Melitta Baumeister, whose ongoing Nike collaboration is going like blazes, created a spring collection for artletes. “I just felt so much how craftsmanship is also some sort of athleticism,” she said on a Zoom call, “because to be good at anything, you have to do it a lot and you have to repeat yourself a lot.” The designer’s continued commitment to strong silhouettes cut through the sameness of the season like a knife. On a sour apple green dress the brand’s ball shape was created by placing pleats at different angles. Wired hems and necklines created graphic asymmetric shapes that defied gravity, and foam gave structure to small cap-sleeves jackets with Peter Pan collars.
The body prints that appeared throughout were related to the centrality of the body in sports (and dress). It’s a logically sound idea that read somewhat gimmicky as it distracted from the boldness of the cuts. What was notable here were the above-the-knee hemlines, inspired by Baumeister’s own exercise regimen. “I was cycling so much in the summer and my big skirts are always too long and I kept tacking them up,” she said. “I felt like you don’t have to be so young to wear short skirts.”
The designer explained that she has continually lightened the weight of her sculptural designs, making them easier to sport in day-to-day life. Engagement with reality and materiality was also on her mind: “In the times that we live in now, it becomes more and more important that you notice that things are made by hand,” she said. “I feel very connected to that and I think craft is getting more important.” In response she created pieces with a kind of fringe made of hand-shaped appliqués, as well as prop bags of clay and a wearable jacket of lighter air clay (the last look). It was a hero piece destined to have an outfit molded around it.
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