Every A Kind of Guise Collection Is a Wearable Travelogue
“We're in a very conservative city,” says Yasar Ceviker, co-founder of A Kind of Guise. “I'm a hundred percent sure that it would be way easier if we were from Paris, London, New York, whatever.”
Ceviker appropriately describes A Kind of Guise as “open-minded,” a stylistically adventurous clothing company based in the unstylish city of Munich. Despite its geographic specificity, A Kind of Guise’s sincere craft transcends borders.
Each year, it distills the essence of a far-away place, from its artistry to its cuisine to its history to its landscapes, into multi-part seasonal collections it calls “Chapters.”
“Sometimes we get inspiration from a book, a magazine, or a documentary,” says AKOG managing partner Felix Struengmann.
Then, after extensive research, Ceviker and Struengmann embark on a 10-day journey to countries as disparate as Ghana, Georgia, and Peru for a cultural deep-dive reflected in AKOG’s trademark editorials. The duo are “always having to adjust on the go," says Struengmann “It’s pressure from the first day to find people we can photograph, to go to the right places where the weather is also good enough. But in the end, we’re constantly finding solutions.”
I’ve always believed that true style isn’t merely seen but felt. A Kind Of Guise’s collections are shaped by rare fabrics and impeccable finishing, both typically carried out in family-run factories in Italy and Germany to a standard that champions longevity over trend.
No bold logos, no gimmicks, just understated, thoughtful garments. Light, fluid silhouettes — tailored quarter-zip shirts, boxy German-made T-shirts, pajama-style trousers — in soft tones that highlight the quality of the craft.
The beauty of the brand lies in how AKOG filters far-flung inspirations through its singular worldview, epitomized by the soft structure of its blazers, the relaxed drape of its wide-leg trousers, and the depth of its handwoven fabrics.
All these principles are neatly captured in A Kind Of Guise’s latest Spring/Summer 2025 delivery, titled “Serendipity” as an homage to both “Serendib,” an ancient name for Sri Lanka, and the spirit of happy accidents.
“Serendipity” affirms the Sri Lankan inspiration with intricate embroidery, natural dyes, silks, wools, and cotton sourced from both the island’s local makers and small-batch mills in Italy, Portugal, and Japan.
You see this in the clothes, too, like how the Rupini Wrap Pants reinterpret the traditional Sri Lankan sarong, a skirt-like leg wrap, as a pair of wide-leg trousers. The Gioia Shirt, cut from jacquard-woven fabric, is a modern take on centuries-old Sri Lankan beeralu lacework.
Another shirt, cut loose and with a straight hem, stitches a Sri Lankan sunrise into cotton, handwoven by local artisans whose techniques date back to the ’60s.
This isn’t Sri Lankan clothing reinterpreted through the A Kind of Guise lens. It’s A Kind Of Guise infused with the spirit of Sri Lanka.
And, as always, the clothes are best displayed in A Kind Of Guise's signature editorials, modeled by local drivers, guides, and cafe guests. “Some of them understand right away,” says Struengmann. ”Some are like, ’What are you guys doing?’"
A Kind Of Guise’s editorials transcend ordinary lookbooks exactly because they’re immersed in the culture that inspires them. In the background of the Spring/Summer 2025 imagery, for instance, pink Sri Lankan buses make the inspiration of a seasonal color clear; last season, a local Peruvian flower was shot next to the shirt that borrows its hues; for Spring/Summer 2023, AKOG shot a caravan as it navigated past camels in southern Jordan’s red desert, sometimes called the “Valley of the Moon.”
These images are an important extension of the brand’s ideology, an exploration of what it means to dress not for the moment but for life. These editorials capture the essence of the various locales, placing AKOG's garments in the hands of those who shaped the traditions that informed them in the landscapes where heritage is lived, passed down, and woven into the everyday.
From its base in Munich, where building a fashion brand can feel like fighting against the current, A Kind Of Guise has fostered appeal as international as its inspirations.
“For a brand that is very quiet and does very little marketing, people are just attracted,” Ceviker says.
And, as AKOG approaches its 15th anniversary, it’s planning to go even bigger. Ceviker says that celebratory projects include “limited collaborations,” a focus “on our retail” for their stores in Berlin and Munich, and even food. “There will be a wedding collection,” he says. “We never stop.”
But even with eyes on the future, AKOG never forgets its roots. “The coolest thing is that we always receive messages from people who are inspired by the editorials,” says Ceviker. “That's something that we want — this cultural exchange, inspiring people to be more open-minded and discover new cultures. It's not only about the clothes that we produce but the lifestyle."
