Arthur Arbesser believes that “a garment should make a person happy, feel good, tell a story but make sure this story doesn’t overpower the wearer.” From creating a tribute to his grandmother to stitching unobvious Milanese architectural marvels into his collections, the Austrian-born, Milan-based designer knows a thing or two about telling a story through fabric.
Arbesser became infatuated with fashion as a kid: admiring chic Viennese ladies, watching his mother get ready (“I loved that final hairspray touch”) and covering the walls of his room with posters of supermodels. But it was theatre and opera that helped him realise the transformative role costume played for stage performers. “That energy that can come from clothes continues to fascinate me,” he says.
Dreaming of going to Central Saint Martins, where all his fashion idols had studied, Arbesser later moved to London. “London was really important for me on a personal level,” he says. “It is the perfect place for a curious, free, young kid who still has to fully discover who he is and who he wants to be,” the designer adds. The renowned school was then located on Charing Cross Road in Soho, the same building where the likes of John Galliano, Stella McCarthy and Alexander McQueen once roamed the corridors. “I loved that gritty old building. There were maybe eight computers with internet in the whole school and, obviously, no one had a smartphone yet… It really was a different era,” Arbesser recalls.
After graduation, the designer moved to Milan and worked at Giorgio Armani for seven years. While he mustered various skills, working at the brand “didn't really interfere with my personal aesthetic, which remained relatively untouched all the way,” Arbesser affirms. In 2013, the designer established his namesake label, which has since become synonymous with bold but refined use of colour compositions and juxtaposition of graphic and figurative prints. The cultural mélange that stems from Arbesser’s multicultural inspirations materialises in deeply personal, visual narratives that mix and match ‘Viennese old school charm,’ ‘subtle beauty’ of Milanese architecture and freedom of expression prevalent in London’s creative scene.
Continuing to design his personality-infused collections, Arbesser has recently ventured into costume design, fulfilling a life-long dream and designing costumes for the opera Der Rosenkavalier in Berlin. “I feel almost more into stage costumes than fashion because it feels so free and is completely detached from sales and all the things that these days drive you a bit mad about fashion,” he says. “I’m in this business not to be rich. I always saw this job as a beautiful way of expressing yourself creatively.”
Dreaming of going to Central Saint Martins, where all his fashion idols had studied, Arbesser later moved to London. “London was really important for me on a personal level,” he says. “It is the perfect place for a curious, free, young kid who still has to fully discover who he is and who he wants to be,” the designer adds. The renowned school was then located on Charing Cross Road in Soho, the same building where the likes of John Galliano, Stella McCarthy and Alexander McQueen once roamed the corridors. “I loved that gritty old building. There were maybe eight computers with internet in the whole school and, obviously, no one had a smartphone yet… It really was a different era,” Arbesser recalls.
After graduation, the designer moved to Milan and worked at Giorgio Armani for seven years. While he mustered various skills, working at the brand “didn't really interfere with my personal aesthetic, which remained relatively untouched all the way,” Arbesser affirms. In 2013, the designer established his namesake label, which has since become synonymous with bold but refined use of colour compositions and juxtaposition of graphic and figurative prints. The cultural mélange that stems from Arbesser’s multicultural inspirations materialises in deeply personal, visual narratives that mix and match ‘Viennese old school charm,’ ‘subtle beauty’ of Milanese architecture and freedom of expression prevalent in London’s creative scene.
Continuing to design his personality-infused collections, Arbesser has recently ventured into costume design, fulfilling a life-long dream and designing costumes for the opera Der Rosenkavalier in Berlin. “I feel almost more into stage costumes than fashion because it feels so free and is completely detached from sales and all the things that these days drive you a bit mad about fashion,” he says. “I’m in this business not to be rich. I always saw this job as a beautiful way of expressing yourself creatively.”
You decided very early on that you wanted to create clothes. What was it about fashion that fascinated you so much as a child? Can you remember your first interaction with fashion?
The power that it can give a person. I admired the dressed-up Viennese ladies of the early ‘90s when I was a small boy. Obviously, I also watched my mum get ready and loved that final hairspray touch and clearly, I was mad for all the supermodels and had my room plastered with posters of Linda, Nadja & co – like the typical little romantic boy who falls in love with fashion.
But my fascination for clothes also happened through theatre and opera; my nerdy parents always took me there as a child. I loved to watch an actor or singer on stage to really become the character through the costume. That energy that can come from clothes continues to fascinate me.
But my fascination for clothes also happened through theatre and opera; my nerdy parents always took me there as a child. I loved to watch an actor or singer on stage to really become the character through the costume. That energy that can come from clothes continues to fascinate me.
Aside from working on your namesake label, you have recently designed costumes for the opera Der Rosenkavalier in Berlin, and you have mentioned that the theatricality of the stage costumes was a part of what drew you to fashion as a child. What was stage costume design lacking in artistic expression that made you pursue fashion design instead?
Difficult question… Right now, I feel almost more into stage costumes than fashion because it feels so free and is completely detached from sales and all the things that these days drive you a bit mad about fashion. But obviously, I do love to see someone wearing my clothes on the street or at a party – that fills me with joy! But the opera experience has been magic and extremely inspiring. It was an honour to work closely with the singers and musicians – they have such discipline and really live for their art. Right now, I’m working on ballet costumes for the Opera in Munich for next year – super exciting!
Going to Central Saint Martins had been your goal for a long time. Once you got there, did the school live up to your expectations?
Yes, I loved it! I had four super years filled with fun, creativity and lots of experiences that really shaped me. Also, it was still in the original building on Charing Cross Road in Soho. I loved that gritty old building. There were maybe eight computers with internet in the whole school and, obviously, no one had a smartphone yet… It really was a different era.
