In 2017, after spending ten years designing collections for major luxury brands (Prada, Miu Miu and Louis Vuitton), Andreas Steiner took a break and returned to his native region, South Tyrol, more precisely to the village of Castelrotto, located in Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy. He then travels through the eastern Alps and their crossroads.
During his journey, he met many artisans with textile and leather know-how: manufacturers of loden coats (waterproof wool typical of Tyrol), felted wool vests (the traditional Walker wool), and rustic accessories in braided leather… “I discovered small factories hidden in the valleys, mastering original techniques and working with high-quality materials, but the aesthetics of the products were too folkloric for my taste. I decided to call on these different artisans to develop a more minimalist, more urban, less traditional ready-to-wear style. explains the designer.
A year later, his mixed clothing brand was born. The thirty-year-old named her Rier, after his mother’s maiden name. Success is there. The handcrafted pieces designed in Austria in natural materials (without mixing fibers) are modern but retain a little “mountain shepherd” air, avoiding the first degree.
The designer likes to play with layers to counter temperature variations at altitude: cotton tulle tops, fluffy wool fleeces, corduroy pants, boiled wool blanket skirts… The leather is worked densely, like armor, with a laminating technique typical of the region that Andreas Steiner found on some of his grandfather’s old pants.
If relaxation is the key, don’t forget the delicate details that make the Rier wardrobe so charming, like these little flowers embroidered with thread on coats and skirts and which were historically used to adorn men’s Alpine costumes. Today, the semi-finalist of the LVMH prize in 2021 is surrounded by a team of around fifteen people. He can count on photographer Phil Engelhardt and image director Clarisse Demory to support him in the development of his brand.