Marie Lueder’s eponymous brand LUEDER was founded in 2019, and she’s made quick work of making hers one of the most anticipated shows of Fashion Week amongst the up-and-coming designers to watch. After debuting her Spring/Summer ‘25 collection in Berlin, she presented the collection once more at last week’s London Fashion Week after securing further funding courtesy of the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN group that allowed her to bring it before a bigger audience.
German-born Lueder is based in London and studied at the city’s Royal College of Art, counting other rising stars such as Saul Nash and Sinead O’Dwyer as her contemporaries. Lueder has deep connections with both Berlin and London, and aspects of the underground cultures that course through both cities can be felt in her work. What’s captured people’s attention most, however, is Lueder’s take on dressing for modern living that’s characterised by something entirely her own. Conjuring images of the Middle Ages, she describes her work as ‘Mental Armour’ – consistent motifs are helmets, sheaths and chainmail; battle-ready motifs that represent a need for more discourse surrounding mental health issues in fashion in order to combat them.
Entitled ALBEDO, LUEDER’s recent show blended theatrics suited for entertainment at a Medieval feast with the mind-bending results of chemical reactions conveyed through natural pigmentation. Designs prominently featured abstract prints and patterns that were the result of a partnership with French-British artist Thomas P. Grogan who together with the label experimented with alchemic reactions from a creative angle.
Models utilised props and dance for added theatricality, while the hair was long and plaited in a style suited to heroes in folklore. The pieces showcased were slashed and dismantled, with the hemlines of some floor-length dresses appearing to be singed as if involved in some experiment (or spell casting) gone awry. Classic silhouettes such as shirting were lent an edge thanks to having been constructed from oddly matched patchwork-style panels of denim.
Although conveying a range of emotions and narratives, the collection was rooted in a street-ready practicality. Models wore Puma Speedcats to march down the runway, and much of the designs were constructed from sustainably sourced fabrics such as denim and leather chosen for their durability that lasts for years to come. The show also saw examples of LEUDER’s refreshed take on tailoring, defined by thigh-high slits and boxy, rounded shoulders. Alongside swathes of heavy chains, models were also draped with more everyday-friendly options such as roomy shoulder bags that hung from twisted straps.
The ALBEDO show marked a turning point. Styles remained full of personality and brimming with the ideas that are so unmistakably LUEDER, yet possessed an effortless cool with universal appeal befitting of a young brand that’s just claimed its spot on a global stage.
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Words: Tom Keown
Photography: Nelta Kasparian