Damiano von Erckert: I have my roots in nightlife and have been a DJ traveling worldwide for 15 years. For the past 4 or 5 years, I’ve been a resident at Robert Johnson in Frankfurt. Through my graphic design work for the club’s merchandise, the idea of creating my own label came to my mind. I was introduced to Tillmann Lauterbach through Sven Väth, a mutual friend. Tillmann had already worked as a designer for major brands and his own fashion label. I felt he was the person I had been searching for over the last 20 years to take this step. Together with Peter, the third founder, who used to run his own clubs, it’s a unique dynamic of three different generations. It taught me to trust the universe – that everything aligns and comes together at the right time. 

We enjoy playing with humor, embrace color and prints and take inspiration from the warehouse raves of the 90s, spontaneous raves in UK fields, and the parties of the early 2000s in Berlin and Frankfurt. Back then, there was a lot of craziness and kitsch. We want to step away from the darkness often associated with techno and, mistakenly, house music today. The Berghain dresscode of an entirely black outfit is amazing and we like it, but it’s not the only way to go. If you look at photo books about the old Ostgut, which later turned into Berghain, you’ll see that hardly anyone back then was dressed in black. After all, counterculture is about being challenged and inspired. Breaking away from monotony every now and then is essential – not only in nightlife. I once read a book called “The Disambiguation of the World“ about the phenomenon of pseudo-diversity. For example, in a supermarket, you might see dozens of chip bags in front of you. But it’s just an illusion of variety, at the end of the day, they are all just chips. The same thing happens with fashion and art when they are influenced by cancel culture or algorithms too much. Everything becomes flat. Why? Because brands and artists want to play it safe.

In the 90s, there was a much stronger spirit of revolution and optimism. People were curious about the future, and there was a great sense of community. Going out was about escaping everyday life for at least a few hours. That still happens today, but smartphones have changed a lot. Even in the club, they’re present and bring the everyday world with them. People are filming all the time, which often looks great on social media, but in reality, it takes away part of the magic.

Definitely! Rethinking consumerism also plays a role in our concept. Back in the days, people would go into stores and there would be these pyramids built from the newest products, creating desire. We want to bring that magic back, for example with the special packing of our products. When you connect the experience of shopping with all of your senses and positive emotions, a piece of clothing becomes more than just that – it’s like a friend in your wardrobe. That’s why we see ourselves more as an art object that also makes fashion.