Some of you may have noticed it in one of our first lookbooks from 2016: the mannequins have no faces, the clothes don't always fit perfectly, and some pieces deliberately appear unfinished. What might seem odd at first glance was a very deliberate design choice – and a tribute to a nearly forgotten piece of fashion history.
The lookbook for our Fall/Winter 2016/17 collection was inspired by the so-called paper doll – those paper figures with which generations of children (and not only them) have playfully designed fashion. Using scissors, paper, and glue, colors, fabrics, and patterns were combined, discarded, and reimagined. It was precisely this free, experimental approach that we wanted to transfer to our collection.
Those who dismiss paper dolls today as mere nostalgic kitsch underestimate their cultural significance. Paper dolls tell fashion history, reflect societal ideals, and often offer a surprisingly critical perspective on gender roles. From today's perspective—in a time when sustainable fashion increasingly engages with social and cultural issues—these historical connections are particularly compelling.
The history of the paper doll dates back to the 18th century. As early as 1791, theJournal of Luxury and FashionThe so-called "English dolls" were toys that brought joy not only to children but also to adult women – because they allowed one to "sensually study" good and bad taste in clothing. However, paper dolls only became truly popular in the 19th century, when new printing techniques enabled their mass distribution.
In the 20th century, they continued to evolve: In the USA, they reached their peak between the 1930s and 1950s. In economically difficult times, they were affordable toys – and at the same time a projection screen for an idealized world. Many dolls bore the faces of famous women like Grace Kelly, Jackie Kennedy, or Twiggy, thereby conveying common gender roles of their time.
At the same time, paper dolls also opened up spaces beyond these clichés. Figures were depicted as working women, in East Germany primarily as factory workers, adapted to the prevailing social ideology. In the 1970s, paper dolls finally became more colorful, louder, and more playful – entirely in keeping with the fashion of the time.
Paper dolls were never just toys. They were always also a space for experimentation – for fashion, identity, and social perceptions. It was precisely this openness and joy of combining things that inspired us back then.
Fazit
Looking back, this early lookbook is emblematic of something that has stayed with us to this day: the joy of experimentation, of consciously breaking with convention, and of playfully engaging with fashion. The paper doll serves as a reminder that fashion is never static – it's a process. Mix it up, baby. Colors, qualities, and patterns can be reimagined. We supply the perfect organic fabrics – everything else comes from your ideas.