Anna-Magdalena Wendt is a fashion designer, working under the name æmpersand/. We went to her studio and store to talk to her about how she got to where she is today.
When did you start to become interested in fashion?
As a child I loved to draw and as a teenager I was always interested in fashion. In the late nineties I identified myself a lot with the fashion label gsusindustries, because they experimented a lot with materials and cuts. Since then they have grown up and are now doing very nice children’s wear, but back then they did amazing look books, which were very inspiring to me. To make fashion was just a girl’s dream and that’s why I started to study languages first, because it’s very easy for me to learn languages. I came to a point in life where I missed the practical part very much and I decided to try and pursue my life’s dream – and it worked out at the very first attempt!
æmpersand/ fashion. Photo: Solveig Maria Ebbinghaus
My portfolio consisted of textile drafts and some fashion drawings, but most of them were collages and graphic design. I studied fashion design at the Hochschule für Angewandte Kunst in Schneeberg, which is a school focusing on the origins of tailoring. We had intensive lessons in pattern making, a part of design that usually isn’t the best at most universities. They didn’t put much value on conceptual work but more on manufacturing, they had more of a conservative approach. I was concentrated a lot on structures, textures and silhouettes and I wanted to recognize the tree dimensions in fashion. The knowledge I collected about the different possibilities of cutting to create the correct fit is of great value for my work. I didn’t discover the creative part of fashion until the end of my education, when I did an exchange in Denmark.
collection "mauser" by æmpersand/
I ended up in Denmark because after doing a practical semester at c.neeon in Berlin, I couldn’t imagine going back to Schneeberg. I think the way of teaching was way to closed and dogmatic. I ‘ve heard about the Designskolen Kolding in Denmark, and one of my favorite designers, Henrik Vibskov, was teaching there as a guest professor, that’s why I decided to apply. I got accepted and then he was my teacher! The year in Denmark was very inspiring and a big motivation. The school was very small with five directions of design. Every student was supported in his personal direction instead of teaching a special style. The approach was the complete opposite of my old school’s one. For example, we started to do research on wearing habits and did small scale samples to get a picture of the collection instead of starting with the silhouette. The Designskolen Kolding has an incredible collection of equipments; knit machines, print work shops, computers and libraries. Everything is open for everyone to use. There is however still a partnership between these two schools.
æmpersand/ fashion. Photo: Marcus Werner
Scandinavian fashion was a revelation to me. When I was there to study I felt for the first time that people understood what I felt, when I did modest clothes with monochrome colours without being determined on being classical. My fellow students loved muster looks in brown nuances and they created parkas out of their grandma’s couch throw. But I never liked trash like that. Both schools have influenced me. The experiences which I collected in Denmark had a great influence on my design until today.
collection "æ" by æmpersand/
What is your philosophy?
Art and fashion have continuously floating borders for me. One will be recognized and producing the other. I’ve never been conscious about consuming fashion. Instead I’ve always been influenced by art and architecture. Especially in modern or deconstructive architecture I found ideas which are inspiring, lines and perspectives are perfect for adapting onto clothes. To do timeless fashion could be an aim but on the other hand it’s an utopia because we are living in a certain time and we are influenced by this time. A dress out of my recent collection is probably to short for actual trends, but I decided to do it like this. Probably I could also design a flower dress by æmpersand/ which would be an absolute challenge for me, to make it fit my style and the label. Fashion doesn’t need to be reasonable from outside, but it needs to mean something in an inner emotional way and to transfer this feeling. The garments were transformed into something different in the very moment when somebody puts it on. After that I’m not able to influence it, but it’s quite exciting how people wear my clothes and combine them. I care about sustainability to the extent that I can, but sometimes it’s hard to actually know the origins of a material. This is obvious for me and not something I do for marketing purposes. I want my fabric to come from Europe; from Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Germany, and I’m creating everything in Germany. I usually buy a big amount of fabric through a big consigner two times a year, but I also go to Berlin fabric shops and the fabric market at Maybachufer for individual colour requests from my customers or quick execution of an idea.
collection "mauser" by æmpersand/
How did you come to found your label æmpersand/? How did the decision of the name evolve?
At the beginning I didn’t know that i will have a label. Together with a friend who is a textile designer I did an exhibition in Leipzig on a gallery tour and we sold a lot of stuff. Afterwards we did some fairs together. At the same time in 2007 I did my final exam in fashion. In this project transition period we needed to get a name to sell the clothes. That’s when I first thought about having a label and in 2009 æmpersand/ started.
The name comes from the words “and per se and” - the “and” is spelled in a special way to emphasise it as a connection. The ligature „æ“ in æmpersand/ is a little hint of my time in Denmark. The name of the label stands for an open docking site, because next to creating and producing fashion – which is the basic product – you always need fashion photographers, stylists, and graphic designers or journalists, who spread information about my fashion. It’s always teamwork. It is the cooperative thought, which I like a lot and with which I identify myself. That’s why the abstract name of my label is better than my personal name. The name of the label could be extended to other persons and is not limited to my person. I really like how æmpersand/ sounds. It stands for that there is something more, that there is something in it.
æmpersand/ fashion. Photo: Marcus Werner
What does your new collection look like?
I am about to finish the collection. After the last collection which was based on pastel colours I really wanted to work more with colours. At the beginning I do a lot of sketching and I am just working without thinking too much. I design one collection per year for women and men, which I complete with single summer and winter pieces. For me as a small label it makes me more flexible, because I can spontaneously put an idea into action without waiting half a year for the next collection. It’s my way to struggle against the seasonal debasement of fashion. Half a year later it’s the same work and the same material. This is sustainability, too. I have designed a lot of different cuts, there will be also some new in this collection but most of the time I change the established ones in colours and fabric and gingerly the form. I refine them, which is good for the wearing and fit. I am concentrated on variations in details and small changes. I give my clothes a lot of time.
collection "æ" by æmpersand/
Over all, I would describe my collection as more low than loud and more modest than effervescent. My fashion should help to support the human being, the person is not to be dominated by fashion. Fashion should be that modest that it helps supporting the character and style of the human. I like this thought a lot.
Pentatones. Photo: Alex Lembke
Next to wearability and functionality of æmpersand/ there is also an expressive part in other projects. At the moment I’m working with Delhia, singer in The Pentatones, and am designing costumes for performances. The last dress was made out of thousand strings and now I’m making a pneumatic breathing dress.
collection "chiffre" by æmpersand/
How do you feel about being in Berlin with so many other fashion labels?
I’ve been living here in Berlin since November 2010. Before that I commuted between my studio in Leipzig and Berlin. Now I have found my studio in Alt-Treptow. I am not afraid of competition and I love to exchange ideas with other designers. I was alone in Leipzig with the design I am doing. Now Berlin is pushing me a lot to see what all the other designer are doing here.
What do you think about Artconnect Berlin, the idea of a creative network for Berlin?
There are so many networks in the city and I really like the idea to document the creative side of Berlin. We are all connected in different ways but don’t necessarily know so much about what the others are doing. You get the chance to get very close to people. Since we did this interview I’ve been seeing it a lot of times in different places, situations and contexts! It’s nice! I wish you a lot of success with your project!
Anna has an ARTCONNECT BERLIN PROFILE More Info on her HOMEPAGE ÆMPERSAND/Like her FACEBOOK page and order her clothes at ETSY!
Visit Anna at her studio in Alt-Treptow, Plesser Straße 2, 12435 Berlin!
collection "Mauser" by æmpersand/
aempersand/ fashion. Photo: Marcus Werner
æmpersand/ fashion. Photo: Marcus Werner
