01
Brand Background
Established in 2012, A Tentative Atelier began as a design team, with its original head studio based in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the team members are located in the United Kingdom, Milan, and Hong Kong. The collection has been presented at Paris Fashion Week starting from the first season, SS2013. In early 2023, the design studio relocated to London, while maintaining half of its production in Hong Kong.
The label aims to explore artistic handicraft elements, along with innovative forms and silhouettes in garments. It is more than a fashion brand; it serves as a platform to encourage and sustain the spirit and tradition of craftsmanship. The team is supported by professional tailors and seamstresses with over 40 years of experience in the garment industry, notably the last generation of Shanghai Artisans.
02
Philosophy
The label's purpose is to discover new deconstruction details combined with traditional craftsmanship. It creates a unisex, timeless look that defines a coexistent generation for both masculine and feminine wardrobes, bringing out a neo-romantic appeal with a unique personality.
A Tentative Atelier represents a temporary project that starts with uncertainty, embarking on a journey of self-discovery, personal realisation, and self-improvement.
Each product is carefully considered, from materials to classic craftsmanship, such that every item has a sense of purpose, understated elegance and poetry while maintaining its wearability. The label’s pieces are romantic, poetic and above all, quietly fascinating with their own personality. Beyond the philosophy of “the spirit is better than the body”, it’s about the exploration of new forms and fabrics in fashion.
03
Detail
Each collection portrays a contemporary sense of luxury, with each piece of clothing having its own identity. The collections consist of natural fabrics such as leather, silk, and linen to maintain their raw quality, contrasted with alternative synthetic materials and metals for balance and enhancement.
Fabrics include leather from Tuscany, printed silk, and jacquard in collaboration with traditional mills in Como, wool from Northern Italy, and other fabrics from Japanese historical fabric mills. Some fabrics are uniquely created through our methods to ensure uniqueness.
The question of "Artisanal Imperfection as a New Beauty" is central to our philosophy. We focus on garment construction details, redefining traditional methods with deconstructed finishes. This approach combines sartorial know-how and couture-like elements, including raw edges and exposed chain stitching, to create a wearable art look.