A backstage look at Ninamounah’s exoskeleton-inspired AW20 collection

As a brand, Ninamounah has always been provocative. The Dutch label, headed by designer Ninamounah Langestraat and brand director Robin Burggraaf, has brought us a host of chaps (both in business and leisure fabrications), extremely high-cut leotards, and that trench coat with the saddle attached to the back for easy riding—but for their autumn/winter runways in Amsterdam and Lisbon, Ninamounah took things to new heights, literally and metaphorically.

At first glance, the structured handbags, clutched by models, seemed perfectly tame, even ladylike, but up close, intricate vaginal mouldings were apparent, making them a bit more ‘ladylike’ than your grandmother may like—a collaboration with Belgian multidisciplinary artist Stef Van Looveren, Not to be called exclusionary, however, the handbags and brief cases come in a variety of genitalia, including a shapely pair of glutes.

While there were definitely notes of humour in the collection, such as the addition of devil horns on their staple unisex Howling boots and the towering models on stilts, showing off extended runway versions of their pinstripe trousers, the overall tone of the collection was business, with vintage slick waved hairstyles and a study of ties, ranging from cropped models to torso-covering stylesc. The fetishisation of workwear fits naturally into the brand’s philosophy that “we are all animals wearing a dress of culture.”

Part of Ninamounah’s identity is taking a biological approach to design, which can be seen in their two-headed Mitosis pumps and the muscle-like ribbing of the repurposed motorcycle leather pieces. Backstage at Lisbon Fashion Week, Burggraaf told SLEEK that the second part of the brand’s fifth collection Metamorphosis Pt.2 is based on the animal and insect kingdom concept of the exoskeleton—the external shell that supports and protects a creature’s body. The jutting shapes created by the tailoring are created using corsetry techniques, favouring boning in the shoulders rather than pads.

While much of the collection was buttoned-up with oversized suiting, there were still flashes of skin that could be seen over the thigh-high square-toed boots and cutouts created with strategic draping. But the jaw-dropping look came at the end as Berlin-based vocalist, DJ and creative director Patrick Mason strode down the runway in what looked like a floor-length leather trench coat from the front, only to reveal a completely bare back and buttocks-just-about-concealed-in-fishnet-stockings as he passed spectators—no doubt cheekily recalling the shapely derriere of the accessories line.