Can Ottolinger and Tinder repair human connections?

Ottolinger and Tinder are bringing people together. Christa Bösch and Cosima Gadient, the Swiss designers behind the brand known for its deconstructed designs, have explored human connections for their Tinder capsule. The US company behind the app announced the collaboration on Monday. It features a “new” and an “old” part.

For “Re/Pair”, influencers such as Kicki Yang Zhang and Lin Lin, as well as model Aweng Chuol, donated old garments. These were then transformed into new creations in the signature Ottolinger style. The results will be auctioned after Paris Fashion Week. The proceeds will benefit the NGO Lambda e.V., which advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, youth empowerment, and inclusive communities in Europe and beyond.

“We at Tinder believe in the possibilities that arise when people connect,” said Melissa Hobley, chief marketing officer at Tinder. “Our partnership with Ottolinger expresses this idea with the concept of ‘Re/Pair’ – transforming what already exists, from garments to stories or first impressions, into something new and future-oriented.”

“I am with Otto”

The second part is a Tinder capsule, consisting of several T-shirts and a two-part necklace. The T-shirts and the accessory play with the presence of a “counterpart”. While the necklace only reveals its full meaning when the two pieces are joined, the garments play on the concept of “couple T-shirts”. The focus is on the well-known slogan for these pieces, “I’m with ___”, under which an arrow points to the other person. In this case, the blank is filled with “Otto”. The brand is thus laying the perfect foundation for the next couple looks in the street styles of the upcoming season.

The Tinder capsule is already available in the Ottolinger online shop. The necklace costs 85 euros, and the T-shirts are priced between 95 and 135 euros, depending on the style.