Eduard Josef Wimemr-Wisgrill, who was described by a Berlin newspaper in 1913 as ‘the Poiret of Vienna’, studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Vienna (1901-1907). He joined the Wiener Werkstätte in 1907, became artistic director of the fashion department (1910-1922), and assistant professor (1912-1913) then professor at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Vienna (1918-1922 and 1925-1955). After leaving the Wiener Werkstätte in 1922, he became a freelance fashion designer in New York and head of the fashion and arts and crafts course at the Art Institute of Chicago (1923-1925). He created designs in all branches of fashion (textiles, clothes, hats, and fashion accessories), postcards, silver and metalwork, leather goods, bookbinding and jewelry.

Lit: Brandstätter, Christian, Wiener Werkstätte: Design in Vienna 1903-1932. Harry N. Abrams, pub. pp. 53