14 January 2026  Austria's Most Important Couture AwardThe Haute Couture Austria Award is considered the most important platform for bespoke fashion in Austria. Founded in 2003, the award has been presented annually by the Federal Guild for Fashion and Clothing Technology of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO). Its aim is to highlight master craftsmanship, creative excellence, and "Made in Austria" quality in couture and tailor-made fashion.Over more than two decades, the award has developed into a fixed date in Austria's cultural calendar. It brings together fashion, art, and craftsmanship and positions couture not only as a trade, but as a cultural expression. Since 2023, the award ceremony has been held at the Heidi Horten Collection in Vienna, where contemporary art provides an intellectual and visual framework for the competition. Couture Meets Collaboration: Silvia Schneider x HUMANICIn this glamorous setting, a special presentation took place outside the competition: the ball collection by Silvia Schneider x HUMANIC. Silvia Schneider is one of Austria's most visible multi-talents – a fashion designer, TV presenter, entrepreneur, and style authority. For several years, she has collaborated with the Austrian shoe label and retail chain HUMANIC, developing collections that combine design ambition with everyday wearability.At the Haute Couture Austria Award 2025, the duo presented an elegant ball collection of pumps, clutches, and evening dresses designed by Silvia Schneider. The collection focused on feminine lines, shimmering materials such as satin, and a clear, timeless aesthetic. The color palette ranged from classic black and white to soft pink, deep night blue, and refined gold glitter. Elegant clutches completed the looks, designed to underline evening wear without overpowering it. The presentation was not part of the competition, but a curated moment within the evening – a reminder that couture culture also lives from dialogue between craft, design, and industry. Jury Role and Clear Distance from the CompetitionSilvia Schneider was also a member of the Haute Couture Austria Award jury. For reasons of transparency and fairness, her presentation took place clearly outside the competitive framework. In her jury role, she evaluated the submitted works alongside other experts, while her own designs were shown as an independent highlight of the evening. This separation underlined the professional standards of the award and the respect for the competing designers.The 2025 Edition: Inspired by Art and the LineThe Haute Couture Austria Award 2025 took place on January 13, 2026, once again at the Heidi Horten Collection in Vienna. This year's theme, "The Black/White Line," was directly inspired by the current exhibition THE LINE. Designers were asked to work exclusively in black or white and to express emotion, rhythm, and movement through line, cut, and construction.The artistic references ranged from Wassily Kandinsky's theories on line and expression to Lucio Fontana's radical cuts and spatial concepts. Within this framework, couture became a dialogue between fabric and idea, body and abstraction. In the end, however, the evening was less about winning than about presence. The Haute Couture Austria Award remains a celebration of participation, craftsmanship, and creative courage. In a world driven by speed and mass production, this event quietly insists that time, skill, and individuality still matter. Images, from left to right: Christian Krenn, Head of Sales and Expansion AT/DE at HUMANIC, designer and jury member Silvia Schneider, and Marlene Ludwig, Product Manager Ladies Shoes at HUMANIC, pose at the Haute Couture Austria Award 2025 in Vienna. They present pumps and clutches from the Silvia Schneider x HUMANIC ball collection in front of the event’s visual key. On the right, a model walks the runway wearing a golden evening gown styled with matching high heels and clutch. Photos: © Katharina Schiffl |