Spontaneous creator

Let's start at the end. Awards from the professional public mean the most and are motivation for further work. What are your plans for the future?

Prizes are always great. They mean confirmation that you are on the right track and that others have noticed your work. it is even better if they are tied to assets that make it easier for you to work in the future. Right now, this is where I have the biggest problems. When organizing a production, you need funds, and you usually finance everything a year in advance, before things start coming back. In the future, I want to design knitwear for some Slovenian designer and, of course, complete the collection as soon as possible. However, circumstances change rapidly, and so do plans.

You studied in Vienna at the Academy of Applied Arts. Why Vienna?

I wanted to go to Vienna since I was little. My father was of the opinion that I should at least choose a course of study, which is not available here. So, quite by accident, I decided on fashion design. The entrance exams lasted the whole week and out of 120 applicants, I was among the four accepted students. Otherwise, my first wish was to study art history and I was looking for a faculty in Vienna that would offer excellent lectures in this field.

You returned to Slovenia, where fashion design is not as developed as in our neighbors. Why?

I returned mainly because of the belief that Slovenia can offer me better basic conditions for creation. Almost nowhere in the world is there a textile industry within a radius of 50 km, just like here. Wool, leather, textiles - everything is within reach. The smaller problem is that the big companies only let you in with a heavy heart. A clear exception is Pentlja P, which has helped me from the very beginning. At first as my sponsor, but now the cooperation is mutual. This kind of cooperation between companies and young designers seems to me to be a real solution that could bring the textile industry to a green start. I think the biggest capital is design and not designers who have been run over by time, financial aid from the state or changing management. There is a lot of talk about linking universities and companies. I don't think anything has been done in this area.

Do you think it is possible to make a good living from fashion design in Slovenia?

I think so. When we were preparing the Fresh exhibition, which wanted to show modern Slovenian fashion design, the biggest problem was who to invite and who not. For a country with such a small market as Slovenia, I think 18 professional fashion designers is extremely high. But it is interesting that there are only a few who do not make unique clothes. The field of "pret-a-porter" clothing would need to be allocated a lot of capital so that Slovenian designers could develop production under their own brand.

Two things you love about fashion design?

Speed and peace. You design it yourself, and then everything happens extremely quickly. A large number of people are in the game, which ultimately leads you to a quality product.

What inspires you?

Everything that happens around me: a financial crisis or the pleasant smell of someone riding past me on a bicycle. Currently, these are things that move quickly: the speed of a car, the path of an airplane, the descent of a bicycle. Whenever I find something interesting, I create a kind of emotional field around it, and if this emotional relationship to things persists, it's a great sign that I have a subject in front of me that I can create from. Right now I'm inspired by speed.

Who are your clothes for?

Before starting a new collection, I always visualize in my head the woman I am working for: big, small, dark or light. Does it have any special features? Hair plays a very important role. I think it's great when I see later that the client actually fits this idea of mine and usually it does. I think that the customer always finds himself in the clothes.

What are the characteristics of your design?

I am always most interested in proportions when designing clothes. Tailoring is the part of the process that I put the most emphasis on. How, where will the hands come? I always like to change the outer appearance of my body shape. Otherwise, sometimes this is not immediately visible at the first ball, but when the girl wears the piece, it is quickly seen that the shoulders are elsewhere or that the neck is longer. Colors and materials are never crucial in building a shape. When choosing a material, it is more important to me that it is of high quality and manufactured as much as possible in accordance with the social and natural environment.

Has fashion design already established the era of a truly serious profession?

I take my work, my profession, completely seriously. I think the designer's attitude towards the profession is the most important. It really doesn't matter what others think. Some see us as artists, others as craftsmen. In fact, the matter is quite simple. It's not some creative flash in the middle of the night that inspires you to make a collection. You get up in the morning, you are already at the factory at 7 o'clock, where you work until 3 o'clock. You bring home a small batch of samples and continue drawing,…

What are you currently preparing and where in town can we get your products?

My products are available in Squat near Križanke in Ljubljana, as well as in Maribor in Kobb. I am currently preparing a collection for winter 2009/10. The main themes will be dinosaurs, travel and love. I am also preparing a month of Austrian fashion design in Ljubljana.

Who would you like to work with and who would you like to dress?

If you mean Slovenian variety show, I have a slightly reserved attitude towards it. I would never dress a celebrity who doesn't trust me. Of course, the same applies if I didn't like her. Svetlana Makarovic would probably be an excellent challenge.