quick update

There is an in-English AustrianFashion.net! Definitely going to be following this one. Check out the cool Austrian fashion guide!

I have officially test-run my black booties I talked about a few posts down, and the unbelievable thing about clog-like shoes is that they don't give you blisters on your heels because, quite frankly, there is no shoe there. Clogs keep getting more and more appealing, don't they?

Since today is a lazy day for me, I'll leave you with some cool architectural photos to inspire you.

None other than Hussein Chalayan, Spring 2009 RTW.

designer : frey wille

As I was unpacking a little bit this morning I reached the section of my backpack that was temporarily housing some of my jewelry, including a small navy velvet box containing a bracelet - and I realized, I do know another Austrian designer, and one that I was very surprised to not see on the list! Frey Wille (Michaela Frey) is a hugely successful jewelry designer from Austria, famous for delicate cloisonne enamel in intricate shapes and wide arrays of color. Eric bought me a clasp bracelet in the style of Gustav Klimt last summer in Vienna, and it is my favorite thing I own.


Frey Wille was represented a few weeks ago at Berlin Fashion Week, and even produced a ring for the event. The company was started in 1951 by Michaela Frey, and then later accountant and lawyer Friedrich Wille joined the picture in 1970 and the brand was born. There are over 60 boutiques in 19 countries, and the collections created are inspired by mythology or famous artists.

fashion in austria

I just returned from two weeks in Austria with my boyfriend, and remembered I had a blog and was trying to think about what to write next. Then it dawned on me, I don't know anything about Austrian fashion. I can't say I've ever heard of an Austrian fashion designer, but it just may not have been on my radar before. I rather literally googled "Austrian fashion" just to see what happened, and there it was, the world of Austrian fashion all in one place.

Austria found its place in fashion back in 2004 when 6 Austrian designers decided to present collections in Paris and create an awareness for themselves. Today, the amount of designers represented by the site reaches 107, in womenswear, menswear, jewelry design, and accessory design. I looked through the list, not thinking I'd recognize anybody, and caught sight of "Devi Kroell" ... sound familiar? If you don't remember, Kroell did a collection for Target a few years ago that was a huge success. Famous for her architectural tendencies, she made her way into fashion with her famous python bag and crystallized wooden clutches, debuting her first collection in Spring 2004. Unfortunately she has resigned from the company, but as you can see her designs still stand strong.



So who and what else is Austria quietly influencing us with? The front page resembles a simpler and slightly more accessible Style.com, with daily news, interviews, and reviews of shows and events. Much of the news is currently over Fashion's Night Out or various fashion weeks in other cities, but I was interested in finding something native. For example, an article on smart textiles (something I have been playing with in my mind for my experimental design class coming up). The fabrics appear to contain lights, sensors, and other practical functions.



Another article covers the backstage events of the Life Ball 2010 in Vienna (an event for AIDS / HIV), makeup done by MAC Cosmetics and featuring designs by Diane von Furstenberg, Kenneth Cole, and Calvin Klein (an American theme, no doubt). Among those in attendance were Dita von Teese, Leigh Lezark, and Bill Clinton. The event took place in the Vienna city hall building, which I passed by in a car during my trip.




While my severe language limitations on reading the rest of the site's information keeps me from telling you more, it has at least made itself clear that Austrian fashion is successful and widely influential. After all, it takes a huge amount of publicity and past heroic efforts on the runway to get chosen by Target for their trickle-down line. Makes you wonder what the rest of the countries in the world are hiding.