BOSS x Konstantin Grcic

The focus of the latest collaboration is on fashion. As part of the BOSS Curated storyline, Grcic designed a limited capsule collection based on the overall collection theme of "Travel", consisting of a jacket, a coat and three T-shirts with Grcic's own sketches of the metropolises of Milan, New York and Shanghai. With the theme "Travel" in mind, he created functional styles that are ideal travel companions. Grcic says about the project: "Both fashion and industrial design are about relationships with people. Form and function are in the foreground. A good chair is like a good jacket: it doesn't just solve a problem, it creates a new identity." The perfect fusion of fashion and industrial design.

The capsule collection is available now in selected BOSS stores and department stores, as well as in the online store.
 

Interview with industrial designer Konstantin Grcic on the BOSS x Konstantin Grcic Collection

How did the idea for this design collaboration evolve?

My first contact with the team was through the exhibition PANORAMA at the Vitra Design Museum in 2014. It was a large retrospective show, which was supported by BOSS. A year later we worked together on the branding for Alex Thomson’s racing yacht for the 2016 Vendée Globe. This project brought me into direct contact with the BOSS brand identity and the creative team behind it. And now, the company asked me to collaborate within their core discipline, men’s fashion. Designing a capsule collection for Fall/Winter 2019 was a fantastic opportunity to expand our previous relationship.

Travel is the main topic for your BOSS collection. What does it mean to you in the context of fashion?

Clothing for travel is an exciting topic. As an industrial designer, I like to observe real-life situations. They are always the best form of inspiration, and travel offers plenty of interesting scenarios. Our focus was on traveling for work, ranging from your daily commute to longer-distance trips between cities, countries or even continents. Any one of these types of travel calls for a good degree of efficiency, which may also affect the type of clothes you wear.

What is the inspiration behind the BOSS Menswear styles?

I wanted to create an elegant form of comfort, which could fit for travel and work. Both my BOSS jacket and the coat are rather classic in their silhouette, but we managed to add some very practical elements to them. These details, are mainly addressed to the user, they are subtle and some of them are even hidden on the inside. It was important for me to find the right balance between practicality and elegance. In the end, we wanted to design garments that are not only practical, but also beautiful.

The shirts you designed have prints inspired by the cities of Milan, New York and Shanghai. Why these cities?

Milan is the city I have the strongest relationship with, because I travel there quite often. It is the most elegant city in Europe to me, and I always enjoy Milan for its beautifully dressed people. New York on the other hand stands for the best of architecture and art – it has an incredibly creative energy. And Shanghai is a city with historical roots, but clearly pointing towards the future. These characteristics are reflected in the designs of the T-shirts: the historical elegance of Milan, the big, impressive skyscrapers of New York and then the mix of past and future in Shanghai.

What do you like most about BOSS and its collection?

It is a very broad collection. There are clothes for many different people and occasions. That is an incredible achievement. As one customer out of so many, I can always find that one part of the brand that fits me and that I can identify with.