Interview with : Vladimir Karaleev

I know i haven't been updating during Paris fashion week...the fact is i didn't fall in love with any collection apart from Balenciaga, Carven and some of Miu miu looks. I preferred instead looking quietly at the show and spending time interviewing super cool creative people like Vladimir Karaleev. He's an amazing Bulgarian designer who's been able to let his dreams become a career and turn into a beautiful label which is based in Berlin and is now one of my favorite ones. His designs are super inspired by geometrics and contemporary art and i love the fact that he understands the texture of every single fabric he uses and turns this beauty into a beautiful garment everyone would want to wear. I'm simply in love...and you have to become a lover too!

1-Where are you from and how did you decide to pursue a career in fashion design?
Originally i am from Sofia, Bulgaria, where i grew up. I moved to Berlin 11 years ago, when i was 19. It's hard to say how you decide to make a career in a creative field. I guess if you have some creative talent you have to choose using it and make something out of it. When you reach certain point its irriversible, you just cant imagine doing something else...

2-When you decided to start your own brand, did you have some other brand in mind you wanted to emulate?
i started my brand in the time i was still studying, i just couldn't wait and wanted to do things, but to see them as a ready product in the shops and on the streets, in other words to be recognized in a away. I wanted to work with so many people, but was too impatient and also didnt know how to get in touch, so i guess i started my own label.

3-Where do you look for inspiration and details right before starting to work on a collection?
i believe inspiration is not meant to be searching for. Inspiration has to find you. I have some ideas in mind, but is so unclear, the real creative thinking begins with the working process, all the decisions are made based on some coincidences in this process, experiments. so inspiration is a working process itself.

4-Is there anything you're really good at apart from creating beautiful garments?
it's hard to judge! i guess i might be good at graphic design, this is a thing that interests me a lot, magazine design, advertising also. But if we forget about design i guess i would have become a dancer, i guess i would be a really good classical dancer!

5-Which labels would you love to be compared to and why?
Very tricky question! On one hand is nice to be compared to somebody which you admire, on the other hand it could be the wrong message. i can't say exactly!

6-What is it that you love the most about your studio? Could you describe it?
My studio has huge windows, almost like shopping windows, but it's not on street level. That's a lot of light, i love it. It's very cosy, but too messy sometimes, i am very unorganized.

7-How would you describe your personal style?Any favorite piece you'd love to mention?
I used to go out a lot, and then i was very confident with the way i looked, what i wore, I was a typical Berlin club kid. Now i dress very confortably, because i'm working almost all the time. Right now i have found the perfect trainers, just can't stop wearing them all the time. It's difficult, when i have to dress up for an event, then i have an emergency case black suit: Yamamoto jacket and Comme des Garcons pants i bought on ebay once, they fit perfectly and look good!

8-What's the thing you like the most about being a creative person (rather than a post office employee or a driver or other more repetitive jobs)?
Doing stuff using your hands is very satisfying. I guess creating itself is a gift which gives you greatful satisfaction.

9-What's the best and the worst part about running your own brand?
Being the boss is the best and the worst: Making desisions and having to make decisions. Sometimes you are happy to be indipendent, on the other hand the financial part is pretty hard sometimes, it's not that you are getting cheques at the end of the month... Everything has to be wellcalculated, and at the beginning is very annoying.

10-What do you usually have for lunch?
Breakfast. I do my so called brunch. I get up kind of a late, so i have breakfast when normal people have their lunch.

11-What do you love the most about Berlin?
The big cheap flats!

12-How do you start your day? Do you have a precise routine/rhythm you like to follow or is it all random?
i am always late, no time for breakfast, or too late for it. I need radio, tee. Bus, supermarket, checking emails. It's all pretty random. I love it when it's getting warmer outside, then i can ride my bike, its nicer!

13-Do you have any fanzine, blog or fellow designer to recommend ?
i cant really say, i have a lot of fellow designers i like, but i can't name one, they are all good! i follow a lot of blogs but not regularly.

14-What's the movie and the record you couldn't give away at any price?
"All that jazz", for movies. For music is veeery hard to pick one record! do you know yours? first i thought something like Massive Attack (which i grew up with), then i thought Jay Z, then i thought something new which i love, like Karen Elson... i just can't say...

15-What do you love the most about your life and the people you're surrounded by?
My friends, it's them that make me happy, that help me, that support me. It's the most important thing!

For all of you who fell in love with his work i highly recommend to have a look at his website:

http://www.vladimirkaraleev.com

and become a fan too!!

always on my mind

I already told you about Miryaki, a young and amazing brand created by two of my good friends Mia and Riccardo. My love for this brand is growing bigger every day and i'm here today to introduce you to the beautiful FW 12-13 collection. The news are they also created bags and shoes this time and i'm already waiting in line to get a pair. Here are the looks from the lookbook and a few backstage shots.

To know more about Miryaki please visit their website:

MIRYAKI.COM

or send an email to: info@miryaki.com

farewell to Raf

The Jil Sander fall winter 2012 collection by Raf Simons was breathtaking, the emotion was obvious as it's rumored to be his last for the brand. The pale color tones, the purity of the lines, the oversize doubleface coats that were kept close by the model's hand...everything was magical and very romantic.

Now that he's leaving the brand, probably to work for Dior, the founder of the brand Jil Sander herself is rumored to come back and be the designer of the brand again...that's a relief for many people but i cannot dent that the collections designed by Mr Simons were equally beautiful and he always tried to keep close to the brand's identity.

Here are the looks i loved the most from the show...

at the end of the page there's the link to look at the whole collection

watch here the full collection:

the winner takes it all

I'm not going to make many comments about this show, mainly because it's the brand i work for and my point of view wouldn't be so impartial but i really must admit i'm in love with the fall winter 2012/13 Prada collection, partly because the image displayed is very strong and clear, and partly because the prints, shapes, accessories and the whole concept behind it are very interesting and there's a huge attention to even the smallest detail.

The inspiration reference are to research in the 70s suits, the 19th century women dresses, the severe look of masculine coats and details, the north african clothes (short boxy waistcoats, sleeveless oversize overcoats and embroidered pieces).

here's the full show:

the entire Marni for h&m campaigm

here are all the photos from the Marni for HM campaign photos....i am definitely going to be among those waiting for the whole collection coming out on the 8th of march. I love Marni prints and this collection is going to be one of the best seller collections among all the collaborations HM did with a brand, for sure!

here's the video for the collection campaign shot by Sofia Coppola:

Cool stuff from London part 2

I can't help it, i'm a big fan of Jonathan Saunders' digital prints so this collection was a little bit disappointing than the previous ones in my opinion, maybe mainly because there was a lack of those bright bold unexpected prints on super feminine dresses. This time he choose to use flowers but it's a safe choice and i find it a little boring. I really loved the color palette and the suits. Those geometrical prints and jaquards were very interesting and "the chunky cardigan+printed shirt+60s skirt" look is always a winner in my opinion..Let's hope in the next season to get a sparkle with Saunders.