Coco Chanel once said that good design means avoiding excessive unnecessary embellishments – but then again, she’s never seen the densely detailed masterpieces by Berlin’s own Augustin Teboul. While design hailing from the German capital has become associated with a certain simple aesthetic (not to say formulaic), Augustin Teboul suddenly came along and added – excuse the cliché – some exotic spices to the mix.
The duo presented their most wearable collection thus far, with pieces that can be worn individually without making too strong a commitment to a specific look. That said, each garment, wearable as it may be, oozed with gorgeous details and apparent hand-crafted labour: there were woven braids on leather, there were macramé elements on knitwear, there was tulle, lace, dotted sheer nylon, pompons, and tassels, tassels, tassels in every shape and size. The only thing that remains elementary is the exclusive use of the colour black.
And to frame the triumphant explosion of each garment, there was symmetry. Several dresses, jackets, and boleros had a constructed diamond shape that gave the look a fitted tone and thus easily maintained the collection within the scope of brilliant couture rather than… ermm… demented witch bride wear.
While the hours of work invested in the headpieces were probably only done to produce the show pieces, we certainly hope that the other accessories, particularly the purses and clutches, will enter the full production line. A tiny leather clutch with a piece cut out for the fingers of the hand holding it bore an oversized tassel that swung from side to side as the model walked down the runway. It’s this swinging motion that summed up what Ausutin Teboul do best – breathe life into their creations.