PARIS, Jan 10, 2006/ FW/ --- Two young designers, where western and eastern philosophies literally met, Austrian Simone Springer, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, and Japanese Yui Mizobuchi, who studied Buddhist Philosophy in Kyoto are the design duo behind the accessories label ‘Rosa Mosa.’

A highly conceptual brand, wherein something that already exists is translated and transferred into something new and contemporary, Rosa Mosa blends traditional materials with innovative high tech stuff, where decoration is not just to achieve beauty but also functional.

They met while attending a course in footwear/accessories design at the Cordwainers College in London. They decided to collaborate and pool their talents together. In the beginning, Rosa Mosa consisted of handcrafted one-of-a-kind pieces and sold only in select boutiques.

Their unique approach to design garnered Rosa Mosa fans, so in 2000, Springer and Mizobuchi formally launched the label, finally choosing Vienna as their headquarters in 2004.

Sticking to their design philosophy of converging tradition with innovation, all Rosa Mosa products are made by artisans just outside of Vienna, using time-honored craftsmanship in creating contemporary items.

“We think ourselves as laboratory of playfulness and innovation,” commented Simone Springer and Yui Mizobuchi. “We are not interested in and therefore do not treat materials the way they are normally treated.”

“We discard their function and disclaim their memories. What remains are the materials in its purest state, a sort of archetypal module or ‘ tabula rasa.’ From there we begin. Only this way we are able to apply our often unorthodox treatments. The results are multiple mutations, filtered and gathered. We experiment, innovate; we don’t follow fashion – we push forward," they added.

Take the Spring / Summer 2006 Rosa Mosa Collection for instance. It is refined and precise, original and innovative, something in between comfortable and futuristic.

Traditional batik dying is applied on comfortable lace-up shoes. Leather twisted like a bow becomes the focal point of a Japanese inspired sandal. Penny loafers feature braided embellishments. Strips for fabrics became stylized flowers.

The Spring / Summer 2006 collection is already available in Milan, London and Tokyo while Rosa Mosa continue to gather momentum as more and more men and women with discerning tastes discover them.

So, what can we expect from Springer and Mizobuchi for Fall 2006?

‘The Fall 2006/ Winter 2007 collection is inspired and derived from shapes and structures of shoes and accessories from ancient basket and weaving techniques,” confessed the design duo.

The Japanese TABIS will be very recognizable and the hand-knotted sandals treated with soft luxury skins such as alpine chamois in brown, black, white and aubergine will be the center of the collection.

The women's heel will either wooden and topped by thick natural rubber, sculpted or made from layers to achieve a heavier look for Winter.

To discover these latest looks from Rosa Mosa, visit the Paris MIDEC IMAGINE from February 3 – 5, 2006.

Address: ROSA MOSA Wimmergasse 1/6 1050 Vienna AUSTRIA Tel: +43 650 810 6274 Fax: +43 1 941 0319 Website: www.rosamosa.com Email: info@rosamosa.com

Press Contact: Frédérique Lorca Tel: +33 (1) 53 17 06 37 Fax: +33 (1) 43 47 28 08

Rosa Mosa

Rosa Mosa

Rosa Mosa

Rosa Mosa

Rosa Mosa