ISO.POETISM AW23
February 07, 2023
“Since I was a kid, I’ve been collecting stones.
It started as a modest hobby inherited from my sweet grandma.
When beginning, it mainly had a focus around a visual attention, simply to find beautiful and unique shape and colours. Years later, as my stone collection grew, so did my approach and purpose to why I’m still collecting stones to this day as a grown up man. Because the shapes and colours have slowly become secondary. What matters and drags my motivation for picking up a stone today, is the energy of the moment that lies ahead before the stone collecting. Whatever if it’s a beautiful sunset with a strong emotional connection, or an inspiring conversation with a stranger ending in a sentence to remember, or if it’s simply just a specific spontaneous feeling of joy, freedom or gratitude – then they all represent an en emotional energy which I’ll like to bring with me into the ongoing walk through life’s vast ups and downs. In that way, stones to me, has become comforting memorial tokens filled with energies from specific valuable moments in my life.
And in this way I carry on my past and emotional milestones moments, and keep them well represented in my every day mindset – as I carefully have them arranged in every room privately as well as in my professional environment.
The story of the AW23’ COPENHAGEN OBSIDIAN SOCIETY collection, is therefore an homage to the intricate correlation between modern human beings and our surrounding nature. An exploration of finding meaning, believe and substance through the knowledge of nature and it’s power of giving.”
Tobias Birk Nielsen, 2023
Article by: Stefani Chao
Step into a cosmic realm of artful design and imaginative season-themed universes with ISO.POETISM BY TOBIAS BIRK NIELSEN’s latest creation, AW23’ COPENHAGEN OBSIDIAN SOCIETY. This mesmerizing show will take place in a dreamlike dome of textiles, amidst a world of weightless rocks and stones, at the brand’s new headquarters in Bella Center Copenhagen.
The Autumn/Winter collection will be on display, and a groundbreaking partnership with iconic Italian sportswear brand, KAPPA, will be revealed through a new upcycling collaboration. The ISO.POETISM BY TOBIAS BIRK NIELSEN, AW23’ COPENHAGEN OBSIDIAN SOCIETY (13) collection is a tribute to the connection between humans and nature, seeking meaning and substance through the power of nature. It tells the story of a local community who find purpose and gratitude through the energy of crystals and rocks.
For centuries, crystals have been believed to bring healing, reminding us of our roots and true intentions. This grounding energy brings about awareness and altruism, connecting people and creating a haven of gratitude.
The runway show’s set design follows the philosophy of bricolage, using only materials that are already available or can be sourced from the nearby environment. This creative constraint results in innovative solutions and minimizes the use of virgin materials. The set is 100% made from upcycled items like discarded cart boxes, dirt, sand, newspapers, and deadstock textiles.
The AW23 collection also places a strong emphasis on sustainability. It uses recycled fibres, GOTS certified cotton, and leftover fabric scraps from production are reused to create showpieces. Unique treatments and dyeing techniques, like hand-made local spray dye and electric dye, have been employed to reduce waste and use of virgin materials. The technical fabric is PFC-free, made from 57% recycled PA and 43% organic cotton. The knit category is a 100% merino wool yarn with an electric dye technique.
The ISO.POETISM and KAPPA collaboration, titled “AUTOFOCUS,” is driven by the shared goal of sustainable design exploration. The project involves upcycling deadstock KAPPA items, adding new life to them through manipulation, reconstruction, and dying. The two brands merge their DNA, aesthetics, and technologies to create a collection that fuses ISO.POETISM’s forward-looking curiosity and KAPPA’s iconic atmosphere. Inspiration was gained from biometrics, facial recognition systems, and intelligent satellite imagery. This limited collection will be sold at select retail partners.