Fashion Talk
Fashion in Austria, a journey from the past to the future

Tue 09.09., 18.30h | MQ Summer Stage, Main Courtyard
Free entry, German language

Fashion reflects the spirit of the times and is a tactile sensor for art and culture, a vibrant means of expression in our rapidly changing society. At the Fashion Talk, guests will discuss topics such as clothing as a statement and the many aspects of sustainability, production, marketing, circular economy, and the importance of the fashion industry in the domestic economy. With social media expert Natalia Ferraz, designers Katha Harrer and Patrizia Markus, and MQ Artist-in-Residence Idan Yoav, moderated by designer, Vienna Fashion Week organizer, and Combinat operator Maria Oberfrank.

Natalia Ferraz
Ferraz began her career as a fashion designer in Brazil and London, but her fascination with the digital world led her to become a content creator and marketing specialist for fashion, gastronomy, and tourism.

Katha Harrer
The Vienna-based designer creates and produces unique pieces from unusual materials as a counterpoint to the conformity of off-the-rack clothing. Her collections include k/fall (jackets and dresses made from 1960s parachutes), k/undercover (coats made from used army blankets from various countries), and k/tent (parkas and trench coats made from used tent tarpaulins).

Idan Yoav (MQ Artist-in-Residence)
After training as a dancer in Jerusalem, Yoav studied fashion in Berlin and Paris and became a stylist and costume designer. He works as a costume designer at many theaters, including the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Semperoper Dresden, Zurich Opera House, and Frankfurt Opera.

Patrizia Markus
Markus runs her fashion studio Pollsiri, where couture clothing is handmade and ready-to-wear collections are produced twice a year. She is the director of Mode Wien and the Landesinnung der Mode und Bekleidungstechnik/Wien (Vienna Guild of Fashion and Clothing Technology) and ensures that traditional quality and craftsmanship are not lost. 

Maria Oberfrank
Alongside her fashion label Pitour, the designer has also been running Combinat, for 20 years, which offers fashion and accessories for individualists from several labels. In 2009, she founded VIENNA FASHION WEEK with two partners, which offers a tour of domestic and international fashion every fall.

© Photo: Markus Wache