Introducing Noam Welz, a fashion designer based in Düsseldorf who views clothing not as a functional necessity, but as an artistic medium. Photography by Lasse Rotthoff. The model is Valentina Faulenbach. Hair & Make Up by Katharina Ametsin. For Noam Welz, fashion is a physical form of commentary, a surface for emotion, provocation, and social reflection. The piece “Shape of consumption” embodies this philosophy: a wearable artwork made from thousands of real receipts, turning consumer culture into something visible and tangible.
The idea for the project grew from a personal observation. At 14, Noam worked a first job at a cash register and was struck by the amount of receipt paper discarded every single day – small slips that no one needed, yet everyone received. Years later, these overlooked objects became the material for a statement piece.
The resulting garment is not a traditional fashion item, but it is entirely wearable. The form is abstract, sculptural, even alien to the body, yet it wraps around it deliberately, retaining structure and function. It evokes the shape of condensed paper masses without slipping into chaos. The focus is not wearability in a commercial sense, but the weight of meaning it carries – consumption made physical.
A key visual element in the work is the distorted QR codes printed on the receipts. partially readable, partially obscured, they resemble encrypted symbols – anonymous, digital, distant. Welz uses this visual distortion as a metaphor for how society handles consumption: we are all part of the problem, but few take personal responsibility. Consumption is ignored, outsourced, denied – and yet it lies at the root of many global crises: climate change, waste pollution, resource exploitation.
“Shape of consumption” is not just a garment; it is a materialised reflection of our culture of excess. It compels us to look closer and think deeper: each receipt is a record, each slip a trace. The work gives form to what is usually unseen – a reminder that consumption always leaves something behind.
Photography by Lasse Rotthoff @lasserotthoff
Fashion Design & Styling by Noam Welz @noartbynoamwelz
Model is Valentina Faulenbach @valvntxna
Hair & Make Up by Katharina Ametsin @kaetsin
Brands used are Noam Welz, Cos @noartbynoamwelz @cosstores
