Merging a new perspective on old traditions and a luxurious take on upcycling, the new capsule collection by Ukrainian designer Kristina Bobkova and photographer Anna Scheidemann is inspired by the art of costume making. The launch of the collaboration BOBKOVA x SCHEIDEMANN marks the current highlight of Anna Scheidemann’s deep commitment to traditional garments and her special research into Hessische Trachten. Throughout the past year, Ukrainian designer Kristina Bobkova and photographer Scheidemann developed and created a unique collection that reflects the unique details and silhouettes of traditional Trachten . Side by side they created 32 handmade and unique pieces, that are now available in a namesake exclusively upcycled collaboration.

While the two women have been close friends for years, Kristina Bobkova’s decision to flee to Marburg when the full-scale war against Ukraine started, has brought them even further together, quickly prompting ideas of a possible creative collaboration for a fashion collection. For Anna Scheidemann, the matter of such a joint project was identified easily: “I am very inspired by the beauty of Hessische Trachten,a historical clothing style that originates back to the 16th century, that I came across during my dive into the country’s history after moving here from Ukraine. It reminds me of our home country’s roots, so I started my project by shooting traditional catholic and evangelical Traditional costumes in Marburg-Biedenkopf (Middle Hessen) – and ever since the motives recur in my practice.”

In Bobkova she found the perfect partner to share the aesthetic and cultural sensitivity to transform her vision into a mutual fashion collection. In the development process, both women studied the old national clothes of Middle Hessen: “Books, exhibitions – we absorbed everything and used it for our inspiration! Museums opened not only their doors for us but also the archives, where we worked with old clothes using gloves,” says Kristina Bobkova.

BOBKOVA X SCHEIDEMANN – a combination of minimalism and vintage

The philosophy of upcycling is the core of the BOBKOVA x SCHEIDEMANN collection, translating the heritage of traditional craftsmanship into a contemporary and empowering tailoring. Bobkova and Scheidemann carefully choose items from antique and vintage shops, transforming original skirts and blouses into elevated everyday pieces:

The BOBKOVA X SCHEIDEMANN collaboration displays a combination of minimalism and vintage. While this collection is inspired by traditional German attire, but all garments are not considered as national specific clothing. The straight and A-silhouette dresses reflect the signature minimalistic style of BOBKOVAs collections, but they are adorned with velvet trim, silk and lace ribbons. In this collaboration pleated-classic skirts are reworked into sundresses and dresses, especially highlighted with vintage German national braids. Moreover the collection reinterprets the typical Hessen cuts of traditional German shirts and jackets and men’s trousers, incorporating detachable details such as collars, cuffs, and belts.

The color scheme of the collection is classic black, and shades of green, ranging from light sage and herbal to deep dark green, burgundy, and powder pink. The sweaters, hand-knitted by Anna Scheidemann, are also made from recycled yarn according to the technology and designs of Kristina Bobkova. Handcrafted elements can be found throughout the collection, including covered buttons, embroidery, and the restoration of antique ribbons, all made by Ukrainian craftswomen. The collection focuses on the upcycling of vintage fabrics, lace, ribbons, and buttons. A closer look at the finishing of coat pockets, the collars of jackets, shirt-fronts, dresses and belts, show that they are made of old (dating even back to the 19th century) materials and braids. The collection’s accessories include detachable collars, ribbons and bows, all inspired by the Trachten of Hessen. The pendants of the earrings, made of gilded brass, are crafted from upcycled antique buttons.

“By passing down the image of Hessische Tracht in the form of a lasting upcycled yet timeless collection we can ensure that this valuable piece of cultural heritage remains alive and celebrated among future generations. We are deeply grateful to our partner SO/ Berlin Das Stue, for supporting our vision and launch and to the directors and people who enthusiastically told us about all the intricacies of the trades in their region and enabled this meaningful project” says Anna Scheidemann.

“SO/ Berlin Das Stue has a focus on great fashion collaborations. We are happy to be able to support the vision of Bobkova x Scheidemann and host the event, which perfectly fits into our brand’s philosophy“ says, Claudia Wagner, Marketing Manager at SO/ Berlin Das Stue, which held the collection preview on May 31th. At the presentation, the guests were able to try the collection in an intimate setting alongside the designers and got a first view at the lookbook that was shot by Anna Scheidemann.

Credit: Anna Scheidemann