Two sisters from Latvia, Diaga Henson and Sarmite Svilis, collaborate together to make some really cool coats. You can visit their site to see what I’m talking about. My favorite coats are in the 2005 and 2007 collections. Although the colors aren’t always to my liking, I love that they are making perfectly functional coats that don’t look like every other coat out there. In some cases, the coats don’t always appear to be practical. For instance, the orange Frock in the 2005 collection appears to be closed by only a single button, letting in lots of drafts. In reality, the “garment” you see is actually part of the coat.

I find their “Classics” to be a lot less inspiring. Most of the coats there remind me of what you would see in a typical quilting or wearable arts magazine–a typical coat design with some decorative pieceing. Perhaps everyday people would feel more “comfortable” (that is, as though they’re not standing out too much) in those coats, but I figure if you’re going to go in for a penny, you might as well go in for a pound.

You can read more about them at Voice of America.