speakfashion.us

cindy steffens: Well, since of my childhood ‘art’ and ‘design’ was surrounding me. I’ve known very early that I’m going to do something creative. After I finished my university entrance diploma in 1998, I started a fashion design education and afterwards I completed my fashion design degree 2005 in Hannover.

speakfashion: Why did you decide to design hats?

cindy steffens: I’ve done two different internships during my study where I discovered my love and passion to hats. I was so obsessed creating my own hat-designs and nothing changed until now.

speakfashion: What’s the basic idea behind your style? Or in other words: What distinguish ‘cindy steffens’ from other hat designers?

cindy steffens: On one hand I emphasize a certain technique in designing my hats. I knot feathers, twirl silk or I’m tearing fabrics to follow them up with the famous ‘bobbin lace-making’ method. On the other hand I’m using different and unusual materials like glass, metal, silk, hair-felt or real hedgehog-needles, root ages, lacquer, leather and rubber. Every so often I also reprocess real branches and original veil from the 30s.

speakfashion: What’s the biggest challenge in designing hats?

cindy steffens: The biggest challenge in designing hats is definitely to keep the hat in its usual and basic form. It is very exhausting and hard to deal with that. In this case I’m always working with hot water-steam, at least when I’m using hair-felt. On one hand I really like working with this material but on the other hand it is also very difficult to handle it correctly. It could happen that you get some wholes and bumps by accident for instance.

speakfashion: How does your main target group look like?

cindy steffens: My clients are on average between 25 and 45 years old. But I also have a client who is already 85. They all have one thing in common: They love to emphazise their personality by wearing an appropriate hat. Handsome women, trend-setter who set themselves apart from the general public.

speakfashion: What’s the price range of your hats?

cindy steffens: My prices start at a minimum of EUR 55,- and they can go up to EUR 150,- which is the more usual price of a hat since they are all hand-made in my shop in Vienna. And every hat has its unique design. That means, there is no best seller which I’d fabricate over and over again. If you buy a particular design you can be sure that this is the only one. Because of this uniqueness there is certainly no price limit to the top.

speakfashion: Wearing classical hats were an indicator of social status in the olden days. When do people wear your hats basically these days? Is there a certain occasion for ’cindy steffens’?

cindy steffens: Lots of my clients want to have an appropriate hat to a certain dress. The ‘Vienna balls’ are often a particular occasion for my designs. My clients are wearing my hats to weddings as well, whether the bride by herself or simply the wedding guests. And some of my clients only try to escape from their daily grind in wearing my sophisticated hat-designs as a nice accessory.

speakfashion: Do you have already shown your hat-designs during a fashion week?

cindy steffens: Yes, last year twice in Berlin and Vienna. This year I’m going to present my designs in Vienna as well. But I’m also attending different exhibitions in Europe during the year.

speakfashion: What are your plans for the future? Any secrets you want to share with us today?

cindy steffens: I’d like to extend my store in Vienna with a second person who can help me out in designing and merchandising my hats. I also would like to offer my designs in more cities and countries like Dublin for instance because I really love this city!

speakfashion: Sounds great Cindy. Thank you for the chat and keep us posted on your story.

cindy steffens – Headquater in Vienna
Sechsschimmelgasse 7 // 1090 Vienna, Austria
P: + 43 (0) 680-20 754 20 // Email to Cindy Steffens
W: www.cindysteffens.com // View it on google maps.
Catch up with Cindy on Facebook