Puff sleeves, ruffles, high collars: at her handmade womenswear store in Düsseldorf, at Lorettostraße 8 in Unterbilk, fashion designer Angelika Kauffmann has been showing a signature since 2021 that you recognise instantly. The store is tucked away in a rear courtyard and has no shop window. Instead, the atelier and shop share a single room: while you browse, you can watch the designer cutting and sewing right in front of you. She designs collections for her eponymous label and makes everything herself, all in Düsseldorf. What hangs on the rails was made right here.
Her route to her own label took a few detours. Before studying fashion design in Düsseldorf, Angelika worked in retail and spent long stretches in London and Ireland. To this day she takes her ideas not from the runway but from old films, picture books and paintings. The 1920s, the 1950s and the 1980s keep returning in her cuts, always filtered through one question: how would you wear this today? She is also surprisingly practical about it. Wrap dresses and elasticated panels sit alongside dramatic silhouettes, because a dress should still feel comfortable after a good dinner. Looking elegant without feeling restricted: that is the standard every piece has to meet.
In the store you’ll find blouses and dresses with oversized puff sleeves, pronounced ruffles and high collars, in silhouettes that range from buttoned-up to daringly sheer. Black is the base colour, with the occasional piece adding a bold accent. Many outfits are finished with one of the Alice bands that have become Angelika’s trademark. Prices mostly range from 200 to 400 euros. On request, she adapts designs in style and size or makes a piece to your measurements. For special occasions, you can rent a dress instead of buying one, and the atelier also takes on repairs. When cutting, she uses fabric as completely as she can: the last offcut often becomes a collar or another detail. For embellishments, she works with deadstock pearls from leftover stock. Plenty of customers admire the designs from a safe distance at first. Angelika simply invites them to try something on, and she usually has a good instinct for which cut and which puff sleeve suits whom.
Looking for handmade fashion in Düsseldorf that doesn’t look like everything else? Then Unterbilk is worth the detour. Small, owner-run shops line the streets around Lorettostraße, and Carlsplatz is just under 20 minutes away on foot. Angelika likes this part of town for exactly that reason: the smaller shops, the atmosphere and the people who support each other. Give yourself some time to try things on, because many pieces only really come alive once you wear them. If you’re after a dress for a specific occasion or want something made to measure, talk to her in the store. Can’t make it to Unterbilk? You can also find her designs in her online shop. Opening hours are listed on this page.
