Aleksandra Jagdfeld had had enough of the fast pace and mass production in the fashion world. So in 2019 she founded a brand that focuses on deceleration and timelessness. She only wants to concentrate on one item of clothing – the coat. “This is a strong piece of clothing for me,” says Jagdfeld. “I wanted to give the coat a fabric with a story.”
The designer was born on May 22, 1982 in Bromfeld, Poland. As a girl, she spent a lot of time in her mother’s clothing store. “She is a very elegant woman, fashion has always been an issue for us,” says Jagdfeld. She studied cultural studies in Germany and then worked in project development for 15 years. Eventually she opened a studio in Berlin. With the birth of her son Viktor, the name was also certain: She took her big step into the fashion world with the Aleksandra Viktor label.
For production, she chose Ikat, a technique in which the patterns are woven rather than printed, as is usually the case. In Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, she visited factories – and was fascinated by the elaborate handicraft. In cooperation with the craftswomen, she wants to produce high-quality individual pieces that give the weaving technique a modern character. “I studied the patterns for weeks, enlarged them, picked up individual elements and redefined them in terms of color.”
Traditional and transparent
No mass production, no cheap fabrics, no irresponsible working conditions: it’s not fast fashion. So far she has launched two collections. The first was released in 2019 and contained nine Chapan coats – each one sewn from traditionally woven ikat fabric, consisting of a cotton-silk blend. A coat takes eleven meters of ikat, as the fabric is very narrow. A single chapan is finished in just under three weeks. “You can also weave with machines in Uzbekistan, it’s faster and the fabrics look more like printed prints,” says Jagdfeld. “But I made a conscious decision to use the age-old technique.” Originally, the chapan was worn by men in Central Asia: a wide-cut coat, only closed with a belt or left open.
A material for new stories: The Aleksandra Viktor brand remains true to its spectacular weaving patterns – and is now trying its hand at velvet.
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Photo: Aleksandra Viktor
The “Velvet Collection” that has now been released even includes only three models in even more gaudy colors. The thicker velvet fabric makes weaving even more complex and time-consuming. New color combinations, new material, the same approach: the rest of the process and the quality requirements remain unchanged. Aleksandra Jagdfeld tries to make her work as transparent as possible. She wants to bring the story behind the product closer to customers at exclusive events. The events should also explain the reasons for the high price of the products: The coats of the first collection cost 1975 euros, those of the new velvet collection even 3200 euros.
Due to the pandemic, she had to switch to Instagram last year to share backgrounds with potential customers: videos from the Uzbek manufactory, inspiration for new designs, insights into the work in her Berlin studio. She also tries to convey a special feeling digitally: “The coats are eye-catching and colorful, maybe that’s why they are not something for every day,” says Aleksandra Jagdfeld about the suitability of the coats for everyday use. “But when you wear them, you feel like you’re on a journey.”
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