JUICEBOX 24
To see your ideas becoming real pieces and see them moving is very satisfying .
Do you consider yourself an artist ?
I consider Fashion a form of art , so yes , I would say fashion designers create pieces of art in their own personal way . I always use my creativity and artictic skills in my design process and try to give birth to something completely new and unexpected every time .
Is fashion how you imagined before you decided to become a designer or how it ’ s portrayed by society or do people sometimes misunderstand ?
Fashion is misunderstood by a lot of people , who consider it just on the surface and try to link it with the concept of glamour and money . Of course these are concepts that are strictly linked with the world of fashion but there is so much more once you look more in depth . There is an entire unknown world of research and experimentations and mistakes that lead to the final pieces . Fashion Design is not what the majority of peple think it is . In order to be a successfuldesigner you have to work hard and constantly try to improve and learn new techniques .
What do you like about designing clothes ? What do you dislike if anything about designing clothes ?
As I said previously I love the idea that something flat as a drawing can be turned into something that you can actually touch and feel on your skin . The research , which is always the starting point of a new project is the part that I enjoy the most . I think the process behind a piece of clothing is the most interesting part of the creative process . I love to research and to mix different ideas in order to create a unique result . And I enjoy to drape on the mannequin , because I see the step of creating shapes on the body as the most challenging part of a collection . Manipulating fabrics , creating textures , choosing the right fabrics , these are all the steps that I enjoy the most , because they allow me to get more intimate with the project and to express exactly what I want . I enjoy every part of the design process , so I couldn ’ t think about a part that I dislike . Everything is proportionally important in order to achieve a great result .
In the time you spent at Lanvin who did you associate with ? What was your daily routine ? How did you start your day , did you have different tasks every day ?
Lanvin ’ s team is not too wide and consists of around 250 people , who share a common enthusiasm and sensitivity , cooperating to create a product of success . Katrin Niedermeier , Alithia , Yeori Bae , Viktor Smedinge , Nicola and Emily Barrell are composing the exceptional team of designers who collaborate in a close cntact with Alber to give birth to the womenswear collection . I was working in close contact with my boss Katrin Niedermeier . She was very strict but at the same time she has been a very relevant model for me . I have been very lucky because Katrin gave me great freedom during the creative process . I was starting with the research and after editing it I was always asked to come up with individual ideas inspired by it .
I was mostly working on the stand , trying to get new , interesting silhouettes , and once I achieved the shape that I wanted , I reproduced it in flat and created a pattern for it . I was allowed to use all the fabrics to drape , from very soft ones to more structured or knitted ones . The fabric room has been incredibly inspiring .
Another thing I was doing a lot was creating samples for finishings . Lanvin is known for its use of zips on the outside of the garments , raw edges , and visible darts , but it was always looking for new interesting ideas for pockets , plackets , cuffs , hems , collars etc ..
I was also asked to create samples of textures by reproducing some chosen from the research . Flowers , petals , pleats , darts , everything could have been used to create a new interesting surface .
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