Jelke Galleck - Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft Hamburg

Wellenbrecher – Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft Hamburg

Jelke Galleck (25) is a German fashion designer and a graduate of the Fashion Design programme at HAW Hamburg. Born and raised in Wilhelmshaven, his creative practice is strongly shaped by his own and his family’s heritage. Northern German influences, particularly East Frisian traditions, serve as an important point of reference.

His collections emerge from a conceptual engagement with personal experiences, memories, and social observations. The development of form and silhouette lies at the centre of his work. His design process is highly experimental and includes methods such as draping, deconstruction, and material experimentation. The resulting forms and approaches are further developed and translated into garments.

Jelke Galleck understands clothing not only as a functional object, but also as a carrier of meaning. It allows him to make heritage, memory, and personal attitudes visible while connecting individual experiences with broader social perspectives.

The bachelor collection “Wellenbrecher” explores heritage, inner stability, and social responsibility. Its starting point is Jelke Galleck’s personal connection to the north-western German coastal region, particularly to East Frisian culture. The Wellenbrecher serves as a metaphor for a person who withstands external influences and does not allow themselves to be carried along uncritically by social or political currents.

At the centre of the collection is the human being as a stable structure. It is not the clothing that takes on the function of protection; instead, the body itself is understood as a Wellenbrecher. This idea is expressed through body-adapted tetrapod structures based on a 3D scan of Jelke Galleck’s body. They alter the way the fabrics fall, causing the garments to gather, shift, and break around them.

In its design language, the collection draws on elements of traditional East Frisian workwear and everyday clothing. These include the Friesennerz raincoat, fisherman’s shirt, peacoat, harbour worker trousers, knitted jumpers, and rubber boots. The colours blue, white, and yellow, as well as the motif of the East Frisian tea rose, refer to regional traditions and personal memories.

“Wellenbrecher” stands for the ability to face external influences consciously without losing one’s own position. Through this steadfastness, a person can protect not only themselves, but also others and provide them with support.

Model Credits:

Name: Josias Kpodo

Instagram:@j.kpd