Between Ritual and Rawness: Leo Prothmann in Conversation with L’ABBEYE

There’s a symbiotic relationship between craftsmanship and community which lies at the core of everything that London-based designer Leo Prothmann does. Fastidiously honing their craft under the tutelage of conceptual menswear designer Craig Green and textiles maestro Matty Bovan, Leo has taken those lessons learned to their own practice, a practice which manifests itself in pieces made with a sustainable and storied sensibility.

This oeuvre reveals itself in genderless, avant-garde garments where textiles and textures are used in the most tactile way and whose dramatic dimensions and structured silhouettes leave us gasping in wonder. It’s clothing that also goes beyond what simply pleases the eye. Clothing where every stitch and seam becomes a dialogue between form and feeling, the seen and the unseen.

A visual vocabulary that spoke to L’Abbeye and made us want to speak to Leo to find out more about the influences and inspirations that have shaped their creative pathway, the vision and values that underpin all they do, and the one garment from their body of work that they view as almost autobiographical.

For anyone new to Leo Prothmann, how would you describe the brand aesthetic and the vision and values that underpin it?

I sometimes use the phrase stable glam, a juxtaposition of gritty, raw beauty with glamour. It comes from growing up in the countryside while dreaming of an escape into a more glamorous city life. My vision is about pushing boundaries, challenging expectations, and staying deeply rooted in sustainable practice.

Sustainability lies at the core of all you do. Could you tell us about the sustainable and ethical practices you follow when making your pieces?

I work closely with three suppliers who provide meat by-product and vegetable-tanned leather. I also collaborate with Inversa Leather, who specialise in fish leather made from invasive species, an incredible, sustainable alternative to exotics with equally beautiful textures. Everything is made to order in my Whitechapel studio, which keeps us aligned with slow fashion principles. I sometimes use deadstock, though the quality can be inconsistent, so I’m very selective.

We’ve seen your work described as “all genders.” What does that mean to you and how do you accommodate that flexibility within the design process?

I’ve often been framed as someone I’m not, so I prefer to create for a community that doesn’t pin down who should wear something, only who wants to. “All genders” means truly everyone. Each piece I make is designed with freedom in mind, not restriction.

Going back to the beginning, did fashion play an important part in your childhood and what inspired you to pursue a career in it?

This might sound cliché, but when I first saw Lady Gaga in Noritaka Tatehana heels, I was obsessed with how they were made. That moment hooked me. Soon after, I was in my parents’ garage making platform shoes out of discarded heels my mum’s friends didn’t want anymore.

You’re based in London. What was the catalyst for moving there, and in what ways have London’s subcultures and queer community influenced and informed your creative process?

At my school in Germany, London was always seen as the ultimate destination, and as a teenager you’re influenced by those conversations. In the end, I was the only one who actually went with my partner. London became the place where my weird soul felt accepted, loved, and celebrated for who I truly am, not who I was expected to be.

Community seems central to your practice, especially through your support for the Brain Tumour Research Foundation. Why is that cause important to you, and how do you see fashion as a tool for solidarity?

Two years ago my brother was diagnosed with a brain tumour, which made me determined to raise awareness that this isn’t only something affecting older people, it impacts young people too. Fashion can feel superficial, even plastic at times, but it also gives you a voice. Using that platform for fundraising and awareness breaks down hierarchies and re-centres our shared humanity.

We loved the Chap Boots collaboration you did with Rick Owens for their F/W 25 “Concordians” collection. It’s the second time you’ve worked with them, so how did that come about and what’s the experience of working with Rick like?

Rick is a wonderful human and an incredible designer. Working with him fills my heart with joy and fuels me to strive toward things that don’t yet feel possible.

Before founding Leo Prothmann, you interned with Craig Green and Matty Bovan. What did you learn from those designers and how have you incorporated that into your own practice?

From Craig, I learned how to sew properly. University is great for experimenting and meeting people, but if you want to master making, finding an internship that allows you to actively sew will get you there. From Matty, who I met through Mandi Lennard, a fashion fairy godmother to me, I learned to embrace colour, shape, and experimentation without fear of mistakes.

You’ve collaborated with Playbody, a queer collective, on body sculptures that push the idea of clothing beyond fashion. What drew you to their identity and message?

Playbody’s ethos struck me. It’s provocative about the body but, in truth, it’s about how you interact with it. The sculptures we made together were fetish-adjacent, anonymous and untouchable, yet deeply expressive.

You often describe your practice as “stable glam.” What does this paradox mean to you, beyond the aesthetic surface?

It started as a fun phrase with my partner to describe what I wanted to embody, a rough, strong, glamorous stable guy. It’s about balance: grounded but elevated, raw but shimmering.

Your collections carry a raw, almost ritualistic quality. Do you see fashion as a form of modern ceremony?

Yes, absolutely. Fashion can transform the everyday into something ceremonial, into an act of presence and expression.

Could you walk us through a piece from your last collection that you consider almost autobiographical?

The LP AW25 Shell Bomber. I’ve always wanted a bomber jacket but never found one that matched my sense of volume and style. So I created my own in a heavy leather that gives it strength and substance. It feels like me, and I think everyone needs one.

Eschewing the toxicity of overproduction and societal stereotypes, Leo Prothmann makes beautifully constructed clothes that also craft emotions which resonate with a galaxy of communities and reference the causes close to the designer’s heart. That ethical intentionality extends to a traceability that allows us to see where the fabrics and materials have come from and that environmentally ethical standards have been met.

Possessed of a rare talent that is humbly worn, Leo Prothmann has collaborated with industry icon Rick Owens and also become a regular presence on the London Fashion Week schedule. Creating wearable art that has the power to ask questions of us and the world we live in, a melding of heritage-inspired craftsmanship and experimental excellence lies at the heart of the brand’s identity. An identity that places the designer under the radar but also in the know to those who appreciate exceptional and exciting design. We look forward to following the next chapters in Leo Prothmann’s storied career.