Antonia Thalhammer - Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft Hamburg

DRESS – but how to impress? – Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft Hamburg

The collection DRESS – but how to impress? explores the question of which design approaches can be used to make social status visible through clothing. Using curated examples from European fashion history, the topic is historically contextualized within the work. To achieve this, overarching categories from fashion history are identified through research, which express social status within clothing through each a specific design feature: complexity and quantity of material, protruding silhouettes, restricted mobility, and the use of precious materials. 

Through various design approaches such as material experimentation, deconstruction and draping, the project aims to translate status‑signifying, historical clothing codes into contemporary fashion. Serving as a “neutral canvas” are the 21st‑century wardrobe classics: hoodie, jeans, and t‑shirt. The different design experiments become visible on this canvas and are brought into dialogue with one another. Against the backdrop of this recurring base, intriguing reinterpretations of historical clothing elements are created. For instance, silhouettes and body‑restricting elements reminiscent of historical garments appear almost grotesque when staged within what is essentially a21st‑century everyday uniform. This directly references the question posed in the project’s title: DRESS – but how to impress? 

In a playful way, a design concept emerges which – while drawing from the past – finds its way into reality thanks to its focus on wearability and can be applied to future projects. 

Antonia Thalhammer is a designer and professionally trained confectioner. Shaped by her artisanal training, she works at the intersection of design and craftsmanship. In her practice, she combines the technical precision of traditional craft with the artistic approaches of design – skills she developed and refined during her Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design at HAW Hamburg. In fall 2026, she will begin her Master’s degree at Politecnico di Milano, where she will deepen her knowledge in sustainability and innovation and realize further inventive design projects. 

At the centre of her work is the creation of wearable, contemporary fashion intended to bring joy and inspiration. Against the backdrop of the challenges that female students, women, and FLINTA*-individuals face within the still‑patriarchal structures of universities and their social environments, the own creative practice is meant to offer a space for expressing identity and personal stance. 

Through design, she aims to create a space in which questions of identity, body norms, gender roles, and emotionality can be explored without judgment. From this exploration emerges expressive clothing meant to be worn and brought to life. The artistic work is supposed to become something that can be experienced – playful, enjoyable, and always aware of the power that clothing and fashion holds.