Representing the creative future

MODEKLASSE 2022: A fashion programme by Grace Wales Bonner

Meet Fritz and Tina, Grace Wales Bonner’s second round of fashion graduates

In the scope of global fashion cities, Vienna, the capital of Austria is usually not in focus. The city is drawn by beautiful architecture, world-famous pastries and the sound of opera on every corner. Yet still, Vienna is of significance when it comes to fashion. Not only did countless historic moments happen here, but Vivienne Westwood found her spouse Andreas Kronthaler there, whilst teaching at the University of Applied Arts. The Modeklasse is shining light on Europe’s talent of tomorrow. Besides Vivienne Westwood, other nameable designers, such as Raf Simmons taught there. In 2020, the CSM alumna and fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner took the lead in the school’s four year fashion course. “In her approach, Grace cares a lot about research. With her, it was so fun to do the final collection,” says Fritz Haßler, one of this year’s graduates. “She brought so much change to the class, in a positive way. She really teaches you how to be professional. She modernised the class in a very free-spirited way. She brought us a sense of direction.”

Usually, Vienna is treated like the little sister of Berlin. The capital that’s shyer, and maybe seen as a little less cool. But still, the University of Applied Arts is sending the most avant-garde minded designers into the world, with research skills under their wings that outshine most other universities. The fashion department only has one pathway and admits the limited number of 10 students per year. The 2022 graduates are extra-special since their show was the first under the direction of Wales-Bonner. Fritz Haßler themed his collection around a breath of nostalgia mixed with the possibilities of his vivid imagination, and Tina Viktor is giving us every shade of red we could have ever asked for. In a world that is everchanging, it is beautiful to see new talent embracing the importance of detail whilst showcasing the bigger picture.

FRITZ HAßLER

When Fritz Haßler was interning at JW Anderson in London last year, he first thought about his graduate collection. By then, his diploma, as it is called in Austrian fashion terminology seemed so far away. “I was gravitating towards an idea that was driven by a personal narrative. Not necessarily autobiographical, but a personal angle,” he says. “My past collections felt like they were centred around one topic. When I talked to a friend in London about what I wanted to do, he said that I have to talk about emotion. I need to express an emotion- and with my MA project, I really wanted to make something personal to me.” From then on, Fritz took himself down a journey on memory lane.

“I kept asking myself: How did I become the man that I am today? Why do I present myself in a certain way? And why do I dress this way?”

Born and raised in Berlin, he went to Vienna a few years ago to pursue a degree in fashion at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. “When I was growing up, I kept imagining these alter egos of myself that went down different pathways in life. They did all sorts of things, they were a chef or a hippie- they did whatever I didn’t do. I wanted to focus my collection on all these different versions of myself, that never made it out of the confinements of my imagination. Then, I wanted to connect that with who I actually became,” he says. Adulting is a strange thing, and certainly, a process overloaded with questions. “I kept asking myself: How did I become the man that I am today? Why do I present myself in a certain way? And why do I dress this way?” The characters didn’t leave his mind. Living rent-free in his imagination, he kept imagining them on a road trip to the US, a country he was fascinated with as a child.

“I have no clothes left, really. I took them all apart to create a silhouette that was very adjacent to the clothes I wear on a daily basis.”

“As a teenager, I delved into Google Maps a lot. I spent hours every day virtually walking around Google Maps with street view and exploring the streets of New York or whatever. I imagined a different life, just with Google Maps,” he says. This turned into an imaginary road trip on Google Maps. As the place changes, the idea of a character changes for the designer too. As his idea went on, he questioned his relationship with clothing and expression a lot: “I never cared that much about dressing myself. I never really cared much about expressing myself through the clothing I wear. So, for this collection, I looked at all the pieces I own and analysed and documented them. I took the patterns apart. I took the shapes and cuts and transformed them into the clothes that I’d imagine these characters to wear,” he says. All his clothes went into the visualisation of these characters, he says. “I have no clothes left, really. I took them all apart to create a silhouette that was very adjacent to the clothes I wear on a daily basis.”

