Heartfelt Project · Pink Ribbon
Knitting connects us.
Sometimes an idea becomes more than just a project. Yarn becomes fashion, a fashion show becomes a shared cause – and for one evening, many people become one team.
My knit and crochet designs gave me the opportunity to be part of some very special events supporting Pink Ribbon. On stage, it was about fashion and handmade design. Behind the scenes, it was about so much more: commitment, solidarity, and using what we can do to make a difference.
Knitting · Crochet · Making a Difference Together
When an idea becomes a stage.
Handmade work usually happens in quiet, everyday moments. Stitch by stitch, row by row. And sometimes, that very process suddenly leads to a big stage.
Together with ZUR NAHT ZUR WOLLE, we created events and fashion shows that put my knit and crochet designs in a completely different spotlight: worn, presented, and shown in front of an audience.
What lasts only a few minutes on stage begins long before. With ideas, preparations, fittings, and many people working together to make sure everything comes together in the end.
And that is what this page is about just as much as the shows themselves: what could be seen on stage – and everything that happened behind the scenes.
On Stage
A few minutes in the spotlight.
And then, suddenly, the moment is here: music, lights, an audience – and the first steps onto the runway.
Seeing my designs not just in photos, but worn by people walking onto a stage in front of an audience, was something truly special. Suddenly the pieces were moving, showing how they looked and felt, and taking on a character of their own through each person who wore them.
It was never about creating a perfect, glossy fashion world. The people on this runway were all part of these events together – and that is exactly what made them feel so alive to me.
After all the preparation, it came down to just a few minutes. But in those few minutes, you could see what so many hands had worked on beforehand.
Runway Moments
Designs are worn. People bring them to life. And for a moment, everything belongs to the stage.
On stage, you see the result. But the real story begins long before that.
Together
No one puts on a fashion show alone.
What looks effortless on the runway is, above all, the result of teamwork.
There are the people on stage, the people behind the scenes, many helping hands – and very different personalities all working toward the same thing for one evening.
My designs were only one part of it all. It was the people who wore them, presented them, and brought them to life who turned it into a real fashion show.
And perhaps that is why it is not only the runway photos that have stayed with me. It is just as much the photos of us together – before, after, and right in the middle of it all.
Some of these photos were taken after the show, others right in the middle of all the excitement. That is exactly why I love them: they show not only the finished show, but also the people who made it possible together.
Behind every runway photo are encounters, excitement, laughter, and so many little moments the audience never gets to see.
And some of my favorite memories were made in exactly those moments – before, after, and somewhere in between.
Away from the Runway
And that is exactly where so many of the moments I remember most fondly happened: behind the scenes, before the lights came on.
Behind the Scenes
Before the lights come on.
On the runway, you only see a few minutes. What you don't see are the hours that came before.
Fittings, last-minute adjustments, nerves, laughter together – and those very special moments just before it all begins. For me, that is where the real story of a fashion show begins.
Nothing backstage was perfectly choreographed. There were last-minute adjustments, clothes to straighten, questions, laughter – and, in between, everyone trying to keep their nerves at least a little under control.
My designs weren't simply presented on those evenings. They were worn by people who became part of this story together with me.
And before anyone stepped out onto the runway, there was first of all a whole lot of real life.
When I look at these photos today, the first thing I remember isn't whether everything looked absolutely perfect during the show. I remember the laughter, the hugs, the nerves, the last-minute adjustments – and the feeling that we were experiencing that evening together.
On stage, my designs were in the spotlight. Backstage, it was the people. And perhaps that is exactly why these photos tell so much of the story today.
Afterwards
When the lights go down again.
Eventually, the final walk is over, the music fades, and the big event becomes an ordinary evening again.
What remains are the memories. The excitement beforehand, the minutes on stage, all the people who were part of it – and, of course, the moments afterwards.
After all the preparation and the intense hours surrounding the fashion show, it felt good to finally walk out of the venue and know: we made this happen together.
Eventually, the stage was empty again. But the evening was far from over.
After the Show
After all the preparation, excitement, and bustle, there finally came a moment when we could simply sit together, talk, laugh, and let the evening wind down.
And in the end, it is often exactly these moments that turn an event into a memory.
Women. Strength. Pink Ribbon.
Because breast cancer affects us all.
Behind all these photos, designs, and memories is a subject far bigger than any fashion show: breast cancer.
To me, Pink Ribbon was never simply about seeing pink at an event. It is about women. Women living with a diagnosis, fighting, hoping, and finding their own way through this time – and the people who stand beside them.
To me, strength does not mean having to handle everything alone. Strength also means taking care of ourselves, taking screening seriously, talking about breast cancer, and being there for one another.
We women are allowed to be strong. We are allowed to be loud, we are allowed to be visible, we are allowed to accept help – and we can make each other stronger.
Pay attention. Get informed. Show your support.
Breast cancer affects more than the women who receive a diagnosis. It affects families, friends, and the people who stand beside them. That is why it matters to talk about it, stay informed, and make use of opportunities for early detection.
And anyone who would like to do more can learn more directly from Pink Ribbon Austria and support its work around breast cancer.
Back then, my handmade designs took me all the way to the runway. The message behind them has stayed with me: Women empower women – stitch by stitch.