Follow The Pattern

German duo Silvia Hillmann and Katrin Wiens produce a chromatically intoxicating, print-heavy spin on flirty garbs for their label Pepper and Pistol.

Wiens originally created textiles for brands such as Just Cavalli, Heatherette and Calvin Klein, while Hillmann designed clothing for labels such as Boudicca, and the two decided to partner up in order to create prints that they would wear themselves. "There have been plenty of graphic prints out there in recent seasons, but it's usually a lot of the same style over and over again—how many more skulls can there be?" Wiens points out. "To us, there is so much more than making a cute little dress in an interesting print."

When it comes to process, pattern dictates design—the custom-made prints are the starting point for the theme and shape of each collection. Pepper and Pistol's autumn/winter '08 line, titled "Underworld," is a nod to Jules Verne's adventure novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The fantastically imaginative collection includes oversized cashmere sweater dresses featuring exaggerated images of deep sea creatures, fishtail skirts and voluminous graphic print blouses, many of which are embellished with sequins and beading.

Counting Tyra Banks as a fan and with Tokyo's Loveless and New York's Dernier Cri as stockists, the blossoming Pepper and Pistol label proves that two heads are always better than one.

  For more information, see www.pepperandpistol.com.

—Kyle Landman