Kelly Leininger: Fashion’s Next is Now

What makes Kelly Ruth Leininger models outstanding is the unexpected use of the native elements characterizing the Bavarian culture and the tribal identity with modern trends. Her collections range from clothes and jewelry to accessories, all of them containing traditionally meaningful elements such as plants, animals, or architectural designs.

Her two latest collections made the headlines of many outstanding fashion magazines and webpages. The first one was presented during the LA Fashion Week, which draws fashion brands and designers to the commercial-centric event to showcase their work. Called “Back to Roots”, the collection included pieces made of traditional indigenous fabrics merged with contemporary types of cloth; jewelry made of leather, beads of turquoise, coral and shells combined with silver and bronze. The show was introduced with a short documentary about the traditional clothes and ornaments of some of the Native American tribes.

The second collection of clothing was a tribute to her paternal Bavarian roots and included elements of Alpine symbolism, such as edelweiss, a symbol of the wild and rustic beauty of the Alpine mountains, and other symbolic plants and animals beautifully merged in the traditional Bavarian costumes.

In her latest interviews, Kelly spoke about some bold plans but never opened the parenthesis.

She said she is planning to try things she has never done before, but she will remain faithful to her style. An insider says she's working on a collection that will include pieces inspired by the latest archeological findings of well-preserved female apparel and jewelry in a small rural area near Los Angeles.

What Kelly Leininger does is more than fashion - she revives the culture and customs of her ancestors in her works, and every show she organizes is a tribute to the forgotten traditions of her ancestors.