I have to thank blogger Susie Lau for many of my new designer discoveries. Although Miss Bubble has a far edgier and streetwear inspired style than yours truly, she never fails to give air time to emerging designers of all disciplines on her iconic blog. And so, this week whilst getting my daily Bubble-blog fix, I was introduced to Berlin-based brand ACHTLAND.
Launched in early 2012 by Thomas Bentz and Oliver Lühr, ACHTLAND is named after the mythical Celtic Queen who, born a mortal, found herself dissatisfied by the choice of mortal men and so elevated herself to goddess status by marrying a god – not a bad namesake, hey?
Lühr, the brands Creative Director summarises the brand as follows: “ACHTLAND is intended to encapsulate the tension that arises in the play of opposites: for example in the formal elegance of a Victorian dress shirt paired with the femininity of silk-georgette or the strong architectonic silhouette found in our evening dresses.”
Inspired by brightly coloured showbirds and their plumage, the ACHTLAND SS14 palette is a beautiful mix of sky blues, dusty pinks and a minimalist white. Beautiful mille feuille silk is layered in horizontal strips, with intricately embroidered flower and applique details. The pieces are created to sit close to the body, but loose enough to create a relaxed silhouette. It’s all clean-cut, minimalism with a twist – feminine, but not too girly. Made exclusively in Berlin, there is a real sense of craftsmanship in ACHTLAND’s work, and for a brand little over two years old I can’t wait to see what the duo are offering up for next season.
In the meantime I am saving my pennies for the collarless bomber jacket featured above, probably one of my favourite spring pieces I’ve seen for the season.
A selection of ACHTLAND’s SS14 “Prinzhorn’s Finches” collection is available to purchase here.
