Albert Kriemler

Last updated
Albert Kriemler
Born1960 (age 64–65)
NationalitySwiss
Label Akris
AwardsSwiss Design Award, Honoree of Fashion Group International Award

Albert Kriemler (born 7 February 1960, St. Gallen) [1] is a Swiss fashion designer, and the creative director of his family-owned Swiss luxury fashion house Akris, [2] which he held since 1980. He is known for his architectural and sleek approach with being described as a "modernist-designer." [3]

Contents

Early life

Albert Kriemler was born on the 7 February 1960 in St. Gallen. Kriemler grew up in St. Gallen with his parents and his grandmother, the founder of Akris, in a multilevel, multigenerational family home. [4] [5]

Since 15, he often accompanied his parents to fabric fairs. On a trip to Paris in 1976, Kriemler attended his first Yves Saint Laurent show. [6] In the '70s, Kriemler's parents, Max and Ute, expanded Akris' scope, producing prêt-à-porter for such fashion houses as Ted Lapidus and Givenchy. Hubert de Givenchy became a friend of the family. Hubert de Givenchy became a friend of the family and after high school Kriemler planned to move to Paris for an apprenticeship under Givenchy and to study at the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture. His plans changed when his father's key associate passed away unexpectedly. In 1980, at the age of 20, Kriemler was encouraged by his father to join the business as creative director. [5]

Career

Together with his brother Peter, President of Akris, who joined the company in 1987, Albert Kriemler continued to build the international presence of Akris. [7] [8]

At Akris, Kriemler continued St. Gallen's textile-based history by hiring local artisans, [9] [10] [11] [5] and modernized St. Gallen embroidery with an architectual approach. [12] [13]

In 1988, Dawn Mello, the fashion director and president of Bergdorf Goodman, visited Akris's showroom and placed the first order for an Akris collection for the renowned department store on New York's Fifth Avenue. [14] In the 2000s, his designs became the top sellers at Bergdorf Goodman. [15]

In 2004, Albert Kriemler began presenting Akris on Paris runways, incorporating contemporary art and architectural themes into his collections. He collaborated with artist such as Thomas Ruff (2014), Carmen Herrera (2017), Rodney Graham (2017), Alexander Girard (2018), Geta Brătescu (2019), Imi Knoebel (2021) and architects like Herzog & de Meuron (2007) and Sou Fujimoto (2016). [16]

Kriemler collaborated with ballet choreographer John Neumeier to design costumes for the ensemble in Neumeier's 2005/06 production with the Vienna Philharmonic. [17] They continued to work together on ballet projects for almost 20 years. Kriemler has designed costumes for Neumeier's choreographies such as: Epilogue (2024), Beethoven Project II (2021), Turangalîla (2016), The Legend of Joseph in Hamburg (2008) and Vienna (2015), and for prima ballerina Anna Laudere as Anna Karenina in the ballet of the same name, co-produced with the Bolshoi Ballet, Moscow, and the National Ballet of Canada, Toronto (2017). [18]

In 2020, he collaborated with Dutch photographer and filmmaker Anton Corbijn on a five-minute fashion film about a collection that found inspiration in the work of artist Imi Knoebel. [19] [20]

For Akris' 100th anniversary, Kriemler co-curated an exhibition at the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, that showcased original artworks and Akris collection side by side for the first time. [21]

Style

Explaining his philosophy, Kriemler has said "you should notice the woman first, her dress second" and that clothes need to have "an awareness of individual personality." [22] For him this is best described with the German word "selbstverständlich" (pronounced: zɛlpst.fɛɐ̯.ˈʃtɛn.tlɪç), meaning a feeling and appearance of effortlessness and ease. [23] [3]

Kriemler was one of the first designers to collaborate with Steven Klein and the then-budding model Stella Tennant for his first Akris campaign in 1995. He continued to work with photographer Steven Klein for 15 years and enlisted Daphne Guinness for his first handbag campaign in spring 2010. [24]

His clientele includes women such as Jessica Chastain, Lilly Collins, Cate Blanchett, Lupita Nyong'o, Katie Holmes, Michelle Obama, Indra Nooyi, and Kamala Harris. [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32]

Innovations

Albert Kriemler is a pioneer in digital photo printing technology. [33] In 2008, he presented a collection inspired by artist and friend Ian Hamilton Finlay. Images of Finlay's garden in Little Sparta, Scotland, motivated him to develop a new method for digitally printing photos onto sequins after two years of experimenting with Martin Leuthold, creative director of textile manufacturer Jakob Schlaepfer. [34]

Since then, Albert Kriemler began blending digital technology with traditional craftsmanship. In 2014, he developed LED embroidery in collaboration with Forster Rohner inspired by Thomas Ruff's Sterne (1989–1992). One of these LED-embellished dresses was included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) in Vienna, Austria. [35]

Honors

Kriemler received the Grand Prix Design prize by the Swiss Federal Office of Culture in 2008 and awarded with the Swiss Design Award for his achievements as the "most important international ambassador for fashion creation in design." [36] He was named the honoree for fashion design at the 2010 Fashion Group International Awards in New York. [37]

In 2016, Wallpaper Magazine London awarded Kriemler the "Design Award 2016 Best Alliance" for the collaboration with architect Sou Fujimoto. [38] In the same year, he received the 2016 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion at The Museum of FIT in New York for his commitment to outstanding craftsmanship and "making clothes modern". [39] [40]

