Jakob Schlaepfer and Forster Willi present new creations

Jakob Schlaepfer and Forster Willi, the St.Gallen-based design houses for high-end fashion, have developed new creations for the global haute couture industry. According to a statement, the companies presented their latest designs at the Spring 2024 Couture fashion shows and the ready-to-wear fashion weeks Fall/Winter 2024-2025, which closed on 5 March, in Milan and Paris. Major labels including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Comme des Garçons, Viktor & Rolf and Giorgio Armani, as well as several other fashion designers, use both the new fabrics created by Jakob Schlaepfer and the on-trend appliqués and embroideries from Forster Willi.

"Fashion has always been an interesting reflection of how we currently see the world," Elisheva Senn, Creative Director at Forster Willi, is quoted as saying in the statement. "Right now, fashion embodies safe values and the focus is on the essentials." The creations, which were developed for the runways in collaboration with the major fashion houses, are predominantly timeless and simple. “But where something extraordinary was required, the highest level of craftsmanship was used,” added Fabio Di Silvio, Managing Director of Jakob Schlaepfer.

Both traditional ateliers have specialized in textiles for haute couture for many decades and belong to the St.Gallen-based Forster Rohner Group. ce/ww