Julius Wiemann Raffeiner - AMD Akademie Mode & Design

„90s.exe“ – AMD Akademie Mode & Design

Background I am Julius Wiemann Raffeiner, a fashion designer from Italy. I began my fashion design studies in 2020. After the first year, I decided to pause and deepen my skills in pattern cutting and garment construction at the Italian prêt-à-porter label DIMITRI. I then resumed my studies and completed my mandatory internship at the menswear label O. Files in Copenhagen. After the internship, I took on the role of Head Designer alongside my studies and have since developed five collections for the brand. I graduated as the top of my class, and my final collection was awarded „Best Graduate“. The closing look was also showcased at Graduate Fashion Week in London. Since then, I have continued working for O. Files while building my own label, JWR, in parallel.

Style & Approach I create clothing as a tool for confidence, presence, and authenticity – like a kind of armor. The focus is not on the garment itself, but on its fusion with the wearer. What matters is the balance between simplicity, body, and one focal element – whether silhouette, surface, or pattern. My designs are created directly on the body. Sketches are only rough visual notes – the design evolves through a dynamic exchange with the fitting model. The process is highly spontaneous and alive.

“90s.exe” (.exe = executable) merges existential philosophy with 90s chic. The collection reacts to today’s regressive, future-anxious world, offering existentialism as a solution: each person creates their own meaning in a meaningless world – and bears full responsibility. This freedom-bound existence is reflected through the optimistic aesthetics of the 90s. Inspired by Simone de Beauvoir, the collection emphasizes that finding your gender is an essential part of discovering your own meaning in the world – both are self-defined, independent of biology or social roles. The looks represent this creative journey of personal discovery, marked by doubt, suffering, and transformation. They blend BDSM, animalistic elements, and sharp tailoring in a hybrid of couture and prêt-à-porter. All animal materials were collected over several months from offcuts, leftover stock, and discarded goods from the industry. Imperfections in the leather and visible scarring were deliberately preserved to highlight the natural origin of the material and the history of a former life.