"I’m fascinated by pushing the boundaries of understanding – how we can be influenced by advancements in various industries." — Julius Juul
Heliot Emil, the brainchild of brothers Julius and Victor Juul, has been making serious waves in the fashion world since its humble beginnings in 2017. What started in the basement of their Copenhagen family home with €3,000 – and a whole lot of ambition – has grown into a globally recognized label that now commands attention on the Paris Fashion Week runways. The brand, known for its sharp, industrial take on minimalism and material innovation, is proof that high-concept design can be both wearable and thought-provoking.
Heliot Emil's exploration of unconventional textiles is a crucial part of the brand’s ethos – whether it be pairing technical, heat responsive materials with natural fibers, or finding circuits of high tech fabrics typically used in protective gear in everyday fashion. These aren’t exercises in frivolity: these material experiments generate pieces that encourage interaction and exploration, garments that make you question how design, cloth, form, and functionality interact. Their liquid metal fabric is perhaps their most popular piece of material innovation to date. This material is sleek, reflective and fluid, challenging traditional structure in clothing. In a a way, it’s also exactly what you’d expect from Heliot Emil: a seamless, artful fusion of fashion and technology. The sculpted tops, the draped outerwear each the liquid metal pieces, each represent the hard against the soft, the rigid against the flowing, made all the more striking, as they also contrast with each other.
This latest PFW, we caught up with Julius after their FW25 show to talk about their journey, process, and inspiration in light of their latest collection — titled Cultural Construct Artificial Landscape.
From Basement Dreams to Parisian Reality
Heliot Emil’s story isn’t the typical overnight success tale. The Juul brothers built the brand through sheer persistence — plenty of sleepless nights, no paychecks for the first few years, and a leap of faith into the Paris fashion scene. Julius, the creative director, still reflects on those early years with a mix of pride and grit. “The first two, three years, we didn’t take out a salary. I think that shows we’re in it for something bigger than just a quick fix,” he says.
That "something bigger" came into focus when the duo took their collections to Paris, fashion’s ultimate proving ground. The decision wasn’t without its risks. “We could just have a big show [in Copenhagen] and continue that way,” Julius admits. “[But] in my opinion, Paris is the pinnacle of the fashion industry. So obviously we need to be here.” It worked. Heliot Emil’s distinct aesthetic — minimalist, yes, but with a raw, industrial edge—turned heads and established the brand as a major player in contemporary fashion.
The Aesthetic: Where Minimalism Meets Machinery
Heliot Emil's design language is all about contrast: smooth natural fabrics paired with industrial, technical materials, creating a tension that feels both futuristic and familiar. Imagine the clean, architectural lines of a Poul Kjærholm chair, then drape it in high-tech fabrics, and you’re in the right ballpark.
Their latest collection, inspired by Olafur Eliasson’s Riverbed installation, highlights this tension perfectly. Eliasson’s work, which juxtaposes natural Icelandic volcanic stones with an artificial gallery environment, mirrors Heliot Emil’s exploration of what’s organic versus what’s man-made. “We worked with natural materials like wool and silk, blending them with technical fabrics. It’s about finding a balance between these two worlds,” Julius explains. The result is a collection that feels like it's straddling both the future and the past — natural textures grounded in a world of sharp, industrial accents.
Heliot Emil’s pieces also have a certain functionality to them, a nod to Julius’s fascination with utilitarian design— think military gear or protective wear — but done with an undeniable sense of style. “I’m very fascinated by industries where clothes are made for a function first,” he says. “Fishing gear, military gear, motor sports gear — that's where my mind often goes for inspiration.”
Technology and the Art of Provocation
While some fashion brands shy away from technology, Heliot Emil runs toward it with open arms. Last season, they presented an AI-powered runway show, sparking conversations not just about fashion, but about the future of human creativity itself. Julius, ever the provocateur, is fascinated by these deeper questions. “And I think AI has a huge influence on how we see the world now. Also, just understanding what is artificial and what is intelligence and what does it mean to have artificial intelligence and what makes a human a human and what makes artificial artificial.”
It’s this intellectual curiosity that sets Heliot Emil apart from the more surface-level minimalism often found elsewhere. Sure, their pieces are sleek and stripped-back, but there's a philosophical edge that makes their collections feel like more than just clothing — they're statements. For Julius, it’s about pushing boundaries, in both fashion and thought. “I’m fascinated by provoking ideas about what’s happening within the world of technology, and how is that influencing different perspectives in the world.”
Collaborators
We spoke under stunning electrochromic glass installation created in collaboration with Encor Studio which served as the runway’s centerpiece. The piece allowed the glass's transparency to shift with electric currents, effectively emphasizing the dichotomy between natural and artificial elements. The collection also features strategic collaborations with industry heavyweights like Puma and Staccato, further enhancing the narrative of industrial elegance. These partnerships yielded a monochromatic capsule collection that merges Heliot Emil’s utilitarian design with Puma’s sportswear expertise, showcasing sculptural footwear and accessories that maintain a minimalist aesthetic while offering functional complexity.
From Copenhagen basements to Parisian runways, Heliot Emil is proving that fashion can be minimalist, industrial, and deeply intellectual—all at once. As Julius puts it, “If you push through, good things come on the other side.” And it seems for Heliot Emil, the good things are just getting started.
For anyone interested in hearing more about Julius Juul’s creative process, the full interview from our conversation with him is available on YouTube, where we dive even deeper into the philosophies and ideas that drive Heliot Emil. Watch below!
