Designer Abarna Kugathasan of Kitschy Couture has created a fashion brand that celebrates diasporic identity, creativity, and self-love. Inspired by her Tamil roots and German upbringing, Kugathasan’s collections blend traditional sari draping with lace and lingerie, bringing a new perspective to her garments.
The recent Spring/Summer 2025 show at Berlin Fashion Week showcased an ethereal collection titled “Artificial Paradise.” This collection featured deconstructed swimwear, lingerie-inspired dresses, hand-sewn roses, rhinestone dolphins, mermaid skirts, and kimonos made of lace and satin. The designs highlight the transcultural fantasy of living between worlds.
Kugathasan’s upbringing and cultural influences play a significant role in her designs. She draws inspiration from her mother, a seamstress who created traditional Tamil saris. The brand’s kitschy aesthetic is a reflection of Kugathasan’s childhood memories of blending her Tamil heritage with Western influences.
The theme of “Artificial Paradise” explores the concept of bringing elements of one’s homeland into a foreign environment in a somewhat artificial way. Kugathasan’s parents decorated their home in Germany with items that reminded them of Sri Lanka, creating a unique blend of cultures. This theme is reflected in the collection, which embraces the beauty of merging different cultures in harmony.
Kugathasan’s dream honeymoon destination would be her own “Artificial Paradise,” a kitschy island filled with synthetic flowers, LED lights, and inflatable palm trees. This idealized setting represents a place where different cultures can coexist without boundaries, creating new traditions and ways of thinking.
For the first time, Kitschy Couture will be launching an online shop, offering a virtual invitation to their paradise. The collection will include the exclusive “Paradise” thong, allowing customers to own a piece of the fantasy. The brand’s second show aims to showcase the Kitschy Couture look with confidence and creativity.
Ultimately, Kugathasan hopes that the audience will leave her show feeling at home and part of a community. She wants to share the challenges and beauty of growing up with an immigrant background, highlighting the merging of different cultures in a harmonious way. By opening the doors to her emotions and experiences, Kugathasan invites others to appreciate the complexity and richness of transcultural identities.