The glamorous royals and their lifes which are observed in the yellow press, were the sources of inspiration for Castrum Doloris. What seems classical in first sight turns out to be different. This collection is an hommage and a critical statement at the same time.
The collection was published on the 5th day of death of Lady Diana. Castrum Doloris visualized the yellow press hunting scenario. No private space for stars and royals anymore, every private detail is broadcasted, every moment on air, every time, every minute, every second – presentation non stopp.
Stetter_koetter used commonly known clichés of classic cuts and representatives gestures. Using these traditional elements, they create various ambiguous and irritating moments. The overall impression of the male and female collection consciously puts a brake between traditional etiquette and girl – like naivety. The designs are a mixture between formal strictness and timid erotic. The silhouette is focused on the shape of the body. But what seems to be classical at first sight turns out to be different. Striped fabrics underlines the classical first appearance of the men’s collection. Disordered button rows on shirts and extendable shoulder pads are fine details, braking the formal style.Ties get fixed on the shirts with a brodery as if they are drifting in the wind. The dot is the dynamic element and emerges at various stages throughout the lady’s collection, awaking the impression of being a trace. Decorated and emphasised shoulder parts and silk tissues placed on the shoulder rather than on the chest pocket characterise additionally the lady’s collection. Intense colour effects only become visible when the garments are set in motion.
Broderies are used in the ladies collection as fixing elements to keep skirts draped, scarves and bows tight on the cloth. The main colour is black for ladies and men collection, used as the timeless elegant colour of royalty. Accentuated by intensive contrasts like pink, yellow, green and blue. The garments are carefully chosen, like silk, wool, jacquard knit and chiffon’s, underlining the glamour of Castrum Doloris. Castrum Doloris is furthermore the axis of the new projectworld of stetter_koetter. The world around the collection creates not a fan- tastic land like Anarak or neocrom. Castrum Doloris examines the passing glamour and the myth of the royal life, which is promoted and exploit by the yellow press. Bitten Stetter and Ilona Kötter observed gestures of representation, gestures of superficially, gestures of prominent lives and faced up with live watched permanently by the public eye. The collection was presented during a performance in the exhibition halls of the Deichtorhallen in accordance to the exhibition The Archeology of Elegance, the last twenty years of fashion photography.
Stetter_koetter designed a fashion performance for all sense. A long red carpet signed the show. Bodyguards escorted the models. the models brought gifts to the royals. the gifts were details and items of the photography works in the exhibition. Next to the red carpet there was a room of silence, a dark room with 1000 of old flowers and in memorial overhead projection from Katrin Bethge and pictures from Dirk Messner. The room smelled like cemetery. The music concept for the whole event was created by Knospt.
With this collection stetter_koetter was invited from the federal president Johannes Rau and his wife to show the collection at a benefit gala in the Schloss Bellevue, the resident of the federal president in Berlin.