Re-telling the past : Re-imagining the future
The Wallach story is a story of creativity, of belonging, and of loss.
It is a story of Jewish brothers, who ‘invented’ the dirndl dress, whose costumes were worn by performers and princesses; and whose textiles and homewares adorned the most upscale salons.
It is a story of the holocaust. Those same Jewish brothers, purveyors to the royal court, celebrated for their contribution to culture, forced to hand over their business to the Nazis; two of the brothers escaping Germany for America; the other murdered at Auschwitz.
And it is a story of renewal. The business returned and revitalized after the end of the war until its doors closed in 2004. Now, through descendants of those same brothers, a new chapter in the Wallach story – of remembering the past, of exploring the past’s impact on the present, and of re-imagining that past in today’s world.
What does it mean to belong?
Our Aims
Through exhibitions, educational programs, and creative collaborations, we aim to preserve and renew the Wallach company’s unique artistic heritage, foster intercultural dialogue, and nurture a sense of shared belonging.
We preserve the Wallach company’s heritage for the general public by maintaining and updating a digital catalogue of its history and artistic practice, as well as its artefacts, collections, designs, motifs and exhibition materials.
We re-tell the story of the Wallach brothers to explore what it means to belong – what can we learn from the legacy of the Wallach’s now? How can their story help open up space for conversation; about identity, about memory, about the past’s impact on our present.
We re-imagine Wallach designs for the present day. The Wallach brothers constantly evolved and adapted their designs to the changing tastes of urban audiences, collaborating with diverse artists and makers. In the same spirit, we invite collaboration with those who wish to re-imagine signature Wallach designs today.
