Mimesis ’25: Anna Kosidło’s Circus of Shadows and Dreams

In the world of emerging fashion, few designers manage to so seamlessly merge narrative, artistry, and emotion as Anna Kosidło. With a vision that transcends clothing, their work exists at the intersection of theatre, cinema, and dreams—where garments transform into characters and fashion becomes a storytelling device. Their graduation collection MIMESIS ’25, created in collaboration with film director Femke Hamelaar, immediately caught attention for its daring blend of German Expressionist influence, surreal archetypes, and poetic silhouettes. What sets Anna Kosidło apart is not just technical mastery, but an ability to channel vulnerability, imagination, and raw sensitivity into wearable art. Through their designs, fashion takes on the role of fable—revealing hidden emotions, sparking curiosity, and reminding us that beauty is most powerful when it aches just a little.

1. Tell us about your graduation collection. What inspired the concept behind it?

‘MIMESIS ’25’ is a fashion project created in collaboration with film director Femke Hamelaar, where costume became a storytelling device.
Set in a stylized circus world, the narrative follows Juliette, a 20-year-old acrobat unraveling under emotional pressure. Each character embodies an archetype—the dreamer, the distant father, the paralyzed mother—expressed through exaggerated silhouettes, stylized textures, and symbolic contrasts.
Influenced by German Expressionist cinema, the collection embraces theatrical distortion and shadowed emotion. The garments heighten the narrative through visual exaggeration—sharp tailoring, flowing fabrics, and sculptural forms reflect the characters’ internal states.
Floral prints derived from hand-drawn sketches offer a delicate contrast to the bold silhouettes—softness within intensity. These motifs, reinterpreted into editorial visuals, blur the line between fable and fashion, making the characters feel both timeless and surreal.
My designs are meant to build a heightened emotional reality—where clothing reveals what words cannot, and each figure becomes a living symbol within an exaggerated world.

2. How has your time at Willem de Kooning Academy shaped you as a fashion designer?

Now, when I can look at it as a whole, after having finished my 4 years of study, I am realizing that I have, in a way, made a full circle in my journey—refining what I started with.
I came to study fashion full of enthusiasm, but with a false sense, that I already had my vision all-figured-out and I just needed to learn some technical skills to execute it. Like a naive child I assumed everyone would immediately understand and fall in love with my world—oh boy, it was not an easy journey, but surely a fascinating one!
At some point I lost my spark a bit; I felt discouraged and started comparing myself to all other talented designers. I doubted whether my interests were valid, I was almost ashamed of them and tried to fit into so many boxes by sticking with visuals and styles that did not truly represent me.
But that made me realize how determined I was, to learn, to make mistakes and take lessons out of them. And despite hardships, I could not imagine my life without art and fashion, it became an integral part of me. I later realized I needed to stay true to myself and my work would only stand the test of time, if I followed my intuition.
So I do, I revisit my childhood dreams, my fantasies, fables and fairy tales, and I give them a new form, in which they can exist and communicate who I have become.

3. What emotions or messages do you hope people feel when they see your designs?

I want spectators to have an experience, which is hard to put into words. That feeling of inspiration, curiosity, other-worldliness, as if you had butterflies in your stomach and suddenly trespassed different dimensions. Charm and love; purification of the heart.
I want them to feel connected to their secret dreams and the tender parts of their soul. Whenever an art piece makes me feel like that, even for a split second, it is a bit life-changing. I hope I can awaken this in people. Sensitivity is not an easy emotion, which we express commonly, in daily situations. I do not think it is even possible to ever understand, so I want people to be able to contemplate it within their hearts when they see my creations.

4. Can you walk us through your design process—from the first idea to the finished piece?

It is truly like a mozaic of inspirations, ideas, experiments, rejections... My process is like a big collage itself—so, funnily, I often start with mood boards or collages, all done physically, with magazine and book cut-outs, inspired by a mirage of my interests—they could come from books, films, literature, people I met, travels. I often dig for references in my past memories too.
Since I was two years old, I have been ‘noting’ my ideas by sketching, so that is how I collect my material—through concept sketches. Then I usually dress the message I want to convey in characters, as it helps me put certain elements into a frame—this is kind of how I think in general; I have a catalogue of characters in my head, with names and backstories, and I use them as tools to process different emotions within me. And to show the universe those characters reside in, I then go onto textile samples, I make small-scale moulages, I edit pictures in Photoshop to find interesting shapes—I tend to manipulate proportions especially. And then, when it is all abstract and whimsical—I try to somehow make it work! I just immediately go into sewing, allowing a bunch of ‘happy accidents’, as if I were sculpting, till I am satisfied. Finally, I decorate to the brim, with focus on small details (that might be my favourite part!). And to broaden the vision I find photographers who can re-frame my ideas and breathe a new life into them.

5. What materials, textures, or techniques do you love working with the most, and why?

I am a big lover of see-throughness—I think it reflects my passion for showing glimpses of my inner world; how tangled and complex it can be, but without ever revealing the whole picture. Keeping a bit of mystery in there. That is why I often go for organza, as you can print images on it and layer them like collages—then you get fantastic colors, slightly muddy, almost rotten, which reminds me of flower petals, nature, waves of the sea, earthly wonders. On top of that I would add some tulle, especially black or white, and then lace with many different patterns, perhaps some yellowish shiny latex, feathers, loose thread. I have injured my fingers so many times while burning my textiles or sewing on sequins by hand!
I like surfaces that you can decode piece by piece, which change in the light, which you can get fascinated by. Blocks of color and smooth expensive textiles are not for me, as for now. I also love to incorporate elements of second-hand vintage garments in my designs—old buttons, ribbons or embellishments—it is like putting a mysterious spirit from the past into the piece.

