fans with his focus on sustainability.
“A lot of the outfits and elements are made out of reusable materials. There’s actually a dress, that I will be wearing tonight, that is made out of old dancing shoes. It’s also our way of pointing out the “walking in someone else’s shoes.” Something you would never think of in fashion but it’s important to talk about.”
It’s clear that his mission is to point to different current topics. When asked where he takes the
inspiration from, he stated that essentially from himself. He believes that if one is true to oneself,
connected with oneself, it’s easier to notice everything that surrounds us and get inspired.
Arturo Obegero
A similar philosophy is shared by Arturo Obegero who launched his brand in 2020 in Paris and is now establishing his company across Europe.
“My brand is a description of who I am. I think the more honest you are with yourself, with your roots, and your personality, the more it shows in your collections so there’s always a reference to my Spanish roots, my hometown, and my culture mixed with my passions such as dance, photography, performance, disco, surrealism, cinema. I always like to take their essence, combine it, and create a new vision. I’d say my collections are brutally romantic and a minimal drama because they are always very sleek but have those dramatic elements.”
Indeed, Obegero’s collection was a representation of all of what he described. Black high-waist trousers with a sequin sheer top and a black cape resembled the silhouette of a Spanish bullfighter. A black jumpsuit with red sequin vertical stripes combined with a slightly cropped jacket with the same pattern is what I imagine a Spanish disco to be. A black lace turtleneck styled with gloves of the same pattern, a black blazer, and trousers are romantic but seductive at the same time.
Although all the pieces presented on the show
looked so cohesive, they were all from different
collections.
“We have some pieces from the AW 23 collection, some skin pieces from AW22, and they all work together nicely. I don’t really believe in the idea of trends, always purchasing more and more, I’d rather make clothes that you can have for the rest of your life, that are timeless.”
Marketing vice, this can be considered a perfect strategy. Arturo not only introduced us to what his
whole brand is truly about but also proved that his pieces can be freely combined. It’s sort of like saying, “You can buy one piece every season, and you’ll still be able to build a cohesive closet.”
Hana Valtová
Alongside renowned designers, MBPFW also gives space to young designers to show their talent.
Partnered with a Prague boutique Van Graaf, they organize a contest Van Graaf Junior Talent contest, where the final four finalists get to present their collection on the runway, and the winner is then announced after the show. This year’s winner is Hana Valtová, whose main inspiration comes from the history of fashion and craft technology.
“I love to look at the history of fashion and apply different historical elements to modern-era fashion. This collection is called Dandizette and was inspired by dandyism which is a style from the 18th and 19th century describing a group of men who particularly cared about their appearance, not only in the physical way but also about their social status. They were extremely picky in what they wore only choosing the most fashionable and high-quality clothes. When I was researching this phenomenon, I learned that despite it being heavily men-focused, there was also a women’s version of this group called Dandizette who either wore menswear or gave exaggerated attention to their appearance spending multiple hours getting ready, which is what I tried to embody in this collection.”
Indeed, Hana’s love for the craft and history is reflected in the collection. Each garment presented a perfect combination of both the female silhouettes with 18th-century menswear elements such as the high collars, and the male silhouettes embroidered with 3D flowers giving it the exaggerated female touch.
Edited by Emily Duff