Rare Dirndl Customer Spotlight: Christina Forst

Christina Forst - North White Plains, NY

My name is Christina Forst and I currently live in New York. This past September, I had the opportunity to travel to Germany for two weeks to visit Berlin, several small towns of Bavaria, and Munich, including attending Oktoberfest for three days. In advance of my departure, I wanted to make sure I was uniquely “outfitted” with some stylish German tracht. When I came across Rare Dirndl online (based in my hometown of Chicago, no less!) I knew that I had found my winner. I loved all the diverse styles and accessories, and, after ordering one dirndl, several off-the-shoulders and aprons to mix & match, as well as a Bavarian hat with a matching blouse that I simply couldn’t resist, I was ready for my adventure. I received so many compliments on my outfits from friends, fellow party-goers, and even local Germans. I think the uniqueness and versatility of all the styles are my two favorite things about Rare Dirndl, as well as the personalized service I received from Erika in the lead-up to my shipment.

My mother was born in Nuremberg, Germany and I also have German heritage on my father’s side, so I was very honored to be able to go there for the first time and better understand that part of my family history. And, although my boyfriend is not German by birth, you can see from the photos that he too fully embraced the experience in his lederhosen. We have had so much fun this past year preparing for our trip, not only with our outfits, but also by learning about German culture, visiting all of the amazing beer halls in and around NYC, becoming Bundesliga fans (we even attended a Bayern Munich game while there!), and believe it or not, learning about the intricacies and complexities of German beer and brewing techniques. In truth, I think we suffered a fair amount of “Germany withdrawal” after returning to the States, but we managed to resurrect our outfits back in New York in late October at Bear Mountain State Park’s annual Oktoberfest celebration, as well as at a family party where we passed out gifts we had brought back from Germany for our nieces and nephews. Thank you to Erika and the team at Rare Dirndl for helping to make this entire experience most unforgettable. (I’m addicted to dirndls now, so I will be back!)




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2013… What a Year!

It's hard to believe that tonight will put an end to 2013 and we'll be ringing in 2014. Looking back, it has been a very exciting year for Rare Dirndl.

Some of the great highlights include our participation in the Münchener Trachtentage

The Sunflower Dirndl being featured in the Nickelodeon Original Movie Swindle

And seeing Lisa Mateo in the Warm Night Dirndl on NYC's PIX 11 during the Oktoberfest season!

Here is a quick video that features other exciting things that happened this year!

All of this excitement would not have been possible without your support and there are seriously no words to describe how grateful I am, I can't wait to see what 2014 brings for Rare Dirndl. 

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More from Munich!

At the Münchener Trachtentage earlier this month, I met many amazing designers and I'm very excited to share 2 designers stories with you. To see the full list of exhibitors simply click here!

Lina Schiller - Dekadenza

This Munich based company specializes in glamourous and high fashion trachten hats. Adding fresh and luxurious details to a very traditional dirndl accessory makes these hats one of a kind. Designer, Lina Schiller, uses modern feathers, bright colors, and vintage style charms to create the Dekadenza signature looks. My favorite is the "Beauty Queen" and I can't wait for the next event so I can wear mine!

Eveline Stoesser - D'Urban Dirndl

I first met Eveline Stroesser when she so kindly let me borrow her iron and ironing board at the Trachtentage, but I've known about D'Urban Dirndl for years. I love, love, love African prints and her designs incorporate traditional Bavarian dirndl silhouettes with bright, bold and unique African prints. She brings a one-of-a-kind style to the German dirndl market and the craftsmanship is impeccable. I tried on one of her pieces and I wish I could have taken it home with me. Maybe one day I'll get to have my own D'Urban Dirndl.

Nadine Batista Santos - Dirndl Magazine

For everything you would want to know about dirndls, grab up your copy of Dirndl Magazine! Editor Nadine Batista Santos and I have only talked via e-mail over the past 2 years, so finally meeting her was very exciting. Also very exciting was discovering that she featured Rare Dirndl in the Exhibitor Catalog! I am so honored to have my work featured in the special edition of Dirndl Magazine and look forward to continue working with her!

Would you rather have this kind of info delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for the Rare Dirndl e-mail on the website. You'll even get to take the Free Quiz "Which Dirndl Style Are You?" www.erikaneumayer.com

Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? 
Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here  

Münchener Trachtentage: The American Invasion!

March 16th & 17th was the first Münchener Trachtentage and I am very proud to say that I was one of the Ausstellers (exhibitors) at the event! Everyone who came to visit the booth was very surprised to see an American there... selling dirndls. "But Erika Neumayer is such a German name!" They were really impressed by the designs and the fact that Americans also embrace the traditional dress of Bavaria.

The Rare Dirndl booth at the Münchener Trachtentage

The venue was really fabulous! The MVG Museum is usually a street car museum, but during those two days it was transformed into a "everything tracht" extravaganza. The ambiance of vintage street cars and the industrial look of the building really added to the atmosphere and created an old meets new feeling, much like many of the dirndl designs. 

The Biergarten within the Trachtentage!

Many of the other exhibitors were also excited to learn that there was a market in the US for dirndls and that I was taking that bull by the horns. I met so many great people and got to meet many of the German designers that I have been looking up to for years! 

Me with Andschana from herzhirsch and her husband 

The fashion show was, hands down, the most exciting part of the weekend for me. In Chicago, there are not many (or any) opportunities for me to participate in professional fashion shows... so seeing my work walk down the runway was exhilarating and (this may sound silly) but I felt like a real designer! The bright colors and fun prints looked great on the runway and the crowd responded well to the pieces.

The Leopard Dirndl making its runway debut

Dark Purple Trachtenshirt and Adventurous Alice Dirndl on the runway

Although our sales consisted mostly of lederhosen bracelets, the experience was worth the trip! The German dirndl market is worlds apart from the American market, but now I can say that I've dabbled in both. I can't wait to see what the next few months bring and I'm most excited to apply what I've learned to my designs, collections and business. 

The Rare Dirndl Team!

Check out some of the sites from some of the other exhibitors that I love! I've starting working together with some of them and can't wait to see what the future will bring. Also check out the full trachtentage photo album on the Rare Dirndl Facebook page.

http://www.alpenherz.de

http://www.alpenkult.com

http://www.durbandirndl.com

http://www.dekadenza.de

http://www.herzhirsch.de

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