Berlin is best known for its youthful artistic aesthetic, yet one of the city's most promising rising designers is a master of ageless elegance. Michael Sontag's graceful drapery and jewel-coloured natural fabrics compliment an arresting range of wearers. After training with fellow berliners c.neeon and Frank Leder in the German capital, as well as Kenzo and Givenchy in Paris, Sontag's agile garments have earned support from international editors and won him prestigious local awards, including the Beck’s Fashion Experience, 2009's Textile Innovation Award and The Start Your Fashion Business Award. Here, we discuss design and how Berlin can best support its emerging bright lights.
Ana Finel Honigman: Since your collections are essentially season-less and undetermined by trends, how has your aesthetic changed and evolved over the years?
MS: I think that the aesthetic has not changed that much. It's more the silhouettes that change from collection to collection. Every season I learn new things about manufacturing, production processes and other things that influence me a lot. So I would say it is mainly the technical side that is evolving. But that brings also new aspects aesthetically.
AFH: What did your training in Berlin teach you that differed from your internships in Paris?
MS: I learned to be more free-thinking.
AFH: Do you think that Berlin could provide you greater intellectual freedom because the stakes here are so much smaller? As Berlin’s fashion community grows, do you see it becoming as restrictive and regimented as Paris?
MS: I do think that it will become more institutionalised. But that will take a while.
AFH: What are your considerations when selecting fabrics?
MS: The touch is more important than the colour.
AFH: What colours attract you most and why?
MS: I don't have any favourite colours. For me it's more a question of the combination.
AFH: How have the awards you've won helped your work progress?
MS: They gave me the freedom to experiment. They also gave me greater self-confidence and time to grow.
AFH: How do you think Berlin can best support and encourage young talent?
MS: The city of Berlin? It’s doing a lot already. The Start Your Fashion Business award is a great example. Also the sponsored time-slots at the tent reserved for young designers.
AFH: Is there a particular look or style that you associate with Berlin?
MS: Easy, sexy, unpretentious.
AFH: How do you define “sexy”?
MS: Sexy is to know yourself very well. Being carefree. Sexy happens when you don't think about it. Or when you do...
[Images by Maxime Ballesteros]