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References

  1. ↑ "Albert Kriemler - NZZ". 17 March 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2018– via NZZ.
  2. ↑ "Albert Kriemler Bio". Infomat. Archived from the original on 2011-04-13.
  3. 1 2 "The Discreet Modernist". W Magazine. 2012-07-01. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  4. ↑ Cavanagh, Alice (2022-09-30). "Swiss beat: Akris turns 100". Financial Times. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  5. 1 2 3 Talbot, Lindsay (2018-09-19). "The Exacting Eye of Akris's Albert Kriemler". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  6. ↑ Sewing, By Joy (2018-02-28). "Albert kriemler is the man behind the Akris collection". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  7. ↑ Givhan, Robin (May 30, 2005). "Fashion Sense". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  8. ↑ Socha, Miles (2022-10-02). "Akris, Its Roots in Fine Fabrics, Marks a Century". WWD. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  9. ↑ Johnson, Marylin (January 5, 2003). "none". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  10. ↑ Gillan Griffin, Linda. ""Designer creates clothing with Swiss precision"". The Houston Chronicle.
  11. ↑ Krienke, Mary (September 1, 2007). ""Luxe without a logo" (PDF)". Swiss News.
  12. ↑ "Akris: St.Gallen, selbstverständlich". Textilmuseum St.Gallen. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  13. ↑ Moss, Jack (2023-10-10). "Akris' century-old roots in St Gallen, Switzerland, are explored in new textile exhibition". wallpaper.com. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  14. ↑ "Happy Anniversary, Akris". Harper's BAZAAR. 2009-06-08. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  15. ↑ "Albert Kriemler | BoF 500 | The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  16. ↑ Van Meter, William (2022-11-15). "On Its 100th Anniversary, Akris's Creative Director Albert Kriemler Looks Back at the Art and Artist Collaborations That Have Defined the Luxury Brand". Artnet News. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  17. ↑ Barnett, Leisa (27 June 2008). "Akris Designs For Hamburg Ballet". Vogue UK.
  18. ↑ Moss, Jack (2024-07-22). "'Constant dialogue and lively exchange': Akris' Albert Kriemler on two decades of collaboration with choreographer John Neumeier". wallpaper.com. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  19. ↑ Brara, Noor (2020-10-15). "How Akris Creative Director Albert Kriemler Found Inspiration in the Work of Artist Imi Knoebel for His Latest Collection". Artnet News. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  20. ↑ Bischof, Felix (2021-03-25). "Art of Akris: Albert Kriemler meets Imi Knoebel". theweek. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  21. ↑ Donoghue, Katy (2023-06-08). "Albert Kriemler: Showing the Effortlessly Compelling Modernity of Akris". Whitewall. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  22. ↑ "Stealth Style". TIME. 2006-09-11. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  23. ↑ Schott, Christine (2022-11-30). "Creative Director Albert Kriemler Speaks on the Akris Legacy". Palmer PB. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  24. ↑ Karimzadeh, Marc (2010-03-18). "Akris Celebrates 15 Years with Steven Klein". WWD. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  25. ↑ "Akris". Red Carpet Fashion Awards. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  26. ↑ Okwodu, Janelle (2018-11-13). "Michelle Obama Kickstarts Her Book Tour in the Freshest Way to Wear Denim". Vogue. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  27. ↑ "Kamala Harris choisit Akris pour sa course à la présidentielle". Elle (in French). 2024-10-24. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  28. ↑ Cartwright, Gemma (2019-08-13). "Cate Blanchett's Latest Looks Bring a Whole New Meaning to the Term "Power Suit"". Popsugar UK. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  29. ↑ "Lily Collins Has Had An Incredibly Fashionable 48 Hours". Grazia USA. 2022-01-06. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  30. ↑ "Forget Boring Totes, Katie Holmes Is Carrying This Sleek Trapezoid Bag Everywhere". Yahoo Life. 2019-12-16. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  31. ↑ Ellison, Jo (2016-05-04). "Akris: the alpha-woman's label". Financial Times. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  32. ↑ "Why Princess Charlene Swears by the Swiss Label Akris". Town & Country. 2022-11-01. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  33. ↑ Sanchez, Aranza (2023-06-09). "Akris: Art To Go". ndion. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  34. ↑ "In Zurich, iconic art meets sleek fashion". Art Basel. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  35. ↑ "E-Broidery – EXEMPLARY: 150 Years of the MAK – from Arts and Crafts to Design". MAK Blog (in German). 2014-11-18. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  36. ↑ "Swiss Design Awards". Albert Kriemler. Archived from the original on 2012-03-31. Retrieved 2011-08-29.
  37. ↑ "Albert Kriemler Fashion Group International Awards". Elle Magazine. Archived from the original on 2011-10-02.
  38. ↑ Bertoli, Rosa (2016-01-14). "Design Awards 2016: best of the rest". wallpaper.com. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  39. ↑ "2016 Couture Council Artistry of Fashion Award: Albert Kriemler". www.fitnyc.edu. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  40. ↑ Iredale, Jessica (2016-04-05). "Akris' Albert Kriemler to Be Honored by Couture Council". WWD. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
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