1996

UDO EDLING

Udo Edling comes from a long line of tailors. Now he carries on the family tradition by creating refined and elegant collections which rely more on the quality of the cut and the fabric than on stylistic effects. Since his first fashion show in January 1996, he has explored a vision of men’s fashion which reflects a renewed classicism, in stark contrast to the radical excesses of the ” avant-garde ” in this sector. His “Cashmere Cuts” show is an ode to sensuous, luxurious materials, like the coats made of reversible cashmere camel. The straightforwardness of the designs is tempered by judicious details, as in the trench coat with multiple pockets sewn on the bias. Technical materials are mixed with natural fabrics when their effectiveness is needed for protection ans comfort. Pleasure and functionality take precedence over the decorative, as shown in the jackets from his summer 1999 collection “Tailor Session”, cut from shirting.

After fashion studies at night school while working as assistant editor in an advertising agency , this Rumanian-born German designer supplied ready-made clothes to a small store in Frankfurt for two years. He arrived in Paris in 1987, where he worked for Nikos, eventually supervising the men’s and women’s collections.

Before founding his own label, Udo Edling worked as a pattern maker for many designers, including John Galliano (in 1991) and André Walker (1991 – 1992), as a stylist for Claude Montana (in 1992), and as a costume designer for films and stage shows.
Singled out by the House of Yves Saint Laurent, Edling received a design fellowship from ANDAM in 1996 which enabled him to present his summer 1997 collection ” Riviera Drive “.

In 2001, he develops the label Udo Edling Items, a couture line for women he presented during Haute Couture shows in Paris.
From 1996, he was artistic director for the sportswear label Newman. After more than ten years of collaboration, he took the art direction of the German fashion house Aigner in 2008.