Too Damn Expensive. Typically that is not a positive connotation to be used in the context of fashion, or — quite frankly — any kind of consumable goods. Nevertheless, Norwegian fashion designer Elisabeth Vestli took up that phrase as a brand name. The ambiguous statement refers to the thoughtful design process and the high quality material that make Elisabeth's garments extraordinarily valuable. It is refreshing to find a designer taking the core values of creating clothing really seriously while keeping it light-hearted when it comes to setting them in scene marketing-wise.

Somehow this juxtaposition can also be found in the current collection. While Elisabeth was very much inspired by geometrical shapes and chose to only work with rectangles and squares, the garments themselves look really relaxed and floating, draped fluidly around the body. The whole collection is restricted to only one precious fabric, and all pieces are black. Despite this rigid regiment, the Too Damn Expensive designs stay agile and nonchalant, which doesn’t necessarily mean that they are causal. All pieces are easily transferable into highly official business looks or luxuriously elegant evening outfits.