Interview with the founder Sandra Milacher

I was interviewed by Ms. Arbab-Zadeh / DMD German Fashion Designers.

DMD: We are happy to have 'you look perfect' on the DMD platform! We would like to know more about you and your label. How did you get into fashion design?

Sandra Milacher: I have been interested in art since I was a child and loved to paint. After I saw a documentary about fashion design when I was 13, it was clear to me - that's exactly what I want to do!

DMD: Great, then you discovered your dream job very quickly!

Sandra Milacher: Yes, exactly. That's what I worked towards. First I took a sewing course, then a fashion drawing course and a fashion design internship, until I finally studied fashion design and cutting in Munich after graduating from high school. After that I worked as a designer for a premium label for nine years.

So step by step I arrived at the point where I am today.

DMD: How did the decision to start your own label come about in 2017?

Sandra Milacher: I had been thinking about it for a long time. Then when I went on parental leave in 2015, I realized that my heart simply beat for it. It was my need and long-awaited dream to realize myself with my own label.

DMD: What does 'you look perfect' stand for?

Sandra Milacher: It's a message to my customers.

I want to give the customer the feeling right from the start that she is good just the way she is. That's what fashion should be about, everyone should feel good the way they are and not hide away.

And with 'you look perfect' I simply want to give the customer a compliment along the way.

DMD: A beautiful message! The name immediately evokes a positive feeling and a good mood.

Sandra Milacher: That makes me happy! That's how it should be. That's why the logo is handwritten. A personal message to the customer, so to speak.

DMD: You want customers to feel good in your fashion. Is that why you have focused on loungewear?

Sandra Milacher: Exactly. There are still very few suppliers on the market in the loungewear segment, although the demand is there.

Above all, fashion has to be comfortable, but also beautiful. When you come home after work, everyone wants to wear comfortable clothes right away. But then you have to change again if you want to go out again for a short time.

Even when travelling or working from home, something like this is missing. So I thought to myself, there must be a better solution: Fashion that is so comfortable and beautiful that you can wear it indoors and outdoors. What's also special about my collection is that it's knitted, which makes it very comfortable and adapts to the body.

DMD: In your campaign, so to speak, there are normal women in front of the camera, no models. And mother and daughter are always photographed together. How did that come about?

Sandra Milacher: That was important to me because my fashion should be age-independent and should suit both the daughter and the mother. So why not photograph them both together?

That's the feedback I've received so far - the collection appeals to women of all ages. My loungewear is timeless and yet modern.

I also wanted authentic and natural photos, which is why I chose normal women and not professional models. And the intimacy between a mother and daughter comes across great in front of the camera. It goes well with the cuddly and uncomplicated designs.

DMD: So one can also identify wonderfully with your fashion.

How can we imagine the production process?

Sandra Milacher: I create the designs in my studio in Austria. Then it's off to the yarn fair in Florence where I select the yarn for the knitwear collection. I work together with production companies in Hungary and Italy, as fair production is very important to me. I also use only natural fibres and very high quality materials that feel good on the skin.

I receive the samples from the production facilities. I wear them myself for the first time and test them out. The samples are then tried on for weeks and washed several times. My standards are very high, the label should deliver what it promises.

DMD: And how do you find inspiration for your collections?

Sandra Milacher: It could be anything! (Laughs)

I find inspiration everywhere - whether on a walk or when I'm travelling. But it's always nature that inspires me, because there are simply the most beautiful color constellations.

DMD: Do you have a personal favorite?

Sandra Milacher: My favorite is the lounge pants Pants BLOSSOM. They're also available in different colors, I don't even want to take them off! (Laughs)

DMD: I can believe that right away! And you as a private person, what do you like to do in your free time?

Sandra Milacher: I have an almost 3-year-old son who keeps my husband and I on our toes, and we spend a lot of time together as a family. Now in the summer we like to go to the lake and I am passionate about horseback riding.

DMD: Thank you very much for the nice interview!