Estonian Fashion Festival has reached its third installment – the Antonius 2022 fashion show. With great excitement, we are looking forward to doing something different this year. As Antonius is part of this year’s sTARTUp Day 2022, there will be also changes in the concept and program. For the first time ever, Antonius will show one digital fashion collection and there will be a panel discussion regarding this innovative topic. Antonius will also include a guest collection by the Design Hata concept store that represents Ukrainian fashion designers in Estonia.

There are 9 designers accepted through the Designers’ Contest to Antonius 2022 fashion show. Among the participating designers are two from Lithuania and one digital fashion collection, as well as accessories and womenswear collections. The Jury Members of the Designers’ Contest were Kätlin Häninen (Head of Buying and Merchandising at Kaubamaja), Mariann Lukka (Co-founder of Low imPACK, Founder of Zack Marques), Liis Tiisvelt (Head Organizer of Antonius, Host of “Mitut Moodi EFF”), and Karin Sepp (Incubation Manager at Tartu Centre for Creative Industries).

1. Maria Petraityte “DISTANCE FROM A POINT”

“My primary inspiration behind this collection is myself. In fashion field there is so much inspiration around us so I wanted in this collection listen to my own voice and to figure out my creative features. In order to do that, I restricted myself to only analyse and use my own creative works as a inspiration between 2018-2022. I created my own tool/method for self-analysis of creative work. In short story, I gathered all my primary information such as sketches, photos of garments, experiments and etc., then I analyse this information – search for creative frequency and define main personal creative features. The research shows that designs are dominated by the interaction of flexible lines and shapes, the garment is seen as a living object, transformations are used such as details of the garment which can be removed or modified. Key words: organics, structure, transformation.

These features reflect in a collection DISTANCE FROM A POINT. The study is combined with the symbols – spiral, tunnel and vortex. They represent self-exploring paths, evolution and growth of the spirit. Experiments are carried out with these forms in the creative process, the results of which are integrated directly into the constructions and cuts of the garments. The final BA (Vilnius Art Academy) collection DISTANCE FROM A POINT has the features of naturalness, organicity, deconstruction identified in the self-analysis of creative work research, integrated historical details such as lacings, give emotions of archaicness, visible garments transformation. The colorite is kept nuanced – dark
and warm earth tones. The collection balances between avant-garde and wearable fashion clothing. The main character in the collection becomes a nomad who travels from a starting point to a certain goal known only to him.”

2. Key Külaots “SEERIA_01”

“I’ve always been inspired by women who dare to swim against the tide and change the norm, but at the same time doesn’t take life too seriously. Men’s fashion on women has always fascinated me, as it has strength and power. At the same time it expresses freedom, movement, and flexibility with its size and spaciousness. This collection is based on being a woman. A woman with her various changing roles, her appearance and finding balance in the search between inside and outside. What has happened in the world in recent years has also put pressure for stronger lines. In it lies a woman’s desire to be and remain strong in difficult times and the courage to do something to make a change. “

3. By Kaire Avi “When material meets..”

“Very often I get inspired by the classics of men’s fashion as well as my own creation. It allows me to create bold accessories that have their own character. I like embedding a bit of history in my creation that makes it timeless and free.

I like using and combining different materials. Genuine leather with different finishes is my favorite because of the comfort, durability, and character that this venerable material embodies. The mesh tote bags are designed and made with mesh fabric scraps.”

4. Susanna Peters (Franz Raver) “Plastic perfect”

“The collection was inspired by today’s fast fashion, behind the scenes of the fashion industry, and extensive consumption – these three keywords are something we should pay very close attention to. As a result, the colors of the clothes in the collection seem to warn of danger – neon yellow, poison green, and contrasting black and white stripes. Plastic is perfect – it’s so insidiously hiding in our wardrobe that surrounds us all day long. Be it casual clothes, training clothes, or nightwear.”

5. COLLAB4MOOD (OMOM / Fibami / Lõõm / Paul Berg)

“There is power in cooperation. We are four starting brands and each of us has its own mission and message. We are united by a desire to offer special and soulful creations that are also sustainable and functional. The collection “COLLAB4MOOD” is a symbiosis of functional sportswear, and comfortable and elegant casual sets that you can make more festive by adding silver jewelry.

6. Viktorija Kuliavaite “SCANDSAND”

“Ongoing climate change makes a huge impact on climate, that is why people have to adapt to them very quickly. However, in Denmark, you can’t be sure about the weather or plan what to wear cause wind and rain are usually around the corner. According to statistics, in Denmark, there are 170 days of rain throughout the year, it depends on people’s clothing habits. Considering Danish weather conditions the main inspiration for the collection became the Danish seaside landscape, emphasizing the element – of rain, and the motivation to create a raincoats/rainwear collection, which will include modern science and textile technologies, adapting biomimicry like the main collection concept.”

7. Otto Antson “Glitch”

“The collection is inspired by glitch art and the electronic music genre techno. No materials are used yet because the collection will be digital.”

8. Anu Sirkas “Honeyland” (Antonius prize winner from OmaMood 2022 fashion show)

“I made a promise to myself before creating this collection. Stop searching too desperately for inspiration and start looking at simple things around you. Past years have been rough for the people of this planet with so many things taken away from us. So many lockdowns made our stay in the same places and the same routines. In order to keep the excitement alive, I had to change my perspective and try to see beauty in every little detail around me. Hence, the collection Honeyland was born in the countryside of my parents.”

9. Merily Mikiver & Marion Mölder “UTE” (Antonius prize winner from Mood-Performance-Tants 2022 fashion show)

“With our collection, we want to move away from the association of wool as a rough sweater. We want to create unconventional forms and move beyond the limits of the usual wool sweater and create a new and exciting outlet for wool yarn. By playing with holes, layers, asymmetry, and transparency, we show that knitwear can be playful and light.”

The Antonius 2022 fashion show will take place on August 24 at the White Hall of the University of Tartu Museum.