Am Saturday October 5, 2024 the time had come: headlights. Cool music. A long catwalk. Filled rows of chairs in the arcade courtyard in Vienna City Hall. Kids in Fashion presented 63 creative Fashion vision of children and young people. These were tailored by young fashion students. Young young models confidently showed the colorful and imaginative fashion creations on the runway. The kids’ original and imaginative creations amazed everyone 600 invited guests.
Across the catwalk in the arcade courtyard
As in Paris or New York, the audience expected a brilliant show: the talented dance group “L’officina della danza” from the Vienna Music Center opened the runway with a rousing performance. At the end, the models were musically accompanied by 13-year-old opera singer Maya Filimon, who also wore a custom-made “Kids in Fashion” one-off. Life-size flowers, a long queue, fiery tulle dresses and many other unusual creations could be admired on this special evening.
Even after 30 years, no two designs are the same
Also Vice mayor and youth city councilor Christoph Wiederkehr was enthusiastic: “Anyone who dares to put their skills to the test as a child or young person is often rewarded – with their first successes or priceless experiences. Over the last 30 years, Kids in Fashion has paved the way for countless talents and strengthened Vienna as a fashion hotspot. Today, in the festive setting of the town hall, we can impressively experience the creative power our young people have! A big thank you to everyone who makes this possible – from the youth workers to the creative minds on and behind the catwalk.”
Vienna State Youth Officer Brigitte Bauer-Sebek is pleased with the creative diversity: “No two designs are the same, even after 30 years. Every year, Kids in Fashion proves the unique potential that children and young people have. From the illustrators to the fashion students to the self-confident young models.”
Vienna municipal councilor and Youth center chairwoman Marina Hanke was a guest on behalf of Mayor Michael Ludwig: “This unique event impressively shows how much creativity and talent our children and young people have. Here they are given the opportunity to bring their own fashion designs to life and present them on the catwalk. Such initiatives are not only important for promoting young talent, but also for the creative future of our city.”
What do the young creatives think of Kids in Fashion?
“At the youth center I got the colors and materials, laid them out and then started drawing and gluing. “I’ve always drawn fashion outfits at home, and now my designs have come true,” marvels 12-year-old award winner Elida during her visit to the Kids in Fashion workshop in the summer. Elida wants to transfer to a fashion school after fourth grade. In the workshop, she asked the fashion students questions about their training – including Amelie, who is studying at the Herbststrasse fashion school: “As a child, I saved my pocket money so that I could later found my own fashion label. Now that I’m realizing other kids’ ideas at Kids in Fashion, it feels like a fever dream,” enthuses the young intern. And for the young up-and-coming models, it’s always an experience to be there and bring the kids’ creations to life: “I think Kids in Fashion is very good because I think they actually underestimate children’s creativity. But here on the show we see what happens when you support these children and how they inspire people,” says young model Christin.
Kids in Fashion through the ages
Over the past 30 years, children and young people between the ages of 4 and 21 have submitted a total of around 50,000 designs, of which almost 2,000 were created into real outfits. The fashion designer and initiator of Kids in Fashion Leo Oswald would particularly like to emphasize the long-standing cooperation with the hairstylist Grecht and makeup artist Susu Babolleh. Leo started as a youth worker at the Vienna Youth Centers Association and even back then realized a number of fashion campaigns. “That’s when we developed the idea of doing a fashion project that not only affects Vienna, but all of Austria and now also beyond national borders. With Kids in Fashion we connect youth work, schools and other institutions with the fashion industry and realize the creative ideas of children and young people,” says Leo Oswald proudly.
Over the three decades, an incredible number of fashion-loving people have contributed to the success of Kids in Fashion. And one thing is certain: taking part in Kids in Fashion doesn’t leave you unscathed. Everyone involved talks with beaming eyes about what Kids in Fashion has brought them – from a magical evening to a great deal of self-confidence to their own career in fashion. For example, there is Flora Miranda, an Austrian fashion designer who now lives and works in Antwerp. She had the dream of a life as an artist quite early on. However, Kids in Fashion inspired her to actually immerse herself in the fashion industry, as she once revealed. Or Kathrin Werderitsch from Burgenland, who had her first modeling appearances at Kids in Fashion and then made it into the modeling business in New York.
After the show is before the show
Even after more than three decades, the association is once again calling for submissions from Viennese youth centers Kids in Fashion 2025 on. Children and young people between the ages of 4 and 21 from all over Austria can now submit their fashion designs again.
The Kids in Fashion fashion project consists of four parts:
- Design competition: Creative people between the ages of 4 and 21 submit their designs in the spring.
- Fashion workshop: Fashion students tailor the award-winning designs in the summer.
- Model competition: Casting of young models who will present their creations on the catwalk.
- Final show: The fall fashion show is the grand finale of Kids in Fashion.
All details about Kids in Fashion can be found on the youth center website: www.jugendzentren.at/kids-in-fashion