Marina Hoermanseder Turns 18th-Century Orthopedic Medical Gear into High Fashion

Images courtesy of Marina Hoermanseder

If there is one star designer who stole the show at Mercedes-Benz Berlin Fashion Week, it’s Marina Hoermanseder. The French-Austrian designer may not admit it, but she has a bit of a medical fetish. So much that her main inspiration is 18th century orthopedic medical gear, the buckled straps of hospitals and insanity wards. The medical pieces used to help people with back problems, broken necks or deformed wrists are now on the runway.

While you may not see crutches on the runway (though there are in some fashion shoots), the results are crazy. She combines red silk ruffles, inspired by smallpox, and head accessories that looks like plaster casts. All in all, she has one goal in mind: To give women a symbolic spine of self-confidence in fashion.

A former intern of Alexander McQueen, Hoermanseder is pretty fresh out of school. She has already drawn the attention of Lady Gaga, dressed Eve for a gala and seen her garb on Peaches. Combining fetish elements, sharp contrasts and unconventional beauty made from vegetable-tanned, hand-lacquered leather, she always turns something typically ugly into something beautiful.

As she gears up for a catwalk show in Delhi to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, we chatted over the phone about her love of medical research and the art of profit.

VICE: How did you get interested in 18th century orthopedic medical equipment?
Marina Hoermanseder: I used to work a lot with corsets. I wanted to learn how to make corsets from the renaissance era and I found an orthopedic medical corset from the 18th century. I couldn’t let go anymore—I thought it was interesting for its medical point of view but also old pictures were old beautiful. They have a creepy side to them, if someone has a deformed back, but still the photos were so beautiful. I have the idea to transform something that isn’t positive into something beautiful and fashionable. It gives me a lot of ideas for my leather work. Inside outs, insanity, closing leather, I really enjoy medical research, to be honest.

Do you have a medical fetish?
Not at all. When I was a child, I was always running around, I was a naughty kid. I did a lot of sports and ended up at the hospital for breaking my arm or my leg. I was afraid of doctors. Even my parents today don’t really understand how I’m inspired by something I was really afraid of. Maybe it's a subconscious thing?

I’ve seen crutches used in fashion shoots with your work, why not the runway?
I don’t think I would do that. I don’t want to go that far. I want someone to see the collection without showing crutches or wheelchairs but still have the idea of “Oh, this is pretty medical.”

I was at your fashion show in Berlin. How has your vision changed?
I did study economics before studying fashion, my parents requested it. It was a good thing, I’m very happy about it. Now I know all the business stuff that’s going on in the office, I’m not dependent on someone else. I know the business side. I don’t only do leather and fetish garb because I wanted to show I can also do fashion someone would wear. I want to see my work in the streets. I’m not doing it for the sake of art forever, but to get attention with show pieces but adding commercial pieces with it which have details—leather buckles, collars, belts—that you would still recognize is me. The new bags, too. I have a lot of fun with accessories.

How did Lady Gaga get a hold of your work?
I got an email from her studio while I was on the road in Italy. I had to make a break because I had this email. I didn’t know if it was true, you just get an email. Gaga always says she supports young artists and students. Eve the rapper saw my collection and after the show her stylist said “She wants it! She needs it!” I said yes, but I need to put it on her myself. It was my baby and I wanted to have it worn correctly. So I went to this gala in London. Peaches wore my pieces on tour, too. I would love to have Michelle Obama or Kate Middleton wear my stuff because it has an influence on sales.

In your spring/summer 2015 collection, why did you decide on putting a mouth piece plaster on a dress?
It was dual: who am I putting this onto? It looks so much better on dark skin but it also looks weird having his half-white mouth on a black model. I have critics I’ve read who said: “The bride is not allowed to talk.” Her mouth is closed in this thing. But I didn’t even think of this. It comes from an orthopedic corset for your neck. If your neck is not straight, you wear it. I rebuilt what i saw in an old medical book. I knew it would catch attention and I love working with leather. I love moulding lips.

You say you’re giving women a spine of self-confidence in fashion?
It comes with the territory of using scoliosis corsets. It does give the spine support, the spine support is not only medical but you stand differently. You really feel taller. In the last collection, I’ve also worked with legs, while the skirt comes from an orthopedic wristband that has three buckles, it led to collages and the straps came around the whole arm and skirts.

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