Journey Through the Lens of Suzanne Koller: From Vienna to Paris and Beyond

What's Contemporary Now?

Suzanne Koller, a Paris-based fashion stylist and art director, is renowned for her impactful contributions to the fashion industry. Cofounding Petronio Associates in 1993 and Self Service Magazine in 1994, she worked with prestigious clients and curated a unique creative vision. Transitioning to become the fashion director of Vogue Paris and later M le Magazine du Monde, Koller continues to shape the industry with her collaborations and editorial work. More interested in holistic artistry than anything else, Koller keeps herself out of her comfort zone to stay curious and true to herself—which is what’s contemporary now.

Episode Highlights:

• Koller, who was born and raised in Vienna, feels “very Austrian.” She moved to Germany, and then to Switzerland, where she studied graphic design. She’s lived in France for over 30 years.
• Knowing from her teen years that she wanted to be an art director, Koller saw the glamour of working for a magazine. She became an intern at Elle magazine in Paris before interning in graphic design at Glamour—where she was first introduced to the idea of working in fashion.
• As a consultant, stylist, and art director, Koller found it exciting to make her own way with Self Service and to change hats, working with smaller magazines to avoid creative constraints.
• Koller focuses less on fashion and more on individual subjects, orienting herself toward documenting women through time in collaborative projects.
• Driven by long-standing obsessions, her current interest is finding emerging talent and working with a new generation of creatives.
• Keeping herself out of her comfort zone helps maintain her energy and curiosity even as she considers herself a workaholic.
• Koller is not driven by nostalgia but more inspired by the now, whether in the supermarket perusing ingredients, going to a museum, people-watching, or taking a flight. She believes in the significance of “emptying [her] brain” periodically.
• In an age of over-engagement with social media, what’s contemporary to her now is staying true to oneself.

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