Bild Credit: © Finnegan Godenschweger
Olivia Ballard
She studied art in the USA, today Olivia Ballard is a self-made fashion designer and founded her eponymous label in Berlin in 2020. The native New Yorker has already made a name for herself with her unisex looks, which harmonize perfectly with the body. Although these are often described as “hyperfeminine”, they are intended for all genders, all bodies and all ages.
Through the use of special stretch materials and skilled fabric manipulation, Olivia Ballard succeeds in adapting all handmade designs to any body shape, life and individual. With her collections, she explores how fashion can be used as a tool to resist outdated values. Their goal: to create a new, inclusive and diverse fashion future.
FW23 OLIVIA BALLARD
FW23 OLIVIA BALLARD
FW23 OLIVIA BALLARD
Collection description
„At Dusk“ is the name of Olivia Ballard’s Fall/Winter 2023 collection, which she is presenting during Berlin Fashion Week and as part of Berlin Contemporary. The title of her runway show also reveals her inspiration: Dusk, which represents a fascinating in-between state for the designer. In the transition from light to darkness, we humans like to slip into comfortable, familiar clothing, we shift down a gear, leave the day behind us and prepare for the night.
With „At Dusk“, Olivia Ballard reflects this condition. She fashionably blurs the threshold from day to night and plays with the aesthetics of these evening rituals in her collection: from slip dresses to evening dresses. From comfortwear that we would only wear at home to to club couture. A special focus is now again on sustainability, so all looks were created partly from recycled silk fabrics, revived old nightgowns or Lycra and mesh remnants from her own archive.
Through her carefully selected materials, Olivia Ballard explores how the body can bring shape, life and individuality to each of her looks. Her designs not only symbolize different identities, but also continuously question our societal beauty standards and consumer behavior. As a young, integrative brand, this season all designs are intended for all genders, all bodies and all ages.
FW23 OLIVIA BALLARD
FW23 OLIVIA BALLARD
FW23 OLIVIA BALLARD
Her runway show takes place at MaHalla’s Black Hall. For Olivia Ballard, the striking building in the middle of a historic industrial area in Schöneweide embodies a dark tension between an intimate presentation and a feeling of belonging. “At Dusk” is accompanied by up-and-coming contemporary solo artist Saint Precious and a soundscape by Dawud (Psssh Records). Filip Setmanuk, a Berlin-based CGI artist who creates virtual worlds using video game engines, digitally designs the show.
‘At Dusk’ OLIVIA BALLARD F/W Show 2023 was sponsored by:
