This Dada trench coat recalls the garment made popular by the film stars of the 1930s and 1940s such as Marlene Dietrich and Michelle Morgan who, following on from Coco Chanel, appropriated menswear to signify their status as independent women. Dada designer, Marie Strauss, says her coat retains the boxy shape of the original men’s coat that inspired these stars who wore it clinched at the waist to emphasise their figures. "My version is tailored, without the exaggerated shoulders seen in many iterations, exploring the classic shapes and lines associated with contemporary European design," Marie says. "It is a coat that we have all seen and perhaps even owned. I have updated it by using Dutch wax printed cotton with its bright colours and vivid patterns to give this garment an ironic and playful dimension. The fabric recalls my childhood in South Africa where it was widely worn, but also signals how style is global and international , that we are one world. The use of this fabric, with its historic past, for a traditional garment associated with Europe and the United States, shifts our perception and prompts us to ask why we wear what we do."