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so+ba and edwina hörl, both based in tokyo, started their collaboration in 2004. hörl is an austrian fashion designer who previously worked with yohji yamamoto before breaking off to launch her own signature line in 1996. so+ba, alex sonderegger and susanna baer, both swiss, started their design office in 2001 in tokyo and have since 2015 a zurich branch.

 

edwina hörl focuses on the spatial relationships between the body, garments and surrounding environment. her collections are social indicators of the moment rather than predictions of future trends. each collection is a unique thematic experience that blends contrasting influences with an eclectic range of techniques and materials.

 

initially drawn to tokyo through a love of japanese design, sonderegger and baer balance this passion with the lasting influence of their swiss background and education. while they avoid any obvious house style, a strong conceptual and typographic foundation is the base of their work. «we examine the product, then collect, hunt, gather visuals and develop various strategies. this information is compiled and distilled into one visual language.»

 

with clear creative parallels between hörl and so+ba, a close collaboration has developed.