6. This photoshoot brings your work to life—how did you collaborate with the photographer to express your vision?

I can imagine that my garments without the wonderful work of photographers are like thoughts that remain in one’s head, but never expressed in action, are unknown to the world and eventually die a quiet death in the fields of imagination.
I love photography, for it captures a certain scene; like a movie still, and encapsulates that atmosphere in a picture, which is a physical proof of that dream.
I think of myself as extremely lucky to have come across Fred Baggen, as he himself is surely more of an expert in the field of expressionist silent cinema than me, and he is always enthusiastic and full of his own ideas. Our ‘fable’ therefore came to life very quickly—it was as if we were reenacting a movie scene. We used a beamer to reflect images on the structure of the garments; played with various set ups and images. I felt truly immersed in the character of an expressive bewitched heroine, as Baggen did his magic and then surprised me with a variety of different variations—blurry and dreamy, sharp and unnerving; bright and vibrant or focused on contrast of black and white—polar opposites. A true maestro!

7. Who are some designers or artists (past or present) that inspire your creative world?

I could really write an endless list of my influences, as I consume a lot! But I remember one of my first great inspirations was a Polish assemblage artist, Władysław Hasior, whose work is full of folklorist themes, often rooted in Slavic mythology and local culture. They are a bit scary but they truly pierce your soul, especially placed in the ambience of his gallery, which is located in an old wooden cabin in the mountains.
As I mentioned, I am a lover of German Expressionist cinema, but also, more whimsical, Georges Méliès. Tim Walker’s photography, Elizaveta Porodina. I think poems like ‘Les Fleurs du Mal’ by Baudelaire, ‘Master and Margarita’ by Bulgakov, all Dostoevsky’s novels, Chopin’s music, biblical themes, art deco buildings... It all shapes my soul day by day.
But to narrow it down to fashion, I have always admired Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Betsey Johnson, Thierry Mugler, Christian Lacroix, Anna Sui. I am also happy to see the rise of Dilara Findikoglu, as I remember just a few years ago she was a niche inspiration of mine and now she seems to be thriving!

8. What challenges have you faced as a young designer, and how have you overcome them?

It is surprisingly easy to be very harsh on yourself, where instead of reflecting critically on your work and drawing inspirations from others, for the benefit of your own progress, you compare yourself and lose your own creative vision. I am definitely guilty of that; of becoming intimidated by all of those very talented creators in the field. I often felt that I did not fit into any of their boxes—I was afraid I was in the wrong place. I tried to squeeze in, but instead I needed to make my own box, outside of their world.
It is a long process and I am still working on my approach, but one method I like to use—to trick myself—is to imagine the childhood or teen version of me—the one who would be so proud of what I have already accomplished and would, probably, idolize a figure like the person I have become—so I need to look through the eyes of a child—and see it as a way to fulfill my dream and inspire others to search for that for themselves, instead of a ‘duty’ to fill just any niche in the field of fashion.

9. What do you hope to explore next in your fashion journey—any upcoming projects or dream goals?

I do not yet have a single clear idea—but I am used to my process being this way—initially, it is millions of small scraps of ideas, try-outs, concept work, and then the puzzles fall into place and it all suddenly clicks.
Since I have been occupied working with florals and a lot of delicate colors and shapes for many months, I have suddenly felt myself being drawn to more contrasted, androgynous strong silhouettes, old-fashioned sci-fi, robots, the fantasy of futuristic technology, ‘metropolis’, and the poetic language of geometry. Who knows, maybe I will create a science-fiction-robotic-tale?—very likely, judging by the hours I spent playing Kraftwerk in the background, whenever I work!

10. What advice would you give to other fashion students or emerging designers just starting out?

There are plenty, but I think it all comes down to one thing: stay true to yourself.
Be critical but do not be ignorant of what your heart is drawn to. Listen to your intuition and try to always stay passionate about what you are making—then no hardships will ever stop you, because you will feel like you are fighting for this grand goal—for your dream, which makes life worth living after all. Do something that will make you wake up full of excitement in the morning and will put you to sleep dreaming and planning, and looking forward to the next step.
Art is a beautiful and powerful tool—a key to hearts that not everyone can hold. You do not owe practicality to the business. If you create straight from the heart, your art will reach those who need it and it will fill them with hope and inspiration. Do not lose your heart, you will need it in life!
And most importantly, do not be afraid of mistakes—they teach you the most and you will look back on them with fondness!

What shines through Anna Kosidło journey is not only the artistry of the collections, but the resilience and sincerity behind them. Their designs are not meant to simply be worn—they are meant to be felt, experienced, and remembered. By fusing the delicacy of dreams with the drama of cinema, they invite us into a world where fashion becomes a mirror of the soul. As they continue to evolve, one thing is certain: Anna Kosidło is a designer whose work will not only define the present moment, but also inspire the future of fashion with imagination, vulnerability, and daring beauty.

Wardrobe Stylist/Model/Fashion Designer/Makeup Artist/Hair Stylist: Anna Kosidło@the_anna_kosidlo

Creative Director/Photographer/Retoucher: FredBaggenPhotography

@ fredbaggenphotography

https://www.fredbaggenphotography.com