11 March 2024

Salzburg Insight: Traditional Clothing, Alpine Fashion Fair 'Fesch' presented the Trachten Trends Autumn/Winter 2024/25

Time passes fast. It seems like only a few months ago that Fashion.at visited the Spring/Summer 2024 trend show at the 'Fesch' trade fair for traditional clothing and alpine fashion in August 2023 at the Brandboxx Salzburg in Bergheim (article). Now, after the new Trachten Trends Autumn/Winter 2024/25 were presented at the latest trade fair in the last week of February, Fesch sent out the trend guide introducing eight key trends. Some may assume that there can't be that many trends when it comes to traditional costume fashion. But there are more than one might think. Even though traditional clothing is relatively stable compared to the fast-changing waves of fashion, with top performers like jeans changing their popular styles so quickly that it is easy to lose track, trachten also have their own trend patterns. While with jeans it's mainly the widths like slim, straight, wide leg, bootcut, etc., the height of the waist and the length that play new roles from season to season, the trachten don't change so much in the cut as in the material regarding the surface, the color and the design of the fabrics.

Fesch developed eight themes from the presentations of the more than 200 companies and brands that attended the fair from February 23 to 25 with their latest collections for AW24:

Velours Mon Armour: Materials such as suede and leather in smoky brown or anthracite tones set the tone. The raw appeal of leather is enhanced by open edges. Buttery soft qualities are another key trend in the suede chapter.

(Wild)Berry Cocktail: Berry colors from rich reds to deep purples for accessories or the main color of clothing are mentioned in connection with elegant traditional outfits.

Peacock Eye, Zigzag and Co: Vibrant patterns on woven fabrics that add three-dimensionality are mentioned in the context of retro chic.

The Blue Wonder: Bright cornflower blue became a fashionable accent color, complementing traditional costumes and adding vibrancy to neutral tones.

Black Beauty: Deep black silks, velvets and patterns add a touch of elegance to traditional costumes and offer versatile combinations for festive occasions. It's a nod to tradition, as in many local costume cultures, the most precious festive costume is always black.

Golden 80s: Puff sleeves on dirndl tops and knitwear make a comeback. This key trend is related to the 'mob wife' trend, according to the trend guide.

Function from Nature: Wool, used as a high-tech fiber from nature to balance temperature, provide warmth and keep dry in rain, cold and wind, is preferred over synthetic fibers.

Tradition Reloaded: Traditional clothing designers always draw inspiration from archival sources to blend tradition with contemporary trends. Fesch recalls the history of fashion (quoted from the Trend Guide): "The rich documentation of Alpine clothing has fascinated the big names in the industry: Karl Lagerfeld had a huge collection of loden jackets, and Coco Chanel's iconic costume is said to have been designed by her after a visit to Salzburg."

Editor's note: The inspiration was documented in a Chanel film, "Reincarnation," starring Pharrell Williams and Cara Delevingne, directed by Karl Lagerfeld in 2014. It was filmed at Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg (video on YouTube; details about the filming https://www.salzburgglobal.org/news/latest-news/article/looking-back-chanel-at-the-schloss).


Images, from left: Dirndl with matching blouse by Waldorff, headband from Rasp. Right: Shirt by Aumühle and flat cap by Mayser, trousers by Beckert Manufaktur. Photos: © studiosoco.