While everyone else seems intent on chasing a conceptual elevation of fashion, Arthur Arbesser focuses on the simplest of things, because it is those that allow him to stay grounded. He needed a “place,” and he transformed an old car-repair garage into a creative hub that now safeguards his world. “I’m a fan of non-precious things,” said Arbesser, who loves to look around, dig into nothingness, and search for beauty. And when he finds it, he doesn’t discard it—he uses it to the last drop.

His fall ’25 collection marked a reimagined business model—direct-to-consumer—and embracing a seasonality attuned to the dynamics of a small independent label. “Fashion always seems to want to impose that we go bigger. But for us, it wouldn’t be sustainable. And not feeling the pressure to keep up with the system’s pace is a luxury,” said the designer. In the process of moving into a “new home,” Arbesser found himself packing away nearly ten years of history. Out came a roll of tobacco-and-black striped fabric from Backhausen, the historic Austrian manufacturer: once used for his fall 2018 collection, it was revived here in fluid trousers and a tailored vest. From the drawers of what he called a “serial hoarder of forgotten objects” emerged thousands of buttons, reborn as a recurring print throughout the collection. The striped motif, meanwhile, sprang from the endless rolls of tape and Post-its scattered around the studio.

For Arbesser, everything takes shape “by feeling.” One of his models, Mrs. Ida, was first and foremost one of his clients. When they first met, he realized how older women are often denied the chance to have fun with clothes. And so, through sophisticated plays of color and volume, he felt compelled to make space for different generations. “Despite an apparent theatricality, our clothes are for real people,” he added. Among the absolute novelties of the collection: lingerie created in collaboration with Hanro. Few could have injected pop energy and bold hues into a venerable Swiss brand that has been producing nightwear exclusively in white for 140 years. The 15 pieces, in checkerboard and vichy, resonated perfectly with the idea of shared joy that lies at the heart of Arbesser’s philosophy.