[STYLE] HOLZWEILER AW24 [LFW]
Holzweiler’s Autumn Winter 2024 collection, Mycelia, emerges from the natural landscapes of the brand’s native Norway – a constant inspiration point.
In particular, the richly populated eco-systems of the country’s vast spruce and pine forests, whereby constellation-like threads of mycelium – the complex, life-sustaining root system of funghi – stretch just beneath the surface of the forest floor, emerging occasionally as dewy blooms of mushrooms.
A fascination with the mushroom which began in childhood – creative director Maria Skappel Holzweiler remembers foraging for mushrooms with family growing up, a tradition she continues with her own children – becomes the nexus of the season. The mushroom’s near-magical myriad of shapes and forms, as well as its potential for bodily healing and holistic wellness, inform both Holzweiler’s men’s and womenswear collections.
For women, it is recalled in upside-down silhouettes, voluminous on the top from which lean, elongated underlayers emerge, or in the multiplicity of textures, which conjure the countless surfaces and colours of funghi, and their organic line. As such, wraps of chiffon loop around the body over shirts or sinuous ribbed knitwear, referencing the dual stems of mushrooms, while delicate smatterings of crystals evoke droplets of dew on a mushroom’s surface after the rain.
Motifs are swirling and psychedelic, inspired by the smoke-like explosions of spores emitted from delicate Puffball mushrooms when touched. Sculptural puffer jackets, meanwhile, recall more unusual formations of funghi and include inverted, turned-upside-down versions of Holzweiler’s signature Steilia and Narvik down jackets. Other hallmarks of the label are sized-up or shrunken, while tie fastenings around outerwear reflect a wider shift towards a leaner silhouette. Knitwear, descending into trails of undone tassels, draws to mind the shaggy, cascading surface of Lion’s Mane.
Menswear, meanwhile, is designed to evoke the forager: a symbolic figure of communion with nature, and a longtime Norwegian archetype. Venturing into the forest, their uniform comprises earthy layers, whereby an amalgam of organic textures – fluffy bouclé, worn-in canvas, patinated leathers – suggest a reflection of the natural world. A multitude of patch pockets decorate a version of the brand’s Tine cardigan, a reference to the functional garments of mushroom hunters, who must separate edible mushrooms from their intoxicating counterparts.
For accessories, the scarf comes to the fore, celebrating Holzweiler’s roots: the brand’s first collection comprised a series of hand-knitted scarves sold by the metre. Here, they evolve in shorter, slimmer silhouettes, designed to be held in place with a single knot. Some are adorned with a new ‘H’ monogram, a swirling motif itself inspired by the shape of a scarf and appearing elsewhere in the
collection across intarsia knits, jersey and choker-style necklaces. Joining the popular ‘Cocoon’ bag – this season reimagined in nylon puffer, matching new padded hats in the material – is the ‘Bo’ bag, a gently structured top-handle style which arrives in suede and printed iterations.
The show itself continues a longtime collaboration with stylist Fran Burns and movement director Yagamoto, while British music producer Kelvin Krash joins this season as sound director. His immersive soundscape imagines the way mycelium might sound, contrasting the soothing stillness of the forest with the rhythmic, pulsating sounds of the underground.
Styling: Fran Burns
Casting: Madeleine Østlie / AAMØ Studios Movement Director: Yagamoto
Hair: Anna Cofone, provided by Authentic Beauty Concept Make-up: Carly Utting, provided by M.A.C Cosmetics Nordics Nails: Ama Quashie
Sound Director: Kelvin Krash
Words: Jack Moss
Production: CEBE
Communications: RAVEN
With Special Thanks To:
Our Friends and Family, The Holzweiler Team, and to nature itself – our greatest inspiration.
