Second Skin: Inside TTSWTRS’ Skin Couture
TTSWTRS’s Skin Couture collection highlights that what truly matters is not just the garment itself, but the emotions it evokes — how clothing becomes a gentle instrument of perception, fostering a deeper connection between a person, their body, and their memories.
Photos Courtesy of TTSWTRS, campaign & lookbook AI generated
Founded in Kyiv in 2013 by Anna Osmekhina and initially conceived as a collaborative art project, the Ukrainian brand has grown into an internationally recognized label with a distinctive visual language.
Short for “tattoo sweaters,” TTSWTRS draws inspiration from tattoo culture, converging garments onto a second skin. Graphic prints and minimalist silhouettes create a utopia of the human form as a canvas for artistic expression.
Presented during NYFW, this Couture collection embraces a message of self-acceptance and encourages a compassionate rethinking of the body as a vessel of inner freedom.
The collection centers on body-hugging silhouettes that trace the natural lines of the form, paired with prints that echo bare skin in its raw, uninhibited state. Together, these elements explore the connection between the physical and emotional dimensions of human nature, offering a fresh lens on beauty and self-acceptance.
Skin Couture draws from photographic portraits of real people, each accompanied by a personal narrative of insecurity and self-acceptance. Collaborations with tattoo artists reinforce the brand’s DNA, while motifs by Mills — defined by texture, form, and vintage iconography — reimagine the body as a canvas for contemporary expression.
Among the remarkable pieces in this collection, the Methamorph Dress stands out as one of the most intricate. It gracefully combines transparency with exquisite craftsmanship, evoking both vulnerability and strength. Every thread is carefully hand-laid, forming a deliberate waterfall effect and it features a printed design applied directly onto the textured fringe — a first for the brand. The dress is also adorned with piercing accessories at the nipples—a bold yet thoughtfully crafted detail that underscores the piece’s provocative and artistic spirit.
Through an AI-generated lookbook and campaign, the brand takes a further step onto the digital era. Besides the Methamorph dress, there’s also signature mesh bodysuits with hyper-realistic body and tattoo prints to shape the silhouette, from the contouring illusion of the Makeup Bodysuit to the layered Skin Couture designs referencing vintage tattoo culture.
Dresses range from the ethereal transparency of the Aura Dress to the more constructed Sketchskin Dress, which pairs watercolor body prints with integrated corsetry. Denim and separates introduce transformability through engineered Skin Couture Jeans with adjustable closures, paired with Blur Ink tops and corsets that echo traces left on the skin.
Throughout the collection, internal corsetry, concealed construction, and sculptural details reinforce TTSWTRS’ ongoing exploration of nudity, memory, and the body as a living artwork.
To boot…
TTSWTRS
