The Empty District

When I first met Soma Faitanin, she was perched by a large open window, one leg crossed over the other, smoking a cigarette. The Dutch-Brazilian designer was completely at ease in her industrial loft, which echoed the raw minimalism of 90s style. Glancing over, she greeted me and led me through her apartment into the studio, where her ideas take form.

We sat down around a table scattered with fabric samples, finished products and conceptual sketches, ready to discuss her collection, the creative process and the pressures behind it. This project, aptly titled Debut, is built on the cultural momentum of her graduate collection, with pieces that have since been worn by Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan and Julia Fox. 

Around us, Faitanin’s visual language was striking; military jackets, leather crotch straps and aged buttons transformed mannequins into perverse historical artefacts. The pieces held a deliberate tension between familiarity and subversive sexuality. When I asked her about this unconventional expression, she said, “There’s so many more subtle ways [to be sexy] than dressing someone like a dominatrix.” Even something as deceptively simple as well-placed crease lines, pointing towards the crotch of a pair of trousers, carries the same sexual throughline. 

Details like this place Faitanin within a new wave of designers reworking historical dress through a personal lens; one irreversibly shaped by the internet’s culture of social commentary and hyper-reference. Historical points of reference for her are varied, spanning Napoleonic military wear, 1950s biker culture and the Roaring Twenties. Intentional or not, these inspirations are linked by a sense of reclaimed freedom and power, whether through military revolution, open-road independence or post-war liberation. For her, the idea of purpose is key to bringing these disparate inspirations together. “Everything has a reason to be there […] but then it’s obviously incredibly stylised,” she explained.

Faitanin’s fascination with history traces back to her experience growing up in Amsterdam, where much of her youth was spent in her father’s vintage wholesale warehouse, sorting clothing and digging through bags of leather jackets. Amsterdam’s visual influence is also important, with iconic architecture such as the Amrâth Hotel being a recurring source of inspiration, noted for its imposing structure and weathered surfaces.

She translates this idea of weathering and aging directly into her garments through layered textile techniques. Dry brushing, distressing and natural dyeing are cornerstones of this practice. The Belgian contemporary artist Berlinde De Bruyckere’s focus on fragility in her sculpture further informs this approach to imitating the effects of time and wear. For Faitanin, these details become about the lasting effect of the wearer. “What I really love is the little marks that people leave [behind]. It’s the teeny tiny things, like a button falling off. I guess [it’s] changed by whoever wears it.” Working within this garment lifecycle, Faitanin also upcycles materials, showing me a jacket trimmed with salvaged fur.

This sense of memory is not limited to the physical. “Garments have a soul of their own kind,” she suggested, hinting at an intangible quality beyond the garment itself, shaped by an invisible journey between wearers. 

Storytelling becomes the way she expresses this transformation, whether through ridged military jackets inspired by power dressing or 3D-printed accessories referencing syphilis coverings and medieval prosthetics. These pieces not only transform the appearance of the wearer but their sense of identity. “The garment isn’t you, and you do become a different person, so it’s a kind of façade that you can put on,” she reflected. Faitanin’s use of storytelling becomes most impactful when she can build a visual environment in which her pieces can perform. “Worldbuilding is where I get the most creative and have the most fun,” she said, describing how she can place her garments in their own distinct time and space.

Together, storytelling and worldbuilding are essential for Faitanin to fully explore a concept. She described such a comprehensive exploration of an idea’s depth and breadth as “such a wonderful way to work.” Her complete artistic vision can only be expressed through a full collection, rather than smaller drops or accessories. 

However, these smaller releases do hold an important place for Faitanin’s brand. In a full collection “not everything needs to have this justification behind it of how it fits into the world,” she told me. Yet, alongside this process is the challenge of balancing artistic intent and commerciality. This is where final products become an experiment in refinement and problem-solving. She describes the process as being “like Sudoku.”

Managing the responsibilities of having an independent brand is an exercise in practicality and boundaries. “[It is] frustrating to be limited by what I can do in a day,” she explained after having worked on the collection for a full year. Time for Faitanin isn’t only conceptual, it’s a daily constraint. Being the sole designer and pattern cutter is a challenge as she is limited by her own time and resources, making finding skilled labour an impossible task. This is where collaboration can be helpful. She outsources where needed but keeps as much production within her eyeline. She showed me one very haunting example of an outsourced 3D-printed facial covering.

A year from its inception, the final form of Debut was presented in a fully self-funded off-schedule runway show at London Fashion Week. This environment showed Faitanin operating beyond the constraints placed upon her to create something truly distinct. Whilst a great success, Faitanin describes the runway production as admittedly “chaotic”, hinting at a quiet sense of disappointment. The new campaign came as a form of closure and a reclamation of control for Faitanin. Continuing the worldbuilding she loves so much, the campaign features models including English singer Celeste set in a dim atmosphere where Faitanin’s clothes look most at home. 

This project was a landmark in her career, yet growth is at the forefront of Faitanin’s mind. She is currently pursuing commissions whilst beginning the development of her Second Collection. She was tight-lipped about the future but suggested the next collection may be more feminine. 

Time feels like Faitanin’s currency, whether that’s her time or what she draws inspiration from; it’s a valuable resource. So, leafing through her sketches and looking around the studio one final time, it felt like Faitanin’s time has only just begun.