We have already had the opportunity to present the work of one of our most recent new entries, Melitta Baumeister, but it is with great satisfaction that we share the prestigious recognition she has just received as the winner of the 2025 edition of the National Design Award from the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York.

The most important United States institution, dedicated exclusively to historic and contemporary design, and home to one of the world’s most articulated collections, with over 215.000 objects that cover 30 centuries of history, insaugurated this award in 2000,in collaboration with the Millennium Council of the White House, to highlight the impact of design on daily life and our ecosystem. The awards, diverse in their categories (fashion, interiors, architecture, communication, etc.), honor innovation and projects that have the potential to generate transformations in the social and natural world.

And what connection does this have with Melitta’s work?

As she herself states:

“In our studio, we create clothing that will be worn and become part of someone’s life. It will attract attention, spark conversations, and sometimes challenge perceptions, encouraging new ways of seeing the world.”

After the success of the 2023 edition of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, the designer, of German origin, continues to confirm herself as a bright promise in the international fashion scene. Not only does her work manifest a strong aesthetic, where volumes and silhouettes become sculptural, surprising, and sometimes humorous and playful, but it is also deeply rooted in the ethics of slow-fashion, featuring a rich repertoire of enduring pieces and short supply chains with a low environmental impact.

So, why not take the opportunity to get to know some of her works, suitable for the in-between seasons, always with a strong transformative and timeless flavor?

Longuette ‘sculpture’ dress in polyester pleats hand dyed with iridescent effect, round-neck with profile in contrast of color, short rounded sleeves with circular band at the end, circular bottom with rigid inner band

Sculpture dress, long and lean, in recycled polyester and polyester jersey with bark texture, mock turtleneck with little buttons, long sleeves, padded band at the bottom with circular waves effect

Longuette ‘bomber’ dress, wide, in heavy nylon taffetas, round-neck with button on the back, sleeveless, big pocket applied on one side with high knit band, oversized bomber jacket like bottom with high knit band on the sides and longer on the back

Oversize peacoat in waterproof nylon canva, one chest, crater collar, zip-closure with double slider, vertical cut with opening on the back of the sleeve to be worn as a cloak, two welt pockets and two with zip in contrast of color on the back, two pockets applied on the bottom on the back, coulisse on the end of the sleeve and on the bottom of the peacoat

‘Sculpture’ dress, longuette, in polyester plissé with vertical folds on the bust and horizontal on the skirt with snakes tattoo print, round-neck, sleeveless, wide skirt and abstractly far from the body with wavy circle motif on the waist line

To discover the collections: Melitta Baumeister – Ivo Milan Radical Fashion