Some designers reference a specific painting or sculpture when they start a new collection. Osklen’s Oskar Metsavaht immersed himself in an entire museum. He spent four days at Inhotim, the outdoor contemporary art museum in Brumadinho, Brazil, to develop his Spring lineup. Comprised of sleek outdoor “pavilions” for every artist, Inhotim is also smack-dab in the middle of one of the world’s largest botanical gardens. Metsavaht aimed to explore that extreme contrast: “I wanted to capture the feeling when you leave one artist’s space and experience this exuberant, tropical moment in the forest,” he explained. “It’s art, it’s architecture, it’s nature… It’s exactly what Brazil is about.”
Some of his inspiration came through quite literally: Rigid plastic skirts suggested the museum’s modern architecture, while fluid dresses in eye-catching florals referenced the lush foliage. A majority of the collection was also crafted from organic silk—one of the sustainable “e-fabrics” Metsavaht has developed. Frayed dresses that appeared to be raffia were actually woven from dense silk fibers, as was a crisp-looking shirtdress. “Sustainable materials should still be luxurious,” Metsavaht said. His best looks were the minimal, eminently wearable knits, fluffy fringe tops, and playful silk shorts in shades of rich camel. Styled with half-moon flower necklaces and comfy sneakers, the vibe was cute and youthful with a little bohemian flavor. You could picture any number of the girls sitting front-row wearing Osklen top to toe on the street tomorrow