After studying at AMFI, Tosca Soraya Otten flew to Shanghai for her first job as a designer. She exchanged that for Paris to pursue a master’s degree at the prestigious Institut Francais de la Mode and then started working as a creative pattern maker at Cacharel. Back in Amsterdam she became Ilja Visser’s right hand and in 2017 she started her own TOS gallery. But it was time for the next step. After long and hard work, she launched her brand new brand Tender during Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.
Tender
According to the designer, the impact that clothing can have on our self-image has been significantly underestimated. Fits are often developed without taking into account the wide variety of curves that exist. Think of trousers that pinch in certain places or seams that run across the stomach. With Teder, Otten therefore investigates the connection between design and the psychological effect it can have.
For the Tender AW24 collection, Otten lets go of the rules. The result is quirky shapes, seams in places where you don’t expect them and unexpected pockets. Elegant yet playful. Refined materials, a harmonious color palette, ‘flowing’ sizes, and fits that make you feel very free are the collection in a nutshell. The pieces all fit loosely around the body so that you are always free to move, materials feel nice on the skin and the finishes are high-end. With this she wants to show that the meaning of what is ‘beautiful’ is as diverse as the variety of people in the world.
Also important: the materials in the collection are largely of natural origin and a large part of the fabrics come from ‘deadstock’. In this way, Tosca also contributes to a better world.
1. What makes Tender unique?
“Tender delves deeper into the feeling that clothing gives us, from a design perspective. I investigate which fits have a good influence on our self-image in daily life. It’s quite a psychological approach, but that’s exactly what I find interesting. What is it about clothing that affects our self-image? And how can you respond to this as a designer in a positive way? Clothing can have such an impact on how a woman feels. I am also quite a critical shopper and in a clothing store I can quickly see that 80% of the trousers do not fit me well. As a woman, I missed clothing brands that really take into account how I feel in my body. Many fits do not take wider hips or curves into account. I therefore think it is very important to support women in their everyday lives, so that they feel comfortable and confident. You can see that in the designs of my clothes. For example, most women fluctuate in weight, so how nice is it to have clothes that can move with you? That is why 75% of the collection is made in ‘fluid sizing’, where three sizes actually fit into one size. This way you can choose whether you want to wear the items separately, or a little more connected. But nothing is bodycon-tight or completely fitted. The pieces always fit comfortably around the body so that you are always free to move. In addition, my focus is very much on quality.”
2. Take us through the design process
“It starts with a visit to Premier Vision for materials inspiration. I already have a mood board and sketches, but I only develop the real sketches later. Then, together with my assistant, I make the first fits and test models in the studio, and advisors from sales and business also watch with me. In the meantime, I am also contacting manufacturers to have the samples made later. I will also fly there to discuss everything. When the first samples are ready, I do a fitting with a fitting model. Depending on how much is wrong, there will be a second sample. If everything is good, it must be photographed; with and without model. Everything is then passed on to a sales agent who presents the collection to buyers at stores and distribution centers. In the meantime, I have already started the next collection…”
3. Why is it that there are quite a few Asian influences in the collection?
“I often lean towards Asia with regard to aesthetics. I think that’s because I’m partly Indonesian myself, but also because I lived in Shanghai for a few years. However, I am most inspired by Japan and I seem to be drawn there like a magnet every time. There is a certain harmony in that aesthetic, a freedom and a refinement that really appeals to me. I secretly dream of living in Japan one day, even if just for a short while, to see if I really click well with that world.”
4. What is your favorite item from the collection?
“Can there be two? I think the item I would most like to wear is the Yeux shirt. A white shirt with wide sleeves that builds on a shirt I developed at TOS Gallery. The proportions and fit are beautiful, stylish and yet very relaxed. Fun fact: the basis for the shirt is a denim shirt that I once bought in Paris for €2. The second item is the Brunia Dress, because it is so simple yet quite difficult in terms of construction. The dress consists of one pattern piece and only has a center back seam and two shoulder seams. There is something enormously artistic about him and yet something very simple. It can be worn very chic with a heel but also very relaxed with a sneaker. That versatility is my favorite in general.”
5. You are also a mother. How do you combine that with your own fashion brand?
“Well, that’s quite a challenge sometimes. My dream is to make Tender a company and have it in stores all over the world. But at the same time I also want to have a family in which my partner and I are equal and can continue to develop. When I became pregnant, my boyfriend and I had very clear conversations. I’m not the housewife type. I like to work a lot and didn’t want to give this up. We would split everything: work the same amount of time, the housework and the care of our son Noé. But I also sometimes work weekends or have to travel to manufacturers, and then it is quite difficult for my friend to keep all the balls up. Fortunately, my son absolutely loves my father, who in turn also loves to take care of Noé. So if the need is urgent, we can always contact him. And we also do plenty of fun things together as a family and alone. Being a mother helps me to tighten boundaries at work, to use my time efficiently, to learn to say ‘no’ and to ask for help. I also discovered that it is fine if you sometimes drop a few balls on the ground, that will come later.”
Portrait: Sevilay Maria | lookbook images: Alena Afanaseva
