LFW – Another Austria: International fashion showcase

As we all know, the amazing yet hectic beginning of London Fashion Week started yesterday and we were just some of the many, rushing around the capital to catch a glimpse at all of the upcoming trends. 

We were invited to Another Austria, an exhibition running throughout fashion week, showcasing designers with an Austrian heritage. Hosted in the beautiful Austrian cultural forum, Knightsbridge, we eagerly anticipated the works of such acclaimed diverse and high-quality fashion. 

The first collection we browsed was the upcycling brand STEINWIDDER. We spoke to designer Anita Steinwidder as she explained how she tears off strips of old clothes and fabrics to create her garments. Even the piece she was sporting herself was created with old socks! Weaving them together and even hand-stitching the finished product, her collection is remarkable. The shapes are organic, the palette is earthy and each piece is completely unique. 

Menswear brand, Sophie Skach, was the next lot of designs we feasted our eyes on. Designer Sophie, an already established designer from the age of just 16, showcased her impeccable new collection. Her love of embroidery and embellishment was apparent throughout the pieces, including our favourite item, a Mohair coat with bird detail. Tartan, sequins and fur also made appearances on the garments and we take our hats off to the gorgeous men that can pull these looks off. 

Duo Tanja Bradaric and Taro Ohmae are the designers behind the brand BRADARIC OHMAE. Having drawn on their cultural backgrounds, the pair create really exciting and innovative pieces, provoking  a sense of memory and place. The saying “two heads are better than one” is really relevant in this case, as they have created an astounding collection. From weaved and mesh turquoise jumpers, to nude, leather and silver shirts, this brand has real promise to make a name for itself this fashion week. 

Meshit was a brand on the more wild and youthful side, which we loved. Created by Lena Kampf and Ida Steixner, the pair has already created a name for themselves amongst popular retailers, including our beloved Topshop. Their use of busy animal print, cut-out torso dresses and black PVC playsuits made this collection one of the most eye-catching. We could really see this brand being popular amongst us Brits, and we can only hope their edgy, urban, yet classic garments will be in a store near us in the near future. 

Overall, it appears Austria has a hell of a lot to offer to the fashion industry, and we were glad to be there to witness the collections first hand. The coffee and delicious cake was also a bonus.

Bethan Williams

To find out more information on the designers or the exhibition itself, click here.