Founder and Designer Anna Osmekhina Speaks to Keeping an Eye on the Future While Celebrating Humanity’s Present
By Mark Wittmer
While it may be keeping its focus fixed on humanity’s future, TTSWTRS has a past of impressive growth and a present as one of the most exciting independent voices in fashion today – a success story that attests to the relevance of founder and creative director Anna Osmekhina’s focus on what is most human: our bodies, our creativity, and our connection to our home planet.
What began in 2013 as a playful and small-scale design experiment – to create a wearable second skin, complete with tattoos – has since evolved into a multifaceted fashion project that uses innovative clothing design to explore symbolism, cultural heritage, and futuristic thinking while continuing to collaborate closely with tattoo artists and graphic designers. Along the way, the Ukrainian brand has achieved global renown, been worn by celebrity style icons like Grimes, Kourtney Kardashian, Nicki Minaj, and Tommy Cash, and done impressive work to set and achieve ambitious sustainability goals. TTSWTRS’ most recent collection, “Fractale,” is its first since the invasion of Ukraine, and explores natural processes of similarity and duplication to symbolize mutual growth and the continuation of life.
As the brand stands poised to make a successful entrance into its ten-year anniversary, The Impression’s Mark Wittmer caught up with Anna to talk about finding success as a young independent brand, balancing intimacy and innovation, and moving forward with strength and kindness.
Mark Wittmer: How did you transition from being a celebrity stylist to starting your own brand? When did you know it was the right time to go all in on your own project?
Anna Osmekhina: I didn’t plan something serious; to create a brand was never in my mind. As a celebrity stylist, I didn’t have days off. But all this stage stuff annoyed me already. It started with a game, with excitement and a desire to create an experiment – which is now entering its ninth year. TTSWTRS began with a small capsule that I made for my colleagues on the set. Surprisingly the entire capsule ended up at Colette and was sold out in the first week. From there, it was instantly clear that I was interested in moving in that direction.
Mark Wittmer: What does a successful independent brand look like to you?
Anna Osmekhina: A bold and self-sufficient brand is always about a very accurate retranslation of who the creator is. If there is a clear vision and excitement, these are the main attributes of creating a successful brand. There has to be honesty and integrity with yourself in everything, even more so when you’re creating your product, an idea that the whole world can try.
Mark Wittmer: Do you have any advice for those who are just starting their own independent fashion brand?
Anna Osmekhina: Start with a mono-product that you lack on your own.
Success starts with doing things your own way, never repeating another designer.
Be conscious of what you’re doing, don’t litter the planet, and have a super dream that you’ll realize once you’re successful.
Mark Wittmer: While TTSWTRS has always been focused on the body and using the body as a tool for expression, you’ve expanded into some pretty broad conceptual territory, investigating themes like artificial intelligence, fractals, and water scarcity. How do you balance these bold ideas with designing on such an intimate level?
Anna Osmekhina: I’m just broadcasting what’s important to me and my team. Yes, they are bold ideas, but they are also part of our reality, of our lives.
There is no longer a distinction between a more important topic and a less important topic when it comes to creation. Fashion is the most responsive and the fastest-reacting sphere to events in the world, and it will be very interesting for our descendants to trace human history through fashion.”
Mark Wittmer: We’ve been pretty impressed by your technically innovative approach to digital shows and ad campaigns. How do you approach conceiving and creating your campaigns? What do you think is important about having a digital platform?
Anna Osmekhina: Thank you! I’m so pleased to hear you mention that. We just keep up with the times. We think a lot forward, and very often; our vision does not correspond to reality because, frequently, it is too many years ahead of the world today. The search for technology, digitalization, and the development of the technical aspects of the brand is just an evolutionary tribute. And that’s my favorite! Sometimes I feel like I make clothes to figure out along with my talents how to present them and how to take them off. I love it so much, it’s my greatest passion.
Mark Wittmer: We know you are a Ukrainian brand, and our hearts go out to the people of your home as they face the unjustness of the war. Has the invasion of your home country influenced the way you think about art, fashion, and the need for human creativity?
Anna Osmekhina: It’s truly affected everything. Every sphere of life, every thought, every desire. Before the war, we were all about work, creating beauty, and enjoying the process. We had a thousand things to do, big projects and collaborations had to take place. There had to be bold new ideas and new collections. With the outbreak of war, the brand came to a complete halt, all processes ceased… Everything was closed for a certain period of time. For a very long interval, we could only think about saving our lives and the lives of our loved ones. After such circumstances, the whole of your software reflashes. I can only say that right now, the world needs truth, strength, courage, and however clichéd it may be… kindness. If people create only from the heart, we will quickly become a superhuman civilization.
Mark Wittmer: What does the next stage of growth look like for you and your brand?
Anna Osmekhina: I have to say, an important part of the development we have already embodied very recently is full sustainable production.
At the moment, the brand is based on a completely sustainable philosophy, from the choice of fabric to strategic decisions. Implementing the most ambitious plans, helping the planet, consciously consuming and creating, and implementing ideas that will positively impact the entire world is, for me, the sweetest and most enjoyable part of the TTSWTRS story.
We also dream of closing zoos.