While Central Saint Martins is one of the best places to find your own voice as a creative, it has often been referred to as a ‘bubble’, concentrating more on the creative side than preparing students for the business of fashion. Having launched your namesake brand, were there any complications that you had to overcome due to this?
That might be true, it’s definitely a place that pushes you to find your own voice and your creative identity. And yes, I had no idea about business afterwards. That’s why I would also have never had the guts to do my own label straight after graduation. Instead, I worked for seven years for someone else first and needed to turn 30 to have the courage to start on my own. But by then, I was truly craving for my creative liberty and no obstacle seemed too difficult to overcome in order to do my own thing.
After graduating, before launching your eponymous brand, you moved to Milan and worked at Giorgio Armani for seven years. What was the experience like? How has working there fuelled your own aesthetics?
I learned sooo much in those seven years – on all levels. But it didn’t really interfere with my personal aesthetic, which remained relatively untouched all the way. But for sure, I really improved my social skills – if you work for such a huge company, you must learn how to smoothly and diplomatically navigate from the big boss to the rest of the company.
You were born in Vienna, studied in London and your brand is based in Milan. How does this cultural mélange materialise in your designs?
Strangely, I think the older you get, the more you become where you are from, maybe often even unintentionally. So the Viennese old school charm is definitely there in my work, also a certain chic Milanese lady and the architecture and ‘lines’ of both cities.
I think London was really important for me on a personal level, as a human. It is the perfect place for a curious, free, young kid who still has to fully discover who he is and who he wants to be – like me back then.
I think London was really important for me on a personal level, as a human. It is the perfect place for a curious, free, young kid who still has to fully discover who he is and who he wants to be – like me back then.
In 2015 you were named the creative director of Italian fashion house Iceberg, the post you shortly left to focus on your namesake label. What has heading the storied brand like Iceberg imprinted on your creative practice?
It wasn’t too easy because I guess what they really wanted wasn’t what they told me to do initially. However, I’m actually still very pleased with the collections we did there – I just looked them up the other day and was (still) happy! It is a very beautiful company and factory, and I learned a lot – it’s a very good experience when you have to split your brain in two and work on two different collections. And, of course, it feels nice when your name is added to a long list of incredible designers who headed this house, from Jean Charles de Castelbajac to Marc Jacobs.
As much as it’s a creative outlet, fashion, at the end of the day, is a business and your clothes, although very much inspired by the world of arts are designed to be worn. How big a role do commercial considerations play in your design process?
I don't think I’m a very conceptual or ‘difficult-to-wear’ designer. So, to be honest, no extra consideration is necessary. But I must also admit that I’m in this business not to be rich. I always saw this job as a beautiful way of expressing yourself creatively. And it is actually a huge luxury that, as my own boss, I don't have to listen to and obey merchandisers and/or a commercial department. But for sure, I could do more to be more commercial and sell more clothes, but maybe I wouldn’t be so happy.
Your work is synonymous with bold but refined use of colour compositions and juxtaposition of graphic and figurative prints. How important are fabrics and textiles in your design process?
Print for sure is one of the focuses of my work. And colour! It’s such a strong tool of expression. And since I am quite a simple, minimalistic designer when it comes to cut and shapes, obviously fabrics are key to making a garment special.
Vienna has had a powerful presence in your previous collections, but for Fall/Winter 2020, your designs with their irregular checks and bronze and black prints evoked the Milanese architecture. Could you tell us a story behind the collection?
Vienna is always in there too, but Fall/Winter 2020 was a love story about Milan: its architecture, the marble, the fabulous entryways, the brass door handles, the tiled floors and geometrics, etc. – that very subtle beauty of Milan that doesn't immediately fascinate, but the more you explore and discover it, you really appreciate! I also collaborated with my friend Marco Guazzini, a designer who has developed a unique material mixing marble dust and wool. We used it for buttons, belt buckles and as a photographic print.
In your own words, “there are so many clothes out there.” Why do you keep designing? And what do you think is necessary for a garment to stand out and justify its existence?
Yes, I totally think that there is too much ‘stuff’ out there. But I also believe that a small, considered collection that truly is a personal creative expression is always welcome. We also don't overproduce, so there really is no excess or ‘stuff’ that remains season after season. A garment should make a person happy, feel good, tell a story but make sure this story doesn’t overpower the wearer.
There are speculations about the fundamental structural changes that the fashion system might experience due to the ‘pause’ that the industry has been experiencing because of the health crisis. How has the epidemic affected your brand personally and how do you think the industry will change?
Of course, we had Fall/Winter 2020 orders cancelled. But overall, fortunately, it wasn’t too dramatic. I think in this particular situation it is almost an advantage when you are such a small brand like us because that means that your expenses and your structure are smaller and easier to handle, and you are much more flexible than bigger, more structured companies. For now, all I am sure of is that we won’t do a show in September, and even in the future it does seem not really necessary, to be honest. And I’m actually quite excited about this, it means we have to think about different ways of communicating and presenting our ideas.
Inability to plan for the future has become a norm for many because of the increasing global uncertainty. But, can you tell us about some of your projects, plans and hopes?
We try to really focus on our story and make a very personal, creative Spring/Summer 2021 collection, small and tight in numbers but strong in graphic impact. I also continue to consult for other fashion houses and especially try to push more into the costume design world with at least one project a year for stage – that’s my plan. Because this confrontation with artists and musicians is something I0ll never want to miss again, it’s literally oxygen for my brain.
