Interview with German fashion designer Marcel Ostertag "All clients are really happy when wearing Marcel Ostertag."

Marcel Ostertag is opening this year’s VIENNA FASHION WEEK. Reason enough to ask this talented Berliner a few questions on his upcoming show in Vienna and life as a designer in a fast living world. 

You are opening this year’s VIENNA FASHION WEEK with an excerpt of your recent collections “HEROES” and “LOVERS”. What can visitors expect from the show?
A strong design line grows fluidly together with the titles of both collections. Feminine details are combined with menswear tailoring, and fine art prints support the flamboyant silhouettes. Both collections transport an emotional story to the audience.

The collection “HEROES” is a homage to the heroes of your youth. How was the idea to transfer the heroes to fabric born, and what’s the result?
The AW19 Collection “HEROES” was our 25th season jubilee. Therefore, it was important for my team and me to say “Thank You” to all the inspiring personalities who have influenced the collections over the years. My personal heroes are outstanding personalities like my mother or David Bowie, for example. According to their characters, I designed a really sophisticated collection which captures the vibe of the late seventies.

What’s your craziest Berlin experience?
It is being sleepless for three days during my studies in the year 2000. What a crazy weekend…

You studied at the renowned Central St. Martins College in London. How did education influence your career?
London itself stands for creativity and fashion. Being surrounded by talented students and designers made my time at Central St. Martins unforgettable. It paved my way to being a creative, fast forward designer.

What’s your personal fashion city, and why?
That is definitely London because you can see fashion everywhere. In the streets, in the subway, the stores, the vintage markets – it is simply a place to get inspired.

Your biggest idol is…?
David Bowie.

Click on the video and have a look at Marcel Ostertag Spring/Summer 2020 collection, you would love it!

Why, in your opinion, is sustainability important for fashion?
Our brand history shows that we’ve worked on sustainable solutions from day one. We produce our collections in Berlin, Cottbus and Apolda. Short distances and the limitation of our styles perform a lasting memory. Styles, which don’t just follow trends, but, more precisely, last in your wardrobe for many seasons, are the base of our collections. Clients can adapt pieces of each season to the ones of the following seasons without getting out of style, and this makes fashion sustainable for us. Attached to the well-manufactured garments, we add a long period of fabric resourcing. We also work a lot together with manufacturing companies from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy.

What’s the biggest lesson you learned out of failure?
Unfortunately, fashion is a fast business, and this is why sometimes you forget to focus on present happenings. I had to learn to slow down a little bit because sometimes, you fail if you are doing things too fast.

Patterns and frills dominate your creations – how come?
I really like feminine silhouettes, and therefore, frills and volants are a welcome, as a figure of speech. I simply love floating fabrics and soft finishings.

How does the lifestyle of a typical Marcel Ostertag wearer look like?
I have so many exciting clients and fans who wear my collections, so it is difficult to describe their daily lifestyle. The only thing I know is that all of them are really happy when wearing Marcel Ostertag.

What fashion advice would you give to the Viennese?
Viennese girls and boys make everything right – a little bit slower than the rest of the world, and for me, this is the right way to enjoy fashion. 

What are you looking forward to the most when coming to Vienna?
I have many friends in Vienna, so I hope I will find the time to hang out with them. I also love Austrian food and will enjoy a couple of nice dinners in town.

Thank you so much for the interview!

C.J.