Florian Müller has been an integral part of the Berlin fashion scene for 20 years. Insiders know him in his role as a PR professional and guest manager at the Fashion Week fashion shows. In addition, he has continued his training in recent years, building on his former psychology studies, in order to be able to work in psychotherapy today. He is now bringing these two worlds, that of fashion and that of psychology, together with his new project ‘Mental Health in Fashion’ – an urgently needed and long overdue idea. Because working realities like those in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ have not been unusual in the fashion industry for a long time. And things are only slowly changing.
Mr. Müller, how did you come to launch your initiative for mental health in the fashion industry?
My initiative, Mental Health in Fashion, was born out of a need to address the often overlooked challenges in the field of mental health. In my twenty years in the fashion industry, I have found that the pressure to meet standards and expectations often leads to emotional stress. The constant search for perfection, the competition and uncertainty in this industry can have a significant impact on well-being.
I have also observed a high prevalence of mental illnesses, which are either brought into the industry by people or arise due to the prevailing way of thinking and work structures. The fashion industry sets unrealistic beauty and performance standards that can negatively impact mental health.
The realization that mental health is often neglected in the fashion industry motivated me to take action and create a platform that raises awareness. My goal is to initiate a dialogue that highlights the importance of mental health in the fashion industry while building a supportive community for those affected. I am also thinking of people who have no knowledge of their own illness, as well as those who cannot or are not allowed to communicate due to shame or repression.
Is the fashion industry a particularly unhealthy one?
The fashion industry is often caught between its external splendor and the internal challenges that can impact the mental health of those in the industry. From the outside, the fashion industry is often associated with glamour, creativity and perfection. The public focus is on the breathtaking fashion shows, the creative designs and the colorful personalities that shape the industry. This image can lead to the real, often stressful aspects of the fashion business being overlooked or underestimated.
Which are they?
Internally, many people in the fashion industry experience significant stress, which can have a negative impact on their mental health. The constant competition, high expectations, job insecurity, and physical aesthetic demands can lead to stress, anxiety, and other psychological challenges. The pressure to always be perfect and conform to often unrealistic standards can lead to an unhealthy work environment. I would even argue that the shine of the beautiful world blinds even those within the industry and prevents them from recognizing problems.
What do you hope to achieve with the campaign?
My Mental Health in the Fashion Industry initiative aims to address this imbalance between public perception and internal realities. It’s important to encourage the industry to talk openly about mental health. I want to create support mechanisms and raise awareness that anyone – regardless of position or level of prominence – can face mental health challenges. By encouraging this openness, we help reduce stigma and create a healthier and more supportive environment in the fashion industry.
My goal is also to convey concrete steps that everyone can integrate into their everyday lives to promote their own well-being, while at the same time sick structures in the fashion industry are broken down. In the long term, I hope that the campaign contributes to a positive change in the culture of the fashion industry to create an environment that places more value on the quality of life of those working in this industry.
What can concrete steps look like? For example, what do you do yourself?
It is important to me to note that mental health is an individual journey and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to it. And it is also essential to distinguish whether we are talking about preventive approaches or pre-existing mental illnesses. Likewise, not every person has the opportunity to devote themselves to his or her well-being.
But if you have the opportunity, even small, regular routines can have a positive influence on your mental health and contribute to sustainable well-being. One of my key practices is therefore regular self-reflection. This enables me to consciously pay attention to my emotions and stressors and develop strategies to deal with them.
The integration of exercise into everyday life plays another central role. Physical activity, such as short walks or regular exercise, has been proven to have positive effects on mental health. These practices not only help reduce stress but also promote clarity of mind.
Another important aspect is maintaining social relationships. Exchanges in private, family and collegial contexts offer a supportive community and enable challenges to be shared. Feelings of belonging and social support can have a significant impact on well-being.
No matter what technology I use, it is important to me personally to stay in the here and now. In the fashion industry it often seems as if people are operating on an open heart. I want to avoid this way of thinking by reflecting on which actions actually have negative consequences or are ultimately blown out of proportion.
That sounds easier than it is in real life. But I try not to claim perfection – sometimes more, sometimes less successfully.
What’s next?
With my ‘Mental Health in Fashion’ campaign I want to help address structural problems. We need a standard in the work context that takes the psychopathological aspect into account. There are regulations about how office chairs must be ergonomically constructed to prevent back problems. Why don’t we have a set of rules about how to deal positively with people’s psyches? That’s exactly what I’m working on right now.
I’m developing a training concept for a fashion brand in which I want to teach managers how to behave appropriately in specific situations. Many people can treat a bleeding finger in the event of an accident at work. But do I also know how I can help people with panic disorder in a work context or how I should behave if someone in my office has an acute psychosis? Many people don’t even know who to call in this case.
In the long term, I hope that the campaign contributes to a positive change in the culture of the fashion industry.