His references go deep. His professor, Grace Wales Bonner puts a special emphasis on that, he says. One look is inspired by his grandparents, and another one dives into the early 2000s skate youth subcultures. “I never felt like I could be a part of that because I was too queer. Secretly, I was envious of them.” The garment inspired by his grandparents is made of a deconstructed blanket, elevated with stitched cat prints. Fritz’s clothes tell stories, in the most literal way they could.

TINA VICKTOR

Red is a colour full of passion. Traditionally associated with erotica, famously deconstructed by Margiela in the 90s. “All of my collection is made in shades of red,” says Tina Viktor. For her, the process started last summer, when she was reading about colour theories. What stuck with her, in particular, were the Bauhaus theories on colours. “Kandinsky wrote a lot on colours as well. What stung me is how he connected colours and movement. That really touched me,” says the designer. Before she decided to study fashion at the University of Applied Arts, Tina worked in the only Vivienne Westwood store in Vienna. “Andreas studied here. And he is friends with a local businessman, whom with he franchised for that one store. We actually didn’t have couture, but we had the legendary Sex and the City dress. Initially, I wanted to do fine art, but people kept telling me to do fashion”, she says.

“The closer you look, the closer it gets essential to the point that red is our blood- in that sense, it’s life and death. It’s those two intense powers, and we live in-between.”

She started her collection by giving an overview of colour theory, focussing on the cultural history of red. “It’s so interesting- red is the colour of our blood, eroticism, but on the other side it has been the colour of the outsiders. In ancient Roman times, Rufus was the term for red, and it was solemnly used in negative contexts. For outsiders, for prostitutes or people that generally stand out in the public.” Tina is fascinated by movement and dynamics. It’s about the fabric blends into the skin and integrates into every move. “It’s quite sporty. I used super thin nylon fabric and paired it with thick heavy leather. I wanted to include leather, it is so surreal- I mean, it’s skin. I really wanted to be driven by what red means to me.” For her, it’s important that the wearer feels good in the garments. She used organic fabrics and linen. It’s crispy, and it feels nice on the fingertips. “I worked with red leather and juxtaposed it with hand-stitching, so it looks quite fetish-like.” Some of her creations are fragile, yet supportive and dynamic. “The closer you look, the closer it gets essential to the point that red is our blood- in that sense, it’s life and death. It’s those two intense powers, and we live in-between.”

“I approach fashion as something that is accompanying me throughout the day.”

She keeps it simple by sticking to one colour. Yet still, fashion can be so much in the end, she says. “I approach fashion as something that is accompanying me throughout the day. I keep it versatile, sportive and elegant- that’s all you need to get through the day.” On her campaign shooting, the sun was out, and the red was burning. The nylon the designer used was hand-painted and has a peachy texture. “I hand-stitched some details on it. But what’s important are the silhouettes. It’s about the draping,” she says. “When you think about blue, you think about depth. You expect to be taken on a deep journey. Yellow is full of energy. When you think about red, you think about some kind of force. It hypnotizes you. It’s like a sculpture. It stands still and takes you in on all levels. That was the most important point in the collection for me,” she says.

Yuliya Hlazun, Third Year
Yuliya Hlazun, Third Year
Yuliya Hlazun, Third Year
Shuzo Matsuhashi, Third Year
Shuzo Matsuhashi, Third Year
Shuzo Matsuhashi, Third Year
Shuzo Matsuhashi, Third Year
Shuzo Matsuhashi, Third Year
Jun Takeuchi, Third Year
Olivia Jochum, First Year
Olivia Jochum, First Year
Marily Elmezoglou, Third Year
Marily Elmezoglou, Third Year
Marily Elmezoglou, Third Year
Jun Takeuchi, Third Year
Felix Schmidt, Second Year
Erifyli Garoufalia, Third Year
Erifyli Garoufalia, Third Year
Erifyli Garoufalia, Third Year
Alara Kocman, Second Year
Jun Takeuchi, Third Year
Jun Takeuchi, Third Year