In the efficient culinary operation of a French kitchen, beyond the glimmering dining room and out of sight from the candlelit tables, lies the “back of house”—the engine of the fine dining experience. It’s a space defined by order, intensity, and craftsmanship, where chefs orchestrate a symphony of flavor, texture, and timing. This world, invisible to guests but essential to their experience, became the unexpected muse for Berlin-based Canadian designer Jillian Stein, in her striking graduate collection, appropriately titled Back of House.

Stein, who recently completed her Bachelor’s degree at Atelier Chardon Savard (Macromedia University), has long viewed fashion as a medium for narrative. Raised in Berlin, she cultivated an artistic lens shaped by storytelling, theatricality, and identity. Her design ethos often blurs the line between costume and clothing, with garments that evoke emotion as much as they frame the body. In Back of House, she leans fully into this narrative—inviting us into a world few ever see, and interpreting it through fabric, form, and structure. 

Inspired by the rigorous choreography and aesthetic codes of high-end French kitchens, Back of House deconstructs and reimagines the classic chef’s uniform. “Specifically, deconstructing the structural elements traditional chefs’ uniforms and interpreting them through different stages of a French tasting menu,” said Stein in a statement. “Each look is inspired both literally and abstractly by the textures, materials, and silhouettes by the various courses.” 

What’s compelling about Back of House is not just its visual impact, but its purpose: to shift the spotlight from the plated dish to the people behind it. In many ways, Stein treats the kitchen as a stage, and the chefs as performers. Chefs, cooks, and porters—often reduced to the background in fine dining—become Stein’s main characters. But unlike the theater, the costumes here aren’t made to be seen. Back of House turns this inside out—elevating these uniforms to garments of reverence, beauty, and story. 

Ultimately, through her collection, she celebrates the craftsmanship, hierarchy, and discipline that define culinary excellence, inviting us to look past the plate, and appreciate the creative world behind it. 

Back of House was showcased at Germany’s Neo.Fashion.2025, Berlin Fashion Week, Potsdamer Platz, July 2025.

Feature image: Back of House, Jillian Stein, Neo.Fashion.2025, Berlin Fashion Week, July 2025 | photo: Gerome Defrance, @defrance.images | all runway photos courtesy of Neo.Fashion.2025