Rafael Schlaepfer

Rafael Schlaepfer (b. 1995, St. Gallen, Switzerland) is a multidisciplinary artist and clothing designer exploring the intersection of fashion, performance art, and movement. Based in Norway, with roots in Switzerland, Jamaica, and Cuba, he creates a unique visual language that blends cultures, eras, and forms of expression.

Schlaepfer grew up in a family with deep roots in the textile industry - specifically, the renowned Swiss textile house Jakob Schlaepfer. His upbringing was marked by fabric, textures, and craftsmanship, which forms the basis of his material understanding and sense of form. Combined with growing up in Norway and a multicultural background, he draws inspiration from both nature's rawness, the historical, and the futuristic, all filtered through a contemporary lens.

His work often takes the form of holistic experiences, where clothing design merges with ballet, improvisational dance, and performance. The result is fashion shows that challenge audience expectations and let the clothes speak through body and movement. With a futuristic twist and a clear sense of the ritualistic and poetic, Rafael Schlaepfer invites you into a universe where past and future collide - creating a new, vibrant present.