Presentation of Austrian Designer Collections

On June 23, in the Ramscale Loft, designers like And_i, Anna Aichinger, Brandmair, Drozdzik, Edith A'Gay, Florian Jewelry, Milch Ecofashion, Rosa Mosa, Schella Kann, Ute Ploier, and Wilfried Mayer displayed the best of this seasons most sought after styles. The sun drenched west side penthouse, with its clean lines, all white interior, and breathtaking Hudson River view was the perfect venue for the bright but strict styles showcased by the Austrian designers. "Vibrant Austria," organized by the Austrian Trade Commission, A. Cicognani, and Jenny Capitain, featured eleven Austrian Fashion Designers who, while well known in Austria, may need additional exposure to break into the highly competitive fashion market of New York.
I found Anna Aichinger's assistant at a small round table with dark chocolates and a half empty glass of champagne standing precariously close to the edge, while Aichinger herself lounged outside on the terrace. A petite, soft-spoken blonde with an ingratiating smile, Aichinger is the perfect representative for the feminine yet functional style evident in her work. Aichinger's straight-lined, sleek, no nonsense design conveys a feeling of resolve and ambition mixed with sex appeal and charm. Blacks and grays are usually Aichinger's colors of choice, but the spring season has brought out accents of red. The fabrics are breezy, silky, divine to the touch. Aichinger's favorite piece from the collection is a smart raincoat with a sexy twist in the back, highlighting both figure and fabric. Her success is a result not only of talent, but also of hard work and dedication; she warns aspiring fashion designers that the road to success is really as difficult as they say.

Florian Jewelry was started by Florian Ladstaetter who, although born in Germany in 1967, grew up in Austria and studied at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, completing a degree in Advanced Metal Design. Ladstaetter started his company on the premise that jewelry should not be purchased and subsequently locked away in a safe; to the contrary, it should be worn boldly and in plain view. Florian Jewelry is so audacious it is almost intimidating – the swollen shapes and monochromatic colors stand alone like a guarded museum painting. Some pieces have a metallic heaviness to them (no surprise there) while others appear more sensual and organic. A single necklace can have four, five, even six different styles of beads, including color, material, and shape. The most elegant and original necklace of the collection was strung over a mannequin. Its colors were simple – black and beige. However, its design was preposterously complex and exquisitely sophisticated. In order to determine how many ways this necklace could be worn I tried to compute the permutation in my head, but promptly gave up on the mission in recognition of my inferior arithmetic skills. Suffice it to say, dozens.
Austrian fashion has been called "conceptual and arty," as well as "dry, stern, un-fussy, non-sweet, and fast." Ironically, New Yorkers are often described by the very same adjectives. If Austrian fashion design reflects the pace, mentality, and mood of New York life then Austrian designers should have no problem permeating the New York fashion industry.