“We’ve invested in some special details that really tie the collection together”
Werner Herzog’s 1974 documentary The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner, served as the jumping-off point for Filippa K’s autumn/winter 2023 collection. The film follows Walter Steiner – a brooding and sometimes inscrutable, ski jumper – as he attempts to break the world record for ski flying, ski jumping’s foolhardy little known, long distance sibling. “I think it provoked a sort of escapist feeling in me in a time when the world feels heavy,” says Liisa Kessler, Filippa K’s creative director. “To see the ski jumper Steiner flying in slow motion through the air evoked a sense of freedom that, for me, is so strongly rooted in Filippa K’s DNA.”
The singular lean figure of Steiner mid-air served as aesthetic inspiration for the collection. Monochrome looks, sleek silhouettes and technical ski eyewear all draw on retro ski suits, while gauzy merino knitwear and technical bonded jersey offered a tactile touch. Crushed corduroy, raw denim and moleskin also feature prominently – ’70s fabrics filtered through a minimalist ’90s lens. “The colour palette combines light glacial blues and soft beiges with different shades of brown, interspersed with yellow and orange that call back to vintage skiwear,” explains Kessler. The autumn/winter 2023 collection sees Filippa K continuing to reinterpret and revive the house code, focusing on the era-defining attitude of the brand’s turn-of-the-millennia campaigns.
The season also sees the revival of some archival designs too, such as waffle knit applied to a series of garments that reference classic ski underwear. “We’ve invested in some special details that really tie the collection together,” says Kessler, referencing the introduction of a new seasonal handwritten monogram inspired by vintage ski branding. Additionally, outerwear takes inspiration from a traditional Swedish costume jacket hailing from Dalarna. A cropped, cinnamon brown shearling jacket is a favourite look of the creative designer. “I also love the simplicity and classic look of the archive re-editioned cashmere cardigans worn with a relaxed bootcut tailored pant or a garment dyed satin skirt,” she says.
The collection juxtaposes extremes – balancing gauzy transparent layers with fake furs and fuzzy knits. Leather boots, loafers, lace-up sandals and pumps feature snakeskin prints, which is continued throughout their accessories offering, including a structured shoulder bag and small cylindrical crossbody. Plush 1970s textures take form in the round faux fur Mysa bag, alongside scarves, hats and snoods in bouclé wool and chevron-structured alpaca. It is a wardrobe that will work just as well in Aspen as it does on the cobbled streets of inner Stockholm.
See the full collection below:
All the looks from Filippa K's AW23 runway collection
