Tobias Birk Nielsen: 21 Days to Graduation

Tobias Birk Nielsen: “I am leaving for Iceland in two days for a photo and film shoot, so right now I am finishing my entire menswear collection and working like crazy. But somehow, I am ahead of schedule so I feel confident. I enjoy staging my work almost as much as I love creating it. It gives me the opportunity to really tell a story with my design.

My MA project is the narrative of a man wandering alone on the roof of a mountain range. The mood is one of isolation as if he is trying to find himself. Are we in the past or the future? Is  he is moving towards or away from something? The moonlike Icelandic landscape fits this atmosphere of uncertainty perfectly. The location will be the imposing basalt columns and the hardness will create a strong contrast to the textile fabrics.    

I like bringing opposites together in my design, in this case between dystopia and utopia. I saw a story on the news about a man in Aleppo looking up at what was once his home. But through the ruins you could see the sunny sky. I like this tension between tragedy and hope which is also reflected in the title of my collection, “Uniform of Great Hope”.

I have developed most of my materials myself. I wanted to give calico the credit I feel it deserves by manipulating it for instance with dye, paint and latex. I also use leather which I have been fortunate enough to have sponsored by Ecco.”