Lived in, embodied and enjoyed: The fashion sociologist Monika Kritzmöller

Would you recognise a fashion sociologist on the street? Like a policewoman, bicycle courier or bus driver? In the case of Monika Kritzmöller, the answer is definitely. Because she stands out. When meeting for this interview, she wears strappy sandals with heels that fit so perfectly that they not only look elegant, but also comfortable. She bought them many years ago from a Parisian luxury label, she explains. Her nails are painted an inky blue to match her light skin tone. The jumper she knitted herself. The skirt is made from fine St.Gallen embroidery, the hat from straw. Monika Kritzmöller inherited the watch from her grandfather. Her left wrist is adorned with an amber bead bracelet that she designed. She also wears an amber necklace which she knotted herself. The clasp is a scarab made of labradorite. The lucky beetle is an Egyptian symbol for eternal life, she explains. Every detail tells a story. And each of these stories also gives insight into Monika Kritzmöller.

From business studies to fashion design

Monika Kritzmöller was already enthusiastic about knitting dresses at the age of 13. Later, she also became interested in crafting jewellery and making art, especially etchings. Because she did not dare to study fashion design, she decided to study economics – with a strong focus on social sciences. Even back then, Monika Kritzmöller found it interesting that consumer decisions in fashion always touch on questions of identity. They reflect dreams, aspirations and a sense of belonging.

After completing her doctorate, Monika Kritzmöller founded her own research and consultancy institute “Trends & Positionen”, where she analyses phenomena of everyday culture, lifestyle and trends from a social science perspective. She teaches at the University of St.Gallen, specialising in textiles, design and architecture. The mixture of research and teaching fulfils Kritzmöller. She has always enjoyed following her own personal path, she reveals.

The way she approaches things, thinks about them and traces them is fascinating. For Monika Kritzmöller, who grew up in the Allgäu region in Germany, it has been clear from an early age, “Creativity is also devotion.” She owes her love of nature and craftsmanship to her father. She inherited her sense of elegance, femininity and quality awareness from her mother, true to the motto: “Never boring, always high quality.” Like herself, Monika Kritzmöller has also mastered the art of reading other people through fashion without reducing them to it. Her eye is trained in history and sociology.

Fashion as a formal language

In her course “Dress Codes of Success”, Monika Kritzmöller recommends that HSG students understand fashion as a form of language, as a “language of form”: “Who am I, what do I identify with, what kind of body do I have, what do I like to wear, how does it feel?” The dress code of success is not limited to the assertion that “clothes make the man”. Rather, it results from a conscious self-perception. Here, too, there is a focus. Not to the boutique or label, but to yourself. Anything else would be disguise or uniformisation. Kritzmöller is convinced that the dress code of success is closely linked to what we radiate. Both with quality awareness and body awareness. “How you treat yourself and your clothes, including which materials you wear.”

She is convinced that high-quality fabrics are made from natural materials, such as silk, virgin wool or cashmere, linen and cotton. It is worth having a selection of so-called “signature pieces”. They are like the linchpins of a good wardrobe. They don't have to be expensive. You can also find them in warehouse sales, at young labels or in second-hand shops. In contrast, the “fast fashion” industry relies on stretch through elastane, a synthetic fibre, and “one size fits all”. The same for everyone? The fashion sociologist shudders. As if we were all the same.

Although quality is a success factor in all sectors, the “dress code of success” always depends on the environment, says Monika Kritzmöller. She advises students: If you're applying to an advertising agency, you have to be creative. In banking or the investment industry, on the other hand, the dress code is classic, serious and not too daring. So far, so simple. But Kritzmöller is getting at something else. “Many people endeavour to fit into this image. But you can tell when someone is bending,” she says. If you only wear what is expected of you, you remain a stranger in your own wardrobe. When it hasn’t been “lived in or embodied”, it can’t be fully enjoyed, as the fashion specialist puts it in another verbal signature piece. 

Clothes fit when they become a second skin. Even in business wear, it is possible to appear authentic and relaxed if you just stick to yourself. The first important step towards a wardrobe that emphasises your personality is to shop consciously. People who feel comfortable radiate that they have a good approach to themselves, summarises the fashion sociologist. She has already mentally put together her own outfits before she gets up in the morning, she reveals. Because the fashion details are a source of her identity and zest for life. And that is probably also the reason why Monika Kritzmöller is recognisable on the street – as a fashion sociologist and a happy person.

PD Dr Monika Kritzmöller, born in 1968 in Allgäu, studied economics and social sciences at the University of Augsburg and doctorated in 1996 in economic psychology at the university of Eichstätt. In 2004 she habilitated at the University of St.Gallen on consumer behaviour and marketing. In 1996, she founded the research and consultancy institute “Trends & Positions”. Her research specialises in textiles, design and architecture. She also teaches as a private lecturer at various universities.

Images: Urs Bucher / Main image: Anna-Tina Eberhart