Ella Haberlach

The concept of the designer

seelenkleid, translated meaning ‘soul dress’, is a new women’s wear label founded in 2007 by German designer Ella Haberlach. Her artisanal and paradoxical approach to design combines the floaty perfection of ideal beauty with the embellishments of a horrific sludge. Ella’s collections predominantly deal with the human desire to depart from everyday conventions. She translates this quest for something special, this escape from the everyday into new silhouettes, colours and materials. Silicone applications and random burn-out printing are aimed at reflecting the inconsistency of feelings and the relationship between man and his environment. The uncontrollable destruction of fabrics creates both, a contrast and a bridge between the skin and textile surface.

seelenkleid collections are like personal diaries that define the designers´ vision. They are against conformity and without the cosmetic effect of fashion. In the designer’s statement, she acknowledges that „the basic idea is based on dealing with identity changes and the war of two realities – the earthly and the imaginary“. seelenkleid somehow lies in a gap between reality and fantasy. Needs that arise in the real world can only be satisfied by elements of the imagination. Ella Haberlach seeks for the extraordinary and introduces it to everyday life.