METCHA | the oracle of leather design culture.

METCHA | A global initiative aimed at taking leather-oriented stories into the spotlight to reflect today's generation's view of design and culture.

About Us Contact Us Instagram Facebook Twitter Spotify Pinterest Youtube Vimeo Google News Giphy RSS

"The connection between being a non-binary and sustainable brand is the awareness raised and the respectful interaction with humans and the planet."

at Matthias Winkler every design has its history

Shoes made of antique working gloves, Austrian leather from the 70s, solesmade of old bicycle tires, antique cork & every idea filled w/ history and environmental concern — that's what makes the Berlin-based brand Matthias Winkler so authentic.

Presenting a single collection a year, the brand craves to take a break from the fast driven fashion world in which every piece is more disposable, different than using durable materials, such as leather. Matthias Winkler grew up in Austria in a family of hunters surrounded by leather goods, so he wanted to translate this into an artistic visual language of tomorrow in a way he could boost his close connection to nature.

.resize627976{width: auto;height:auto;}@media (min-width: 961px) { .internal .lz.resize627976{width: 62.5vw;height: 46.875vw;}}

Curious for more? Keep on scrolling to check the full chat.

First of all, can you tell us how Matthias Winkler started?

After working as a sculptor and painter for a few years and juggling a job in a little Viennese shoe shop on the side, the logical consequence for me was to become a shoe designer and to start my own brand. It took me another decade, though, to actually show my first collection under my own name. First, I studied Footwear Design at the Royal College of Art and then worked for different fashion houses and footwear brands. Finally, I settled down in Berlin where I found the space, spatially and mentally, to finally work on my own collection.

What made you target a zero-waste type of production?

For years I thought the last thing our world needs is another brand producing and therefore polluting the planet, but after meeting shoemakers — who don’t work in their craft anymore because of the changed behavior of people (rather throwing their shoes away than repairing them or in general not ordering bespoke shoes anymore) —, finding leather factories that went out of business (& leaving huge amounts of dead stock behind) and then also finding perfectly functioning machines that were replaced by high tech ones, it made sense to me to bring that all together to create my shoes. Zero-waste production is the only responsible way to do it.

We love that each design has its own story behind the choice of material, like MAUER with "Austrian leather from the 70s and old bicycle tires ridden in Berlin’s bumpy streets". Why do you think that the past behind the materials is so important?

I think it is important to make people aware of where their things come from and especially where the parts of these things come from – and a detailed story supports that.

And why leather? What makes it stand out and be part of the footwear scene?

Leather is a very traditional footwear material for a reason — it expands, absorbs, releases moisture and is moldable — & using deadstock or antique stock makes it stand out. Very often toxic glue and chemicals are used to make shoe soles, especially sneakers, and we only use natural material like felt and cork for the sole construction.

You define Matthias Winkler as a non-binary brand. Do you think this has anything to do with its sustainability trait?

Our shoes are not categorized by gender: Feet come like humans: in all shapes and sizes. And the sustainable aspect is the only way to go these days, when we're facing a polluted world and dealing with climate crises.

The connection between the two topics is maybe the awareness that is raised and the respectful interaction with humans and the planet. We hopefully are heading in a direction where society stops stereotyping people and starts protecting our living environment.

You have such unique fits and designs for the Dystopian Hunter collection. How does your creative process work?

It involves a lot of drawing and imagining, but mostly sculpturing. It starts with a visual idea that is then discussed with partners and shoemakers to see what is possible to be made. I think pushing those boundaries leads to exciting designs.

How do you envision the fashion industry of the future?

Hopefully, people will realize that endless consumption is not only unsatisfying in the long run, but also destroys the planet and keeps a lot of people enslaved. It is for sure a long way to go from where we are now, but I believe that at some point big changes will happen — we all just need to make it happen and be a part of it.

Dive into +++ stories of [𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐚 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬] here.

== "image") == "image") --}}