The Collaboration STF x Gewerbemuseum Winterthur (FW25)
The Story
To BE… who you are in today’s generation without apology or disguise.
It is about creating an armor that protects while making a bold, glittering statement. A statement of visibility, strength, and authenticity.
Being who you are is what truly matters, regardless of whether it fits into what society calls “normal.”
In a world that seems to grow increasingly conservative, where politics and social norms try to dictate what is “right” and how we should live and not To BE... resistant through self-expression.
It celebrates loudness, queerness, and difference as an act of courage and strength.
Glitter becomes a metaphor: it shines, it reflects, it refuses to hide.
It's about reclaiming space, owning identity, and proving that being different from the "norm" (whatever that is) is not only valid, but powerful.
The glitter as a Statement
Why Glitter? Isn't that just cheap?
It’s not about luxury or perfection. It’s about making a statement.
To be loud, bold, and unapologetic.
Glitter has always been more than sparkle. It’s a symbol of resistance, visibility, and pride.
From drag culture, where glitter transforms the body into a celebration of identity, to queer protests where activists throw glitter as a sign of defiance, it shines because it refuses to be ignored.
In feminist movements like the “Glitter Revolution” in Mexico, pink glitter became a weapon against silence and oppression. In the LGBTQ+ community, “glitter bombing” was used to protest against discrimination with creativity and joy instead of violence. And on stage, glitter has always stood for freedom, transformation, and power.
The Design
The look is composed of three distinct parts:
The first part is the top, designed like a corset acting as armor. Around it, adjustable bandage-like straps wrap the body, symbolizing the protective wraps used in battle and the wounds that are earned in the fight like the struggle we face against societal expectations. These bandages continue into the gloves, which extend over the entire arms.
An other element on the top is the draping that flows around the entire look. Bold, colorful, and dramatic. It represents the spirit that radiates when you stand up for yourself. It embodies power, confidence, and queerness. The draping also adds a sense of lightness and freedom, contrasting with the darker, protective elements of the "armor", and highlighting the balance between strength and self-expression.
The trousers are wide and voluminous, creating the illusion of a skirt while remaining trousers. The silhouette expands at the bottom, symbolizing the weight and pressure that can pull you down in the struggle between your true self and society’s demands. Both the top and the trousers are glittery, but in dark, muted tones, reflecting strength, defiance, and control.
The headpiece is a symbol of hiding, of getting the freedom of visibility taken away. The hanging glas pearls are a reference of tears.
The material
The commitment to positive impact continues in the choice of materials. For this project, we worked exclusively with deadstock fabrics provided by House of Fabrics. Each fabric was unique, and all featured some form of glitter, which perfectly aligned with the concept. By using only existing materials, we embraced a creative limitation that shaped the design process.
For the bandages on the top and the gloves, I chose a black glittery fabric, while the corset top itself remains simple in black. The trousers also stay in dark tones, but we incorporated a thicker fabric, creatively used on its reverse side to achieve the desired effect.
The draping was designed to be bold and expressive. I selected a bright, colorful, sheer plissé, which creates a striking visual impact while flowing beautifully around the look.
