The Surreal Witness

Introducing Lene Böhles, a Berlin-based fashion design graduate whose work explores clothing as a carrier of memory, emotion, and meaning. Through a narrative-driven approach, she translates historical and social contexts, particularly the female experience, into contemporary garments. Combining experimental materials with surrealistic influences, her work positions fashion as both a cultural archive and a tool for feminist reflection. This project is part of the graduate collection “The Surreal Witness” by Lene Böhles. It engages with the legacy of photographer, correspondent and model Lee Miller, translating her surrealist visual language and distinctive point of view into a six-look collection. Drawing from Miller’s ability to navigate between beauty and brutality, the work reflects on the role of the female observer within contexts of crisis and transformation. The garments become vessels of resilience, exploring femininity not as fragility, but as a persistent, adaptive force that endures even in moments of instability. The imagery unfolds within harsh, almost artificial environments. A constantly shifting PVC backdrop, combined with stark lighting and heightened contrast, constructs a space that feels both controlled and disorienting. Femininity is abstracted, fragmented, and reconfigured, yet it never disappears. Photography by Milon Quayim / milon.io / Instagram: @milon.io Set Assistance: Céline Eggenschwiler / www.eggenschwiler.eu / Instagram: @celineeggenschwi