Words by Andrea Gombalová

Fräulein Talents: Florentina Leitner

Between "The Princess Diaries" glow-ups and "Sex and the City" girlhood moments, Florentina Leitner builds a universe where ambition wears bows, geekiness is hot, and being a little out of place might actually be your greatest strength. It’s less about arriving as "the star" and more about everything messy and emotional that happens along the way.

Andrea Gombalová: "You Are a Star" revolves around transformation – from outsider to princess, from participant to winner. In what way do you personally relate to this narrative?

Florentina Leitner: I’ve always been a fan of “success stories.” Humanity is obsessed with stories of class jumps – from “dishwasher to millionaire” stories, as we say in Austria. I think those stories make you dream and believe in your own dreams.

I think it is important to have dreams and goals, if you focus on them they can become reality, this is something I wanted to say with this collection.

We use fashion to shape how we are perceived. What do you find beautiful about that and where do you see its more tricky or complex side?

Fashion and dressing up a certain way makes you find peers and like minded people to dream, create and go for drinks with. The lesser bright side is to be judged by others fast in a negative/superficial way, as people often make up character treats just based on how people look. Which often don’t match the actual person who’s being judged.

Is the "star" in this collection an ideal figure?

No, because it’s a journey, and perfection would mean the end. I like misfits and imperfection, and I wanted to bring that into the language of award culture and glamour – to show that you don’t need to be perfect to be a star.

You reference "The Princess Diaries" and "Sex and the City" – both stories about women navigating visibility and identity. What draws you to these specific moments?

Both movies, and the scenes I selected as inspiration, are mainly about friendship. Our show moments, the creation of the collections, and even our photoshoots reflect moments of friendship as well. I have been working for three years with my friend Maximilian Rittler, whom I’ve known since I was 14. We work, design, and create collections together, but we also go for drinks together, laugh, cry, and keep each other company when we feel alone.

Most success stories are not about one person alone – they are about the journey, the sleepovers, and the long workdays shared with your friends, your partner, and your team, which make life beautiful and worth dreaming about. In those scenes from both films, you could really feel that energy.

Do you see pop culture references as nostalgia, or as a shared emotional language between designer and audience?

Both sounds accurate to me.

What fascinates you about symbols of achievement and recognition?

Just like seeing an old photograph, it brings you back to a moment in life in which you succeeded. My sister was very successful in rhythmic gymnastics as a child – she had many medals, and I loved playing with them and seeing her hard work and discipline reflected in those objects. I also practiced rhythmic gymnastics myself, but I was never a fan of performing in competitions and being judged on performance. Still, I loved looking at the medals, prize ribbons, and stars given out for good behavior at school, and I became inspired by those symbols.

Do you think ambition is still a complicated trait for women to express openly?

I guess it depends on the field, but yes, ambition can quickly be perceived as being too stubborn or vicious. Still, I think it’s always important to have dreams and goals. Of course, that doesn’t mean you need to step over others or hold people back while pursuing your own ambitions.

How did your way of working change between your first collection and now?

My team has grown – from creating my first collection with just one intern and myself to now working alongside one of my best friends and a whole team of creatives.

Was there a moment in your own career when you felt like the "outsider becoming the princess"?

Haha, my friends from Seoul call me gongju, which means “princess.” But I still often feel like an outsider – and I enjoy that too.

I celebrate nerdiness but also dressing up like a princess.

How has your protagonist, your "girl", evolved since your first collection?

She wears more toned-down colors and prefers a more relaxed fit, while still expressing her love for fantasy – something we’ve highlighted since the very first collection.

What felt essential for this season that hadn’t appeared in your work before?

To highlight the geekiness of girls, glasses, messy hair, but still slaying and winning in life. Being smart is sexy!

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