How do you describe your work? 

I don’t just create clothing, I don’t just design new items. I give people the chance to express themselves through clothing and I desire that people would recognize themselves as unique and confident while wearing my garments. This approach is also supported by the way I conduct my cuts which fall uniquely onto each body depending on the layers, how the clothing is connected, or even the posture of a person. There are no rules on how to wear my designs.

All of my designs have come from a fluid hand meaning I trust my intuition while I design, cut, replace, add, or remove. This creates the overall aesthetic but of course, the technical thinking is always there to put everything together neatly and with quality. I look for emotion in myself when I work, it informs me when a design is getting ready and cohesive.

What drew you into fashion design?

Years ago when I was looking for my occupation I remember that my attention and energy faded and I couldn’t keep my focus for very long when I was doing something besides fashion design or drawing.

With fashion design, I drowned in the process and I forgot all the other needs and desires. I remember it fulfilled me so much. It felt at times that the excitement I experienced from the designing process was even stronger than the basic needs like breathing, eating, etc.

How did your passion develop?

Ever since I was little I drew all the time. From a young age, I saw my mother sewing and I guess that’s when I got hooked. When I went to EKA to study fashion design a lot of time was spent trying to understand what do I want to do and who are my role models. I was looking to find other designers whose work and concepts inspired me on many levels. I discovered Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo, Rick Owens, and Issey Miyake to name the main ones. 

After finding the direction in a way I had a period when I tried to create things based on a certain standard. I started to think more about what people would like to wear based on what was currently relevant or asked about. After this phase which lasted for a few years, I returned to what I wanted to do and what I like which led me to the place I am now operating in. I feel like if I am sincere and honest about what I create other people will resonate with the result. I like to create a design in which a person gives the final touch through his or her way of being while showcasing sexuality through self confidence rather than revealing the skin.

How do you overcome hardships?

I have realized that when I am in the process of making new designs and run into a situation where I don’t know how to continue there lies a great possibility for growth. I embrace the difficult moments because I know they are necessary for new perspectives. In a moment of crisis, I practice complete trust and I allow myself to feel all of the emotions. Deep sadness and ultimate joy go hand in hand in the search for something great. This is an internal process that is hard to put into words. 

The brand has been very helpful to understand my shadow aspects which influence the design process and sometimes reveal in the work. The brand is almost a third entity through which it is easier to face a certain problem.

What motivates you to grow?

Curiosity and self-development have always been the main aspiring factors. I try to keep the brand separate from myself but all I do is so intertwined with my own emotions, so inevitably my perspective shines through all of the work. Of course, I have goals and visions in marketing or sales but most of the discoveries come from my journey and my current headspace. Working on a brand has been my way of growing and I think it is a perfect platform for that. All of my experiments have led me into having a brand through which I express my perspective.

CURIOSITY TOWARDS LIFE

Once I had the desire to become finalized, ready, perfect and finished. I realized that we can never be complete, that it is all about the journey which is forever ongoing, and that it is the most interesting part of the story. I hope that the curiosity and enjoyment don’t fade with age as I create my life more consciously. I have curiosity about the path and my potential what I can create and what I can improve upon.

I like the idea that we can never miss something that is meant for us. Things happen when we are ready to receive them. I trust the colors of life. Always moving and thinking while knowing that there are no mistakes. Acting in the moment as best as I can.

How would you define mastery?

Mastery for me is when you have found the medium to which you dedicate yourself 100% to. Mastery is when you don’t do things for other people, you do them for yourself for your needs and you make no compromises on the quality. A big part of mastery for me is about the process not the result. The best designs for me have come when I am open and free in terms of direction. Time has shown that when I enjoy the process I also enjoy the result. My goal is not just to create more garments or designs. All that is created is a further development from what already is. The garments of the stand are like hanging emotions that present a new understanding or perspective from what was before. 

I cannot create based on strong emotions. I need to feel empty in a way to create something new. When I am full of emotions I will dictate based on the feeling of what I want to do or create. I prefer to receive ideas from my unconscious or someplace higher and to be more like a presenter of ideas through my chosen medium.

How to follow our inner voice?

When I was searching for what I wanted to do and become I had a wonderful experience for about five months where I could just be and intentionally create boredom to see what would happen. I started to draw clothes and make designs and during these moments I felt that this is my vocation and inner calling. Now when I have a day off I often take a piece of fabric and just start to mess with it, I enjoy spending my time like this.

There are many reasons why not to do something, but at the same time, we must find meaning for our time and energy. Following a path that is true to me provides the strongest emotions that rise above anything else I have felt in my life. It creates a purpose-driven life.

Everything I create is a reflection of my inner world.