Dual Creativity With OTTOLINGER

OTTOLINGER founders Cosima Gradient and Christa Bösch sit down with Fashion Director Katarina Djoric to talk about growing up in Switzerland, their view of environmental ethic and their two fashion homes, Berlin and Paris.

- Katarina Djoric

There’s a funny story about choosing your brand’s name. Can you tell us about it? - We started working in a super small studio in Berlin–the mailbox and the main power were shared with the family next door. Our mail always came addressed to their family name: Ottolinger. Once we moved out and started the brand, we kept the name.

What was it like growing up in a green country like Switzerland? Do you look to nature in your creative process? - Nature is beautiful, very peaceful. We only realize now how much time we spent in nature. Having had our own garden, we walked barefoot, helped on the farm, and built treehouses. How much energy nature gave us—until now. Nature provides us with a lot of energy and is critical in our inspiration. Nature is the most beautiful thing in life. Nature is perfect and unique in its imperfection. We love how moody nature can be, from the sun to storms, snow, and rain—every mood has something unique and beautiful. Same as the asymmetry of trees, the color of grass, etc. Our goal is to have clothes as beautiful and perfect or imperfect as nature—to complete the body’s imperfection.