#kassl

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Kassl

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Eleanor Calder | February 15, 2023

Getting new tattoos from @mikelovetattooer, Eleanor was wearing this KASSL leather jacket, Zara top, ROTATAE joggers and UGG platform boots ⤵︎

KASSL Editions Wide-Sleeve Faux-Leather Jacket

— £830 / $1,054

Zara Rib Top in White

— £6 / $9

ROTATE Sunday-Logo Knit Cotton Joggers

— SOLDOUT

UGG Neumel Platform Chelsea Boots

— £145

[heqqxxe]

recent loves: Jil Sander sheerling bag, Kassl shoulder bag, Maison Margiela shoulder bag, John Richmond metal tip derby, Justine Clenquet earrings, BLESS necklace, Heliot Emil shoulder bag, Jil Sander studded derby

[sketchonista]

KASSL Editions shot at Amsterdam Fashionweek

[lagarconne-journal]

Introducing –– Kassl

Kassel, Germany is best known as a castle-laden hub with contemporary art ties, hosting the once-every-five-years Documenta art exhibition amidst sprawling garden landscapes and ornate historic landmarks. Overlooking the Fulda river, the city is historically a vital rail junction and industrial center, with roots in speciality manufacturing.

It’s here, at the intersection of high art and craftsmanship, that Amsterdam’s Graanmarkt 13 founders Ilse Cornelissens and Tim van Geloven (along with friends working in various fashion fields) established a hyper-focused collection of outerwear––Kassl Editions. Instantly achieving cult status when it launched in Europe in 2017, the label draws from a vintage fisherman’s coat prototype, working modern colorways and what the founders call "radical quality" into each inimitable piece. Marking our Kassl Editions launch, we spoke to founder Ilse Cornelissens about the label’s unconventional origins, artistic underpinnings, and the concept of timeless, democratic design.

1. Tell us a bit about your collective background and what drew you to create a label solely focused on outerwear?

Our venture started as a true friends affair. Fashion agent Bart Ramakers ran into a long time no see girlfriend who was wearing an old fisherman’s coat. A true worker’s coat with functional details, a wonderful oily shine because of its years of wear, and a generous shape with lots of fashion potential. A few weeks later in Antwerp, me and my husband Tim van Geloven, the driving duo behind Graanmarkt 13, meet up with Bart and when he tells us about the coat, we instantly get nervous. Creating an outerwear collection is our dormant dream and the time seemed right to make it a reality. The three of us quickly made plans to launch a sample collection.

Taking to heart the maxim “do one thing and do it well”, we devoted ourselves to the production of one coat. To evoke desire, you need radical quality. One item that lasts for a lifetime. Launching a new brand is a huge undertaking so gradually we surrounded ourselves with the right people: French designer Camille Serra who has almost twenty years of experience as a designer and creative director at Joseph and was head designer at Maison Martin Margiela, Gijsje Ribbens (former fashion editor for Vogue Netherlands) as our art director and stylist, graphic designer Merel van den Berg who also works for The Gentlewoman, production manager Charlotte Schreuder who works for Bart’s Parrot Agency (Wandler, Michael Halpern, …) and scenography director Bob Verhelst, who created Martin Margiela’s exhibition for Hermès. These are just some of the beautiful threads that come together in KASSL.

2. Kassl Editions coats are produced in Kassel, Germany, and not in a typical “fashion” city. What is inspiring about Kassel, and how are these elements reflected in the collections?

Indeed, for the production we traveled to a place where art and craftsmanship, rather than fashion, are the talk if the town. The German city of Kassel is home to the renowned art exhibition documenta, but also to Josef Koch. He runs a respected family business known for its durable utility wear, preferred by both the national fire brigade and retailer Manufactum. The quality Josef delivers is fantastic. Although he isn’t a fashion designer, he perfectly knows how a piece works. Understanding technical matters is critical – and Josef has the answers. Together with the team and Parrot Agency, he streamlines the design-to-manufacture process and generates new ideas such as the laundry tag elegantly hidden in a little pocket. The collaboration is so enriching, and quality is so important to us, that we decide to name our brand after Kassel.  

3. Could you speak to the latest collection, specifically about the color palette, where you sourced the fabric, and the overall Kassl look?

From experience, we know that a strong technical character contrasts nicely with luxury so we travel to Italy to select the best of Limonta fabrics, known for its expertise in desirable luxury. Using materials and a colour palette that are at once seasonal and surprising – see the gold and silver editions in foil-transferred lambskin – the latest collection draws inspiration from the work and personal style of the German contemporary artist Isa Genzken. The high-shine Lacquer Pink edition, for example, was inspired by the trousers worn by Genzken in the 1995 portrait Isa, dancing by Wolfgang Tillmans.

4. What is the most important aspect when creating each piece?

A counterpoint to an era of excess and overproduction, KASSL coats are meticulously handmade to last a lifetime or longer. All of our coats have original functional details, paying tribute to their workman’s roots. The buttons are fastened with metal rings so they never fall off, the glued seams and back openings make the coats both 100% water repellent and breathable. The quality and technical superiority of the KASSL coat is matched by its aesthetic credentials. The oversized silhouette of the classic fisherman’s coat has been subtly tailored to flatter all wearers. Obsessive streamlining has resulted in features such as the coat’s concealed laundry label. Every garment is individually numbered for authenticity.

5. How does Kassl interpret timeless?

We focus on what really matters: quality and beauty. The KASSL shape is so democratic that it fits everyone. The interstellar coat transcends styles, times and generations. He presents himself with a coolness that is very easy to aspire to. One coat, one shape, with a beautiful drape. The design is so strong that it can endlessly serve as a starting point for collections with various lengths, fabrics and colors.

Shop Kassl here.

[sketchonista]

KASSL Editions shot at Amsterdam Fashionweek

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