A Marriott in Ritz Clothing

Attending Vienna’s Austrian Fashion Awards and Take Festival -powered by Creative Headz and the Austrian Fashion Association- for the very first time gave me a fresh insight into the city’s menswear scene, which mixes commercial pragmatism with creative refinement. Austria has given us great menswear designers, including the likes of Helmut Lang or Carol Christian Poell, creating iconic pieces that still fascinate designers. Austrian fashion has been a clever play between formality and surprise, pushing the boundaries of traditional clothes to come up with daring concepts.

 

Bossert

Bossert 

It was uplifting to see WENDY JIM walk away with the Outstanding Artist Award for Experimental Fashion Design, bestowed by the Federal Chancellery of Austria. Founded by Helga Ruthner and Hermann Fankhauser, the label has experienced a renaissance lately, staging a humorous and thought-provoking presentation in Paris, styled by Lotta Volkova. In an interesting manner, their menswear synthesizes what Austrians are really good at, namely balancing the banal with quirkiness, forcing us to reconsider sartorial codes and reflect upon what is considered ‘normal clothes’. A newcomer within Austrian menswear, Karl Michael presented sensual sportswear shapes during the Festival, which had an aggressive and confident edge. Mixing performances with fashion shows, as well as temporary installations and conferences, the Festival gathered different creative types within one single spot, proving that style does matter in Vienna.

Karl Michael

Last year, the Austrian Fashion Association had awarded menswear designer Leopold Bossert with the Modepreis der Stadt Wien, allowing him to use 10000€ to take part in an international trade fair. Bossert’s obsessive tailoring and uncompromising vision have clearly paid off, with prestigious stores such as Atelier New York or Vertice London stocking his garments. Despite their high price point and a Margiela-like attitude -Bossert doesn’t do PR and rarely gives interviews- his clothes cater to a growing menswear niche, for whom singularity and timelessness are more important than buzz. It’ll be interesting to see how he takes his signature craftsmanship to the next level, paving the way for more Viennese talent to flourish.

Wendy Jim