Ottolinger Pre Fall 2024

Christa Bösch and Cosima Gadient are stepping into the new year, and their pre fall season, with a resolution or two. “We’ve been creative and experimental for a long time, but with this collection what we wanted to achieve is like giving that big hug we all need right now,” Bösch offered during a joint video call.

The duo described the first look here—a sage green jersey top and strap embellished leggings worn with a “furry” chocolate miniskirt—as “something that connects with what we grew up with, that’s almost dressed up but also casual.” The furry fabric returned as a tailored jacket with wide legged trousers, or as deep cuffs on green knickers.

Keen eyed observers will see echoes of last season’s runway in graffitied cotton or paper totes, while the brand’s signature asymmetrical lace up shoes now return in shearling. Setting aside edginess as end goal, more or less, the designers instead aimed to offer a collection of “softshell layers” that would be easy to master, even if many are rooted in traditional Swiss garb that’s anything but.

Take, for example, the classic dirndl, the likes of which lives on mainly in vintage Oktoberfest photos, and which neither designer thinks they could wear. Unless, perhaps, it was reincarnated as a mesh crop top, a long printed dress paired with a tailored blazer, or exuberantly printed body positive separates.

Taking a cue from traditional men’s garb, lederhosen is revisited in mesh, or as shiny flared trousers that skew less Alpine transhumance than little red Corvette (elsewhere, red and white chalet checks also amp up the optics). Chunky cable knits developed with a manufacturing partner in Athens looked cozy, a pink and navy knit twin set with matching skirt tweaked a classic trope, and several outerwear pieces—a padded hunting style jacket, a strappy bomber,hooded cloak like numbers—should connect with the brand’s base.

Opting for clarity over crazy will likely prove a smart move..