Karin Krahl-Wichmann

Milliner

©Lupi Spuma

Austrian millinery with a contemporary twist

Karin was an apprentice with her father, and continues his legacy
She has a background in fashion
Every day in her workshop is different

As a child, Karin Krahl-Wichmann was already very close to her father’s hat workshop. Her first diploma was in fashion and clothing technology before starting an apprenticeship as a milliner in 2001 with her father, master hat maker Helmut Wichmann. “The decision came when I saw my father using his hat moulds as fire wood in preparing for his imminent retirement, because nobody was interested in continuing the business. This observation pained me so much that I scolded him terribly and decided to learn his profession.” In 2003, Karin took over the business Hutmanufaktur Josef Kepka & Söhne founded in 1910 in Graz, that her father had continued after his own apprenticeship there. Karin now gives century-old Austrian tradition a modern twist.

Interview

©Lupi Spuma

©Lupi Spuma

Why did you choose to become a milliner?: Whilst doing my apprenticeship with my father, I realised what it was that so appealed to me: it is so wonderful to create a beautiful object from a mixture of different raw materials. Through my own creative imagination and my hands I can make stunning objects out of ideas.
What is the purpose of a hat?: That depends on the type of hat! There are those that are worn outdoors and have to be weatherproof, those that reflect and describe the character of the person who wears them and finally there are hats that attract attention or excitement for stages and performances.
What is unknown about your craft?: For one, millinery requires manual dexterity, three-dimensional imagination and a feeling for form and design. But what might surprise many is that at some point of the production process one needs a lot of alcohol. What for? That remains a trade secret!
Can you tell us a memorable moment in your professional life?: Buying the Mazur hat factory and moving their workshop from Vienna to Graz. It should have been the previous owner Hans Mazur crying, but it was me. I realised how much I am connected to this profession and how grateful I am for him trusting me with his family business.

Karin Krahl-Wichmann is a master artisan: she began her career in 2003 and she started teaching in 2005