Ola Velure

Velure’s MA thesis collection, Beautiful Men – Dandyism Through the Lens of Oscar Wilde, focuses on the social ambience surrounding Oscar Wilde in the 19th century. ‘I was curious about the creation of the queer stereotype, which culminated with the trials of Wild, accused of homosexuality in 1895’. As this lays the foundation for the theoretical research – the visuality comes from the Aesthetic Movement and especially a 1884 Janus-faced teapot, depicting a limp-wristed man in a rather feminine appearance. This sparked curiosity for the relation between gay aesthetics, the arts, and historically normative menswear. The collection combines elements of dandyism while following Wilde’s philosophy of beauty, joy, and soft drapery in men’s clothing. The collection explores knit as a replacement for traditional woven fabrics in classic tailoring. By challenging traditions, Velure creates soft surfaces with luxurious tactility for the wearer. This adds an interesting modernity that reinterprets the historical research while challenging traditional woven garments. The effect is achieved through brushing, heat pressing and reinforcing the fabric with tailored canvasing and extensive hand stitching. ‘The idea is to implement femininity through softening classical menswear. I want to express a romantic nostalgia that draws upon the rich history of decoration and effeminacy in men’s dress.’ Ultimately, the garments pay homage to beauty and ostentation in men’s clothing. This can be seen in the collaboration with Hailey Robinson on the shoes designed for the collection, which implement adornments such as bows and sensuality through texture and form. Thus, the collaboration is a creative partnership that helps shape the menswear we want to see in 2026 – dainty, beautiful and colourful.