Vienna’s Fiaker horse-drawn carriages are a traditional and romantic trademark, but also a source of controversy – cultural heritage or on the road to abolition? We met Marco Pollandt from Fiaker Paul and Riding Dinner in the horse stables and chatted with him on a ride through Vienna’s historic city center about the criticism of the trade, his great love for horses, and the head equerry of Queen Elizabeth. 

While bombs rain down on Kyiv, the second Ukrainian Fashion Week since the start of Russia’s war of aggression is taking place (February 14–17, 2025). We spoke with its founder and program director, Iryna Danylevska, about an unimaginable feat of strength, prosthetics on the runway, and camouflage nets for the front lines. We translated the interview into English using ChatGPT due to time constraints. We apologize for any resulting errors.

The roots of fashion designer Andreas Kronthaler, husband of Vivienne Westwood, are in the Tyrolean Zillertal valley. We could have asked him what it was like to have tea with Prince Charles. But we didn’t. Instead, we had a chat about his grandmother’s blueberry patties and the fur coats of his old aunt in Graz. This interview was written in the summer of 2022; Vivienne Westwood has since passed away. We have not changed it and have left it as it was held. We send our heartfelt condolences to the Westwood and Kronthaler family. 

"When I was a child, I toyed with dirt. I killed the slugs, I bored with a bough in their spiracle.” For almost 15 years, the exceptional Austrian artist SOAP&SKIN has been singing about death and pain, about nature and healing. Her voice pierces into us and cuts off our air, only to let us breathe better afterwards. The lyrics to Spiracle read differently when you know that 30-year-old Anja Plaschg grew up on a pig-fattening farm in a Styrian village with 200 inhabitants. A conversation about sugar-cube witches, talking trees, and how impressive and depressing rural life can be.

Kirchberg Monastery in Lower Austria may date from centuries past, but not so the nuns who live within its thick walls. We recently spent a few days with them, observing the strict prayer times and enjoying homemade blueberry strudel. In these difficult times, we sought advice from someone who really ought to know: Nun and psychotherapist Teresa Hieslmayr. Who does the virus serve? What gives life meaning? How evil is consumerism?  

My father lived and worked in the basement. My mother was the mistress of the upstairs in our house in Buchbach in Upper Bavaria. As far back as I can remember, choosing a gift for my dad at Christmas or for his birthday always started with the question: "Does he already own the latest FC Bayern Munich fan outfit?"