Philipp Bierbaum

Philipp Bierbaum is an Austrian model from Baden bei Wien whose career connects the busy European show circuit with luxury advertising. Known professionally as Pippo, he became a recurring face in Italian menswear, approaching the demands of modeling with a matter-of-fact humor.

Friends encouraged him to try the profession, and he began his international career at Paris Fashion Week in the summer of 2007. In a later profile for Die Presse, Philipp credited his friend Ali Rabbani, then the designer of Ninali, with discovering him. He remembered his first period working in Tokyo and a D&G campaign among his most exciting experiences, while naming New York as his favorite fashion city.

Gianfranco Ferré became an early advertising connection. Philipp fronted the house’s fall 2009 campaign and appeared in its spring 2010 catalogue, extending his work for a label closely associated with Italian tailoring. His career also included D&G advertising and, later, Cartier eyewear, bringing his image into both clothing and accessories campaigns.

The size of a booking was only part of its appeal. In a 2010 interview, Philipp chose a Marina Yachting campaign in Capri as a particular favorite because he spent three days working with two close friends. They had known one another for several years and often shared apartments when their work brought them to the same city. The job stood out for its company as much as its professional importance.

His account of runway work was similarly practical. Speaking to Der Standard in 2011, Philipp described the long stretches of waiting that surrounded castings and fittings, followed by concentrated bursts of shows. Prada had booked him repeatedly, and a Milan season could involve fifteen runways in a few days.

After living in Paris and London, he returned to Austria and began studying business administration while continuing to travel for modeling. The decision gave him another direction to develop alongside a profession whose international opportunities came with an unpredictable timetable.