At its core, the medieval science of alchemy is defined by transformation. The ability to change the properties of one object by exposing them to something new is exactly how German designer Marie Lueder approached the next stage of her S/S 25 collection. Following her show at Berlin Fashion Week in July, today her brand made its London Fashion Week debut with ‘Albedo’ (the second stage of Magnum Opus representative of purity and enlightenment). While the Berlin show focused on the brand’s streetwear side (graphic tees galore), LUEDER's London show proved to be a deeper exploration of tailoring and alchemic craft.
‘Classic pieces, for me, should always be timeless. So I designed them in a way that I can dye them again,’ they told me the week leading up to the show. At her East London studio, the designer gave me a close-up look at the rust-dying process. With the help of artist Thomas P. Grogan, the rust from oxidised brass and steel amulets creates stained talismans adorning the collars of hoodies and blazers. It’s a holistic, albeit archaic, approach to adornment that fits seamlessly with the medieval inspirations. A backbone for the brand is knight’s armour, with the brand’s signature ribbed knitwear, alongside an exciting debut of soft tailoring, which mimics the rigid formation of armour while Lueder’s fluid draping offers a softer, protective shield.
While the nobility of knights made their way into the finer details, it was the jester that defined the collection. ‘The fool in medieval times wasn’t just entertainment for the royals, they were able to tell difficult stories and package it with humour,’ she tells me. It’s through her comical muse that LUEDER’s latest strikes the perfect balance between menacing edge and charming charactering. This was personified in the playful jester cap with elongated ears.
With this debut on the London Fashion Week catwalk under the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN initiative, LUEDER continues to forge a unique path, balancing historical references with contemporary relevance. A collection that’s both a celebration of transformation and a shield against life’s battles, LUEDER is writing a new chapter in fashion’s alchemical book.
