FRANZISKA MICHAEL - upcoming fashion designer from Berlin

Please introduce yourself: 
Franziska Michael is a Berlin based fashion designer. She graduated from Esmod Berlin International University of Art for Fashion in 2009 before setting up her label. In 2010 her graduate collection was awarded for the most creative collection by “Walk of Fashion Berlin”. Since then, the young designer works and creates in her studio in Kreuzberg. Franziska Michael is intrigued by opposites and combines contrasts in her collections, aiming to achieve the perfect balance in each design. Her psychedelic prints quickly became her signature look. In New York she presented her spring/summer 2013 collection for the first time.


What inspires you in general? 
Inspiring for me are various things like nature, photography, interpersonal and also the everyday life. I use with pleasure a lot of different components and add them to a whole.

Where are you based? 
I'm based in Berlin.

What is it like to be a young designer in your city/country? 
Berlin is known for its creativity and diversity. Especially for a young company, it is still cheap in the beginning to build something up. The fashion industry has developed very well during the recent years. Through the fashion week, 2 times in a year, Berlin has a good presentation platform.

What place/city do you find inspiring? 
I have no particular city that inspires me. Everywhere there are interesting things to discover. I would like to see more cities, in any case.

What is the concept behind your latest collection? 

Inspired by the tales of Brothers Grimm and their special mysticism surrounding them, the fall/winter collection 2013/14 of FRANZISKA MICHAEL is a modern interpretation of these stories. The collection of fairytales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm is celebrating its 200th anniversary with volume of their Children's and Household Tales. Especially the stories of Sleeping Beauty, Rumpelstilskin and Hansel and Gretel influenced the collection. A golden shimmering, interweaved bast fabric is resembling the miller's daughter spinning straw into gold from the tale of Rumpelstilskin. Printed Cotton and a red brocaded fabric are the cloth which remind one of the tales of Sleeping Beauty. Especially designed digital-prints showing roses and straw stars in an abstract look are in contrasts to colours like moss green, red and gold. The accessories in brocade fabric and golden bast take over again the materials of the collection and round out the casual and androgynous silhouette of the collection. In matchingclothes, the Women and Men outfits (presented for the first time), are showing the Hansel and Gretel theme in the collection. Clear and casual cuts appear to be modern and luxurious at the same time. Key-Piece in this collection is the outfit with a clear cut blazer and high waisted pants in the red brocade fabric.

What is your favorite fairy tale and why? 
In my childhood I have seen with pleasure the German Czech filming of Mother Hulda from 1985. Original title perinbaba. Especially, I loved the costumes and the music.

Describe your collection in three words: 
androgynous, colorful, printed.

What kind of feeling do you want to transfer with your collection? 
I wanted to take the viewer on a journey into another world with childhood memories, mystic and romantic.

Did you always wanted to work in the field of fashion? 
No, I was always creative and I wanted to study something in a creative field. At the end of my school, I recognized that I'm really interested in fashion and that is the best thing I can do in the future.

What is so far your greatest experience in your 'fashion' career? 
To show my collection at Mercedes-Benz Tent. I applied for a slot for the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week at Senate Administration for Education, Science and Research. They select the best four Designers and happily my label got chosen. All in all, I had only one month to prepare the collection what meant a lot of work and good management.

What is on your music list while you're making your collection?
I just love to listen to music while I work all day at my studio. Here's a link to my Mixtape with my favourite artists like Brolin or Azealia Banks.
The mixtape is full with songs, which accompanied me through the past year !
http://www.kalinkakalinka.de/2013/01/15/das-kalinka-kalinka-mixtape-9-mit-der-berliner-modedesignerin-franziska-michael/

What made you smile today? 
The sun.

What can we expect from you in the future? 
Concerning my label, the most important thing in 2013 is to find shops to sell my collections. I am already available on www.wondermode.com and www.nelou.com and want to sell my collection worldwide. That's my goal in 2013!







Credits:
Label: FRANZISKA MICHAEL
Photographer picture 2: Jana Gerberding