Markus Lupfer was born in Kisslegg, Germany, in 1968. After briefly studying fashion in Treves, he moved to London in 1995 to attend the University of Westminster. His final-year collection, completed in 1997, was purchased in its entirety by the boutique Koh Samui. London has since remained his home and workplace.
In 2001, Lupfer received the British Fashion Council’s New Generation award. With this opportunity, Lupfer was able to show his own collection at London Fashion Week, and he remained a frequent name on the schedule for the following five years. In 2006, Lupfer was named design director for the Spanish label Armand Basi. His 2008 and 2009 collections for Armand Basi One were shown at London Fashion Week, and demonstrated the same playfulness evident in his earlier designs, this time channeled through experimentation with proportion, scale, and geometry. His work for the company earned him the award for Best Designer of the Year at Marie Claire’s Prix d’Excellence de la Mode Awards in 2008.
By 2009, Lupfer had left Armand Basi and returned to developing his eponymous label. He took a break from formally showing collections to refocus on design direction. In February 2010, the Markus Lupfer label was once again on the schedule for London Fashion Week. His collections, while varied in cut and mood, consistently feature stretched or draped jersey, delicate patterns, and catchy graphics. Whether embellished with sequins, splashed with graphics, or stamped with typographic slogans and phrases, knitwear is a signature of the label. In 2012, Lupfer launched a menswear line, which incorporates many design elements from his women’s line, demonstrating the strength and clarity of his design vision.
Lupfer has collaborated with established labels such as Cacharel and Mulberry, as well as setting up mass-market partnerships with Whistles and ASOS. Additional collaborations include Katie Hillier for Net-A-Porter and Shu Uemura. Lupfer’s success across labels and his collaborations signal his strength as a visionary and design force.
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