A new take on traditional style: Erika Neumayer's dirndls

Dirndls—love them or hate them, come October (and Munich’s Oktoberfest)—they pop up all over Germany. Once a traditional Bavarian and East Austria folk costume (Trachtenkleid) that indicated the region and social class of the wearer, dirndls are being modernized as young designers interpret the style for a new generation of wearers. And the style isn’t just a hit in Germany.

One dirndl from Erika Neumayer's 2010 collection Rainforest. Photo (c) Erika Neumayer

Erika Neumayer is an American designer creating modern dirndl collections.  When she designed and created eight garments for the Dominican University Fashion show where she received the Up and Coming Designer of the Year award, she included three traditional Danube Swabian trachten which she had created as part of an independent study to learn more about the cultural dress of her heritage.

Later, this knowledge helped her to create new trachten for the American Aid Society (AAS) of German Descendants Jugendgruppe, a group which she has been a part of since 1990 and in which she feels she has “found her home.”  Her trachten designs won the AAS Jugendgruppe first place prize at the Tratchenfest in Cleveland, Ohio in 2008.

Neumayer’s family is of Donauschwaben descent, a fact that has given her a strong feeling of connection with the people and the culture behind the AAS Jugendgruppe, and inspired her dirndl collections.

“I am influenced by a variety of things from world history and current events, to artwork and nature,” Neumayer says. “I am inspired by others who stand up for their beliefs and use their art as replacements for their words, such as Marcel Duchamp, Käthe Kollwitz and British graffiti artist, Banksy. My travels also greatly influence my work. Cultural dress and traditional textiles from around the world help me to have a better understanding of my surroundings. My education at Dominican University has taught me the value of quality workmanship as well as given me the confidence and understanding that I can make a difference in not only the fashion industry but also in the society in which I live.”

On her website, Neumayer currently offers three collections of made-to-order dirndls under the label name “Rare.”  Many resemble traditional dirndls in cut, while others offer a completely fresh take on the style.

“A Rare dirndl is exactly that, rare,” says the Rare website.  “It is unique in its fabrication and style and you will not find anything like it in America.”

Originally, the word Dirndl referred to a young girl, and the word Dirndlgewand was used to refer to the dress.  Today, few people use the word Dirndlgewand, and the word Dirndl has come to refer to the dress alone.

To see Neumayer’s other dirndl designs and collections, visit the Rare website.