Leitner’s recent Vertigo collection, for example, was inspired by an exhibition of the same name at the mumok museum in Vienna. Moved by the optical art that she saw there, she devoured all the information she could find on the subject. From watching Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film Vertigo to creating her own optic art collages, she explored the theme extensively.
Like all her work, Leitner’s Vertigo collection is about bringing joy. “I am playful [with my work], I always like fun details.” It is a creative process that is more about conveying a feeling than commerce. She dislikes the industry’s reliance upon commercial pieces, such as printed t-shirts. “As a designer, I would like to see those less, but I can also understand they sometimes need to make basic things to make money.”
This is why her collaboration with Belgian sunglasses brand KOMONO – an extension of Leitner’s MA collection – was such a rewarding experience. Made to look as if they had been liquefied and almost melting off the face, Leitner is the first to admit the sunglasses might not appeal to the everyday customer. Yet they quickly sold out. “It was nice to see that people appreciated the creative aspect of them,” she explains.