In 2005 I was in the midst of my teenage years. Y2k fashion was trending for the first time. I learned exactly what was in-trend from the senior girls at my high school and fashion magazines (printed on actual paper) targeted at an adult readership. At least that’s what it seemed like, although I didn’t know a single grown-up woman who read such magazines. What I learned in those magazines was not only the latest “styles” but also the language to describe them correctly. The words “key piece,” “basics,” and “boyfriend look” were particularly enlightening. When I read them I could clearly imagine a future life — a life full of romance, personal income, and a neatly organized closet. Over the years, I came to realize that successfully finding such pieces is as complicated as successfully mastering love, a career and a tidy wardrobe. But when I did succeed, it was usually accompanied by ecstatic feelings of happiness. The small Berlin label Oftt evokes such feelings. Founded by designer Ashley Marc Hovelle, Oftt is located in a small store on the northern edge of Oderberger Straße. The store is simple and cozy, and the collection is small. Every style can be worn with each other, a concept often pursued and failed by brands, but it works here. All cuts are designed for male bodies, but most pieces make perfect unisex looks. All materials are GOTS-certified, meaning the cotton is organic and grown with rainwater. The colors are simple yet incredibly beautiful — from the anthrazite vegan silk bomber jacket (cotton-based) to the pastel linen shorts,, the materials are thick, high-quality and well-made. Production takes place within Europe, in Portugal and Germany. Novelle knows the producers personally, and many of his customers. He often works in the store himself, offering advice and talking with warmth and laughter. He sold me a pair of jeans in January and since then, I’ve only taken them off to wash them.
Text: Hilka Dirks / Fotos: Soeren Jepsen
Oftt World, Oderberger Str.37, 10435 Berlin–Prenzlauer Berg; map
Tues–Fri 14–19h & Sat 14–18h
@ofttworld
