When you started thinking, „I want to become a fashion designer“ and how the way of becoming one and owning your brand looked, what were the steps you needed to go through?
I studied fashion design at the age of 14. I went to the Vienna Fashion High School, „Hetzendorf,“ where my passion started. I moved to Antwerp to continue my fashion design education at the Royal Academy. Right after my MA studies in Antwerp, I helped out on the womenswear design team at Dries Van Noten. During my time at Dries, I got a request from a store to buy my MA collection, so I wanted to give it a try and start my brand.
How was your time working for Dries van Noten? In what position did you work? And is there something you learned there that you will use in growing your brand?
I was a design assistant intern first, and I enjoyed it and had a great time with my team there, which was very small at the time but very lovely and creative people. I learned how to work in a team and how much work it takes to create and sell a clothing line. Production and the whole process after finishing a prototype collection are a lot of work.
How important is the drawing in your practice and visualization of your ideas? Antwerp Fashion Class is famous for focusing during studies on drawing as well.
I loved sketching and did it a lot in my student days, but now that I have my own brand, I draw less and work more with draping and collaging of looks. Lots of fittings and discovering shapes on the body, and work from there onwards.
The exhibition (CON)TEMPORARY FASHION SHOWCASE that just opened in MAK Expositur Geymüllerschlössel in Vienna, tell us about it—with whom you collaborated and what we can see there.
It opened on 4 May and will be there until November. On 16 June and 1 September, I will also give workshops on how to make a fabric flower brooch or key chain. More information can be found on the MAK website. For the Expo, we selected different silhouettes from my last years as a fashion brand, from my master collection „Midnight Vertigo“ to my most recent collection „L’autrichienne.“ We worked on some „cake wigs“ with Sophia Stolz and also with makeup artist Nil Stranzinger on the makeup and hair of the dolls. We also exhibit our fashion movies, which tell the story of our collections very well. I make the videos together with my boyfriend, Jens Burez.
You are based in Antwerp; where is the production for your brand happening? How big is the team, and what does the work dynamic look like?
I work in Antwerp with my team of interns and my colleague Maximilian Rittler. We studied together and are both from Austria. We manage the team and do all prototypes in-house. Also, we do some small productions in our studio in Antwerp. Otherwise, we produce in Italy, Portugal, and Bulgaria.
What is your favorite piece of the season?
From FW24 I love our thin striped scarves; it’s a cool accessory to make you look more „fun.“ Another piece I love is our Sneaker Shoe Collab with Atcrox which comes in different colors and with different detailed applications of pearls and gemstones. I always wear them, and you can already pre-order them in our online shop.
Where are you finding good design?
I will try to create it myself. I get inspired by movies and life situations and try to bring them into the Floral Fun and Feminine world of „Florentina Leitner“.
What are you wearing on a regular day, and what is always in your bag?
I love to wear cute shoes with nylon socks, skirts, and dresses, which make me feel feminine. I like whimsical fashion accessories and details mixed with my glitter eyeshadow makeup. In my bag, you will find my keys, which have a lot of charms and gotchas on them.
When you need to imagine an outfit that someone will be wearing in fifty years, explain what you imagine it to look like.
I never thought that far, haha, but maybe a hand-embroidered long dress with a lot of details made by hand, because artisanal craft should not die out.
Exhibition: Florentina Leitner – (CON)TEMPORARY FASHION SHOWCASE curated by Lara Steinhäusser, curator of the MAK collection of textiles and carpets
Exhibition duration: 04. May- 3. November 2024
Address: MAK Expositur Geymüllerschlössel, Pötzleinsdorfer Straße 102, 1180 Vienna
Florentina Leitner – www.florentinaleitner.com, www.instagram.com/florentinaleitner_
Austrian fashion designer Florentina Leitner started her brand in 2021 after graduating in 2020 with her Master’s from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, Fashion Department. After her master’s, she worked for Antwerp-based fashion brand Dries Van Noten. The brand is known for colorful prints, new textile combinations, 3D flowers, and fashionable accessories like sunglasses. The brand tries to work with artisanal factories in Italy, Belgium, and Austria and sources fabrics sustainably as possible.
