A fashion designer’s secret ritual: arriving early to avoid crowds

The story

Albert Kriemler of Akris draws inspiration from artists, collaborating with them and incorporating their techniques into his designs, often visiting their studios and exhibitions.

Source: wwd.com

Our reading

Albert Kriemler, creative director of Akris, has a habit of visiting artists’ studios and exhibitions, sometimes going an hour before closing to avoid crowds. This is not a secret, but a ritual. He’s not just a fashion designer—he’s a connoisseur of the quiet, the overlooked, the unassuming. And yet, he’s the one who gets to decide which artists get to be worn. It’s like a gallery, but with more fabric and fewer plaques. He’s not just borrowing art—he’s borrowing the artist’s way of thinking, their sense of proportion, their understanding of light. It’s not a collaboration, it’s a cultural audit. And the artists, for their part, must be wondering if they’ve been hired to be a muse or a consultant. Either way, the clothes look better for it.