Commerce

We caught up with designer Martin Niklas Wieser to discuss his nomadic existence, relaunching his namesake brand, and its latest sustainable, office-inspired collection

Born in Italy’s mountainous South Tyrol, 36-year-old designer Martin Niklas Wieser has led a truly nomadic life. After completing secondary school in Ireland, he moved to Germany to study Fashion Design at Weissensee Art Academy.

Although Wieser called Berlin home for 12 years, he frequently floated between Paris, London, and Mexico City. Eventually uprooting himself again, he enrolled as a PhD student exploring Generative AI at London’s Royal College of Art, seeking to become ‘more academically enriched’.

During his studies, Wieser took a sabbatical from his namesake brand, Martin Niklas Wieser (MNW). The brand’s motto — ‘Always in flux. Never still. Always questioning’ — aligns seamlessly with his roaming ways. Since relaunching the label last year, he has worked tirelessly to produce new garments, including the Commerce collection featured in this article and showcased at London Fashion Week earlier this year.

Now based in Vienna, Wieser still regards Berlin as the city that shaped his identity the most, and he is set to return this month for an exclusive pop-up store appearance on 23 April. In honour of Earth Day, MNW’s latest biodegradable, zero-waste knitwear pieces will be available at Soho House on the same date.

Firstly, congratulations on relaunching your brand! It was great seeing MNW return to the fashion sphere last year. Has your ethos changed since your sabbatical?

Growing up in the Italian countryside, looking for escapism and self-expression, I saw fashion as a gateway – it seemed like a good tool to challenge social norms. I have a working-class background, which continues to form my design identity today. The long-term goal for me as a designer and for the brand is to build a powerful platform to challenge class notions, gender norms and expression of sexuality.

My brand, Martin Niklas Wieser (MNW), was relaunched in 2022 following an academic and artistic development break. The team now consists of me, my partner, four freelance creatives and production sites. All MNW garments are designed in-house and produced in Italy. But the beginnings of the brand date back to my university years in Berlin, where the initial idea was born.



You’ve prescribed MNW with the new motto, ‘Always in flux. Never still. Always questioning.’ What other philosophies do you live by?

The times we live in are constantly changing, which provides us with daily challenges. It seems like we have to rise to those challenges, which means becoming comfortable with constant change. This greatly impacts the artistic output of the brand.

Who or what inspires you the most?

I draw inspiration from fashion history and theory, my working-class roots and everyday life. The vulnerability of the human body and mind is also a big influence.



This article features your latest collection, Commerce, which you presented at London Fashion Week in February. What’s with the office theme?

I wanted to explore the normality and mundane reality of the working class and the corporate landscape with this collection. The collection consists of ready-to-wear luxury garments combining crisp tailoring, power suits with deconstructed and draped details, twisted shoulders, soft shirting and undergarments.

You’ve been churning out collections since the relaunch. What’s your current design formula?

I design roughly two menswear collections per year, which are presented during Paris Fashion Week. The brand strategy is also to create a collection that builds on archival pieces over time.



Where would you like to see MNW in the next few years?

We are currently working on building a transparent supply chain. We plan to expand our distribution and continue our work of perfecting the product.