RUNDHOLZ PARFUM

Carsten and Lenka Rundholz are calm yet thoughtful designers. While other couples in cafes were mingling in cafes, they were already planning their first collection. Not only did they want to wear distinctive fashion, they also wanted to share their creative ideas with others, building a lifestyle brand. Lenka Rundholz started in the industry as a display and visual presentation artist, she always wanted to be dressed beautifully. It was a challenge for Carsten, as a former graphic designer he was trained in the art of fashion through its design and wanted to create a look his wife would love to wear.

They presented their first collection in 1993. A natural look, balancing between everyday life and business, easily finding fans in the creative scene aiming at not being part of the typical fashion circuits with all its dazzling magazines. Fit producers, artists, authors and journalists, all loved the textured quotes which are mostly influenced by art scene impulses, travel and simply from observing architecture. "I sometimes think that we're not creating fashion but simply garments" Carsten Rundholz says.

Every single design is developed in the Lower Rhine area. Only an hour away from major cities like Duesseldorf or Cologne, this area is characterised by small rivers and old trees, tiny fortresses and huge old farm buildings. Lenka and Carsten Rundholz carefully rebuilt an ancient regional farm, originally rebuilt in 1811, into a modern headquarter - their creative island hidden behind high hedges and old willows. Very efficiently they are creating three collections with around 600 pieces a year. Meanwhile, apart from coats, blouses ad dresses, matching shoes, bags and belts are designed. Lenka Rundholz explains with a smile "Our pattern makers are often astonished by the result of Carsten's sewing experiments. They need to rip the seams on everything in order to understand his patterns. But before conquering the runway, all outfits have to pass the most crucial test. "Nothing will be put into the collection before Lenka gives her approval" Carsten Rundholz says.

With their sense and knowledge for materials and patterns, constantly presenting something new and unexpected, the couple is not only designing their collections but also continually choosing different scenes for its presentation. Either at the Dusseldorf flagship store, their shops in Antwerp and Munich or the architecturally exceptional flagship store in Berlin: All spaces are uniquely deigned as the fashion itself. Always truely adhering to their philosophy: "We'll only be successful by remaining incomparable." In this way the Rundholz universe is growing: Creative and successful - without being noisy.

Rundholz has partnered with nose Arturetto Landi to create a series of fragrances that are gorgeous, complex and singular. Arturetto Landi was drawn into the world of perfume by chance. Traveling to England after graduation, all he wanted to do was to learn English as a prelude to a career at sea. That changed when he landed a casual job with a fragrance company. His training took him to H&R in Holzminden; his career to New York, Paris, Tokyo, and Vienna before eventually joining MANE Dubai as a Senior Perfumer in 2005. Landi’s perfumes are opulent, complex and composed as a grand opera for the nose.