8 October 2025  Timeless design meets modern comfortWhen boarding a long-haul Austrian Airlines flight this autumn, Business Class travelers will encounter a touch of Viennese design history at 10,000 meters above the ground. The airline has collaborated with the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna – to create limited-edition amenity kits featuring textile designs from the archives of the Wiener Werkstätte. The collection marks the beginning of a long-term partnership between Austria's national carrier and one of the country's most influential cultural institutions.The MAK and its collections: applied arts as cultural heritageFounded in 1864, the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts (Museum für angewandte Kunst) in Vienna is among the most significant museums of its kind worldwide. Its mission is to bridge the past and the present by presenting the intersection of art, design, and everyday life. The MAK's extensive holdings range from furniture, glass, and ceramics to textiles and contemporary art.A central focus of the museum is the Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshop), an artistic collective founded in 1903 by Koloman Moser, Josef Hoffmann, and Fritz Waerndorfer. Emerging from the Vienna Secession movement, the Wiener Werkstätte aimed to create a Gesamtkunstwerk – a total work of art – by integrating fine and applied arts into all aspects of daily life. The designs were characterized by craftsmanship, clarity of form, and ornamental harmony. More than a century later, their geometric patterns and refined aesthetic continue to inspire designers and manufacturers alike. From pattern books to airplanesThe new amenity kits for Austrian Airlines' Business Class are inspired by original textile designs from three major Wiener Werkstätte artists: Koloman Moser, Dagobert Peche, and Mathilde Flögl. Each design appears in two color variations – one for the outbound and one for the return flight – featuring motifs that once adorned interiors and garments of early 20th-century Vienna.Inside the elegant pouches, passengers find travel essentials such as a sleep mask, socks, and toothbrush, all wrapped in paper packaging that includes background information about the MAK and the featured artist. Beyond being a thoughtful travel accessory, the kits transform the experience of flying into a moment of cultural appreciation – a link between design heritage and contemporary comfort. MAK Director Lilli Hollein described the collaboration as a way for Austrian design to "take off into the world," sharing the artistic legacy of the Wiener Werkstätte with an international audience. Design that lasts – and flies high after 100 yearsThe partnership between Austrian Airlines and the MAK demonstrates the enduring relevance of early modern design. Patterns created more than a century ago continue to bring aesthetic pleasure to new contexts — from museum collections to aircraft cabins. This collaboration shows how true design quality transcends time, proving that the creations of the Wiener Werkstätte remain, quite literally, high flyers even after 100 years.Images, from left: Koloman Moser, Blackbird (Amsel) pattern book page, 1910–1911. Photo: © MAK/Branislav Djordjevic. Right: Austrian Airlines Business Class Amenity Kit, Limited Edition with MAK – Museum of Applied Arts, Design by Koloman Moser. Photo: © Austrian Airlines / SD |