It is high time that we got round to introducing one of one half of Tokyo Telephone’s favorite brands – Bortsprungt (oddly enough pronounced Boshupurumetto). It is a brand that tends to lie a little under the radar despite being available in Lumine Est and La Foret, and doesn’t really play the seasonal fashion game, for example, this collection is actually their second for A/W 2012-13. They have always struck me as a brand in their own little world, something which was confirmed when I met the designer last week and talked at length about how spoons and forks must feel lonely held in either hand compared to chopsticks which are held in one. But I digress, and if you aren’t the kind of person to get swept along in whimsy (albeit with a dark Brothers Grimm vibe), you should probably turn away now, and if you are, then you are absolutely going to love this.
Come to think of it the whole atmosphere of the brand is quite well encapsulated in their logo – the skull made from cute little animals. In their time Bortspungt have made patterns out of bloody cat scratch marks and even spitting goats, but all the while seeming relatively sweet on the surface. I guess you could think of it as adult kawaii, without the cartoony elements that Mercibeaucoup or Ne-Net bring to the table, or the slightly grotesque elements that are popular in Harajuku at the moment.
The palette is muted and adult, and an easy way of injecting some fun colours and motifs into an all-black wardrobe. Add in the very cute little design gimmicks and you have something that is very wearable, inherently of the moment, but also miles more credible than so many of this brand’s peers.
Anyway, the details are what makes this brand stand out, and this collection won’t disappoint – the main motif is the aforementioned unrequited love between forks and spoons (for the record each item comes with a little card telling you the cute little story behind the designs!).
But elsewhere Bortspungt’s love of animals is evident as ever.
The wool stadium jacket might have been my favorite item – the wolves are pockets.
It is hard to make piglet pockets subtle, but I reckon this is pretty wearable, and not just in the Tokyo bubble.
The second main theme is scars, which again is a perfect example of the cute yet subversive feel of the brand.
The other constant theme is feathers which I will say looked really cool when worn.
The standard of fabrics is very high even though the price is in line with La Foret, and I do warn you that this brand has a strong cult following which means all the really strong pieces never make it to the sales.
In the way of accessories we have a hilariously cheeky cat bag with a featherlight aluminum chain,
and a spoon covered in glistening jam!
These sterling silver rings pop up almost every collection as an unofficial brand mascot – a good place to start.
I hope you have enjoyed that look into the world of Bortsprungt and I will try and get a picture of Rebecca decked out in it soon.
Oooh Ive never seen the rings for sale online, I have a bear face tee from Bortsprungt and I love it, and a cape that is wonderful, must remember to add them to the growing list of stores I need to visit in person in October. Thanks for this!