Name: Roshi Porkar
Known for: The Lanvin alum and former student of Bernhard Willhelm won the Chloé prize at Hyères in 2014, with a collection inspired by Afghan statuettes from 2000 BC.
Favorite thing about Vienna: “It’s peaceful, and I have my friends and family nearby.”
What defines her designs: “I don’t have my own handwriting and I experiment a little. I like to develop steadily.”
Her advice for other young creatives: “Talk less and work more.”
roshiporkar.com
Names: Franziska Fürpass-Kermani and Sia Kermani of Femme Maison
Known for: Franziska studied under Raf Simons and Véronique Branquinho before starting her own label, which she now works on with her husband, Sia. They make the kind of chic modern clothes you see on girls who work in galleries.
Favorite thing about Vienna: “It’s down to earth and very charming. It’s contemporary, but only when you want it to be.”
What defines their designs: “Purism, elegance, and comfort.”
Plans for the future: “To grow, slowly and qualitatively.”
femme-maison.com
Names: Ida Steixner and Lena Krampf of Meshit
Known for: After meeting at school, the two designers have since worked together on collections for Topshop and several artist collaborations. Their latest mainline collection is a playful mash up of tomboyish suits, dungarees and ruffles.
Favorite thing about Vienna: “There’s so much culture but it’s still close to greenery. And our friends and family are here.”
What you should know about them: “Lena is afraid of pigeons and dogs and Ida is afraid of fruit and vegetables.”
Their advice for other young creatives: “Making mistakes is part of it, just as patience and perseverance are.”
meshit.at
Name: Petar Petrov
Known for: Petar (home country: Bulgaria) is another graduate of the fashion class at Vienna’s University of Applied Arts, where he studied under Viktor & Rolf and Raf Simons. His forever inspiration is the Viennese Modern Age.
Favorite thing about Vienna: “You get the feeling here that everything happens in slow motion. It’s not a fast, hectic city like New York or London — which has it’s advantages and disadvantages.”
Schnitzel or white wine spritzer? “Gin and tonic.”
His advice for other young creatives: “Be yourself and stay true to your feelings.”
petarpetrov.com
Names: Hermann Frankhauser and Helga Ruthner of Wendy & Jim
Known for: Helga and Hermann met while they were studying under Helmut Lang, and have been showing their men’s and womenswear collections in Paris ever since, including a collaboration with Comme des Garçons.
Favorite thing about Vienna: “It’s beautiful and has a high quality of life. There’s hardly any infrastructure for fashion designers, but we can work in peace here.”
What they learned from Helmut Lang: “He made us focus on working in the zeitgeist.”
Plans for the future? “Be on the cover of i-D. :)”
wendyjim.com
Name: Jana Wieland
Known for: Freshly graduated and hotly tipped, Jana was nominated for the Austrian Fashion Award in 2014 and has also received the “AFA Collection Support” grant from the Austrian Fashion Association, twice!
Favorite thing about Vienna: “The culture of indulgence.”
What defines your designs? “Comfortable elegance.”
Her advice for other young creatives: “If you only have a little bit of time, you should work slower.”
janawieland.at
Names: Markus Binder and Emil Beindl of DMMJK
Known for: Emil and Markus started their label while they were still studying under Bernhard Willhelm and Véronique Branquinho in Vienna. The first collection won the Apolda European Design Award, and both designers have since worked at Proenza Schouler.
Favorite thing about Vienna: “We’re always surprised by the styling combinations of the Viennese. You never know if the person standing in front of you on line at the supermarket is going to inspire you.”
Advantages of working as a team: “There’s always a discussion.”
Their advice for other young creatives: Markus: “You have to do it yourself to get it.” Emil: “I’m still working on it, but organization is really important.”
dmmjk.com
Names: Alice Müller and Jennifer Mory of Moto Djali
Known for: Alice and Jennifer founded their gender-neutral brand in 2013. They focus on fair production, using ecologically responsible materials.
Favorite thing about Vienna: “Its coziness, the coffee, and the schnitzel. And the funding for design and culture is really great here.”
What are the advantages of working as a team? “Four eyes are better than two!”
motodjali.com
Names: Tanja Bradaric and Taro Ohmae of Bradaric Ohmae
Known for: The Croatian-Japanese duo both worked for Chloé and Balenciaga in Paris before starting their own label in 2012. Their clothes have a chic but soft (and slightly 70s) vibe, and they make a perfect line of classic leather handbags.
Favorite thing about Vienna: “Its tradition and modernity.”
Their advice for other young creatives: “Never stop improving yourself.”
Plans for the future: “To open our own shop.”
bradaric-ohmae.com
Names: Markus Hausleitner and Karin Krafenbauer of House of the Very Island’s
Known for: Originally founded as a collective in 2006, the brand makes ecologically and sustainably produced unisex fashion. Its crazy-long original name was house of the very island’s club division middlesex klassenkampf but the question is where are you, now?
Favorite thing about Vienna: “How much space there is and how relaxed people are. Plus, the art and music scenes are great.”
Schnitzel or white wine spritzer? “Spritzer.”
Their advice for other young creatives: “Fashion is teamwork.”
houseofthe.com
Credits
Photogrpahy Dominik Geiger
Production Melina Kutelas
Coordination Alexandra Bondi de Antoni