Where are you from, and how much does that place live in what you make?
I grew up in Vienna, but I am half German and half Italian. Because I was raised surrounded by a mix of cultures and languages, I find that I am currently much more inspired by the place where I am living right now, Venice.
Rather than just observing the city from the surface, I wanted to dive into its folklore. The collection is inspired by an ancient Venetian legend called Orio and Melusina, which was the very first story I discovered when I moved here. I have translated this narrative into four figures: the fisherman, the boat, the siren, and the serpent.
All the looks are paired with elevated wooden shoes inspired by the historic Venetian chopine. While they were practically used to walk above the acqua alta, the extreme height was a powerful status symbol used to display social importance and wealth. Venice is a city that completely absorbs you, letting you dream while feeding you with an incredible amount of inspiration.
Who would you want to collaborate with – another designer, a brand, an artist, someone completely outside fashion?
For me, the most exciting projects happen when different creative minds collide. I love combining fashion with interior design, performance and art. Imagine buying a jacket that perfectly matches your sofa.
That mindset is very present in this collection, where I designed all the accessories out of ceramics. Rather than being purely functional, they serve as wearable art pieces, sculptural objects that can later transition into a home and become part of the interior space. I always want to collaborate with anyone who enjoys blurring those boundaries, whether they are artists, furniture designers, or performers.
What is the first thing you created that you are still proud of today?
The first piece I ever made was a jacket sewn together from laminated magazine pages, crafted like a collage. I’m still proud of it today, mostly because I made it nearly ten years ago, but it proves I’m still following the same direction.
That love for collage is a big part of Orio & Melusina, too. For this collection, I created collages from four different books and printed them onto reversible sequins. It makes the pieces interactive, anyone can customize their outfit and change the look just by shifting the sequins in one direction or the other.
What does the fashion and design industry need to change, urgently, in your view?
I think one of the most urgent things that needs to change in fashion is the obsession with speed. Everything moves too fast; more drops, more seasons, more content, more “newness” and I think we are losing depth because of it.
