Designer quickie: Dominika Mandić

Through some of my work projects I had an opportunity to meet Dominika. What I particularly like about this young lady is that she is extremely hardworking no matter what job it is, she is aware and realistic about situation she is in, she plans ahead and has clear goals of where she would like to be. Although still a bit inexperienced she has a natural drive, talent, look and fighter mentality, she has proven to swim well in local media and fashion environment which will enable her to reach across Croatian boarders as well. 

Dominika has applied for local upcoming fashion student competition called Modni Ormar and has participated in recently held Dreft Next Generation young fashion designer contest where she made gorgeous illustrations for her ocean inspired collection however the contest called for Fall-Winter one which prevented her for progressing further in the competition. I hope she will still manage to produce this collection as I would love to see it come to life!

Here is what Dominika had to say...

1.   When did you realize that you want to become fashion designer and why?

Since I was 9 I wanted to be a fashion designer. It might see as cliché but once, my mum's friend was babysitting me and we were watching Fashion TV, I was hypnotized with what I saw and I loved it all instantly, 2 days later, I was still fascinated, I simply asked for a pen and a paper and I started to draw, as the years passed, my fascination with fashion only grew bigger and bigger.

2. On which fashion design contest did you participate so far?  

Recently I participated in Dreft Next generation contest with collection inspired with sea creatures shapes and forms, next I will participate in 7th edition of fashion student contest  Modni ormar, finals are scheduled to be held in November 2012.

3.   Who are your role models when it comes to fashion design?

I have a number of designer figures I see as role models, I differentiate them according to generations. First, there is naturally Coco Chanel and Christian Dior, then their successors Karl Lagerfeld and John Galliano, then Eli Saab and finally never forgotten McQueen.

When it comes to Croatian designers I love the work of Adela Kliškić and Nikola Barbir because I find their talent unreachable!

4.   What were your inspirations for the collection you applied with on Dreft Next Generation contest? How would you describe this collection and are you planning to produce it?

I got inspired for this collection while listening to Gorillaz album Plastic Beach and thinking about set contest topic which was – Dreft Black. Simple blackness is too simple for me. I am always searching for the background story; this is how I created collection inspired by sea shapes damaged by oil spill. I am planning to produce it as soon as I will be able to fund the production.

5. You are currently attending TTF (Croatian fashion design college), do you feel that this school is preparing you well enough to become independent profitable fashion designer and why?

TTF definitely has amazing professors who are experts in their fields and know how to transfer that knowledge on us – students. Also, I think that our school is amazing inspiration source and provides additional knowledge for those who are proactive enough to seek for it. I don't think that anyone in school can prepare you for the real life and showbiz environment.

6.   What is your opinion of Croatian fashion industry today?

The way I see it, in comparison to the rest of the world, I see it as a big joke. We are very small and irrelevant in global context, but everybody seems to consider themselves a big celebrities. It seems like famous designers, models, stylists and starlets are made over night. I feel like most of the people in the spotlight in fashion industry in Croatia have no background to support their status, this is why I would love to move abroad as soon as possible.

7.   Other then attending fashion school what other jobs do you do?

I used to work in Stilist magazine as a stylist, now I am writing Fashion ID column on fashion portal – La Couture. I look for people who dress differently and I interview them about their personal style. Soon I am planning to start working on cooking & styling project with Mr. Rene Bakalović but this project is still in development stages. Naturally, I am working on my upcoming collection for Modni Ormar in November.

8.   Do you think that fashion designer can make a decent living in Croatia?

I would say no, but since currently we have so many fashion designers, I seem to be wrong.

9.   What are your plans after graduation?

After finishing my undergraduate degree here at TTF in Zagreb, I would like to enroll in graduate school in Amsterdam, then, if I will be lucky – masters in London. I am planning to network and build connections in Western Europe and then decide where to settle. For now, the one thing I know for sure – I don't want to stay in Croatia.

10. What kind of women do you see as the buyer of your clothes?

I would like to enchant women of all ages, those who like to dress feminine, but feminine with the twist to it, women who are not scared to be different, to walk in high heels all day and are not intimidated of the admiration looks they will get walking down the street when wearing my pieces.

I want to design for women who will not settle for classic skirt and dress shirt, those who dress for themselves exclusively, not for those who use clothes to attract men.

11. How do you see the influence of the social networks and bloggers on fashion industry today?

I am terrified more than anything to talk about this topic, hehe. I do respect foreign bloggers who are professionals and make money from their blog, those who really help young designers with promoting their work. In Croatia, I respect street style blogs and blogs constructed as fashion news.

     I ignore and dislike bloggers who dress something new every day and publish dozens of photos of having coffee with their friend, I consider those to be a self promotion sites. In Croatia, most of the blogs are like that.

12. What are your immediate plans for the future?

Next in order is upcoming fashion student contest Modni ormar which will take place on November the 15th, where I was selected as one of the 16 finalists to show their collections. This is the first opportunity for me to show what I can do; I am doing my best to create the collection as perfect as possible to most tiny detail.  I hope this collection will be a success and create more opportunities for me.

Designer quickie: Teo Perić

For a while now I am following your work and the way you showcase it. You are not keen to show at media events and to speak publically, what is the reason behind it?

One of my friends interprets my avoidance of media as a paranormal behavior (even when I do attend a media event) and he saids that paranormal is always IN. I don't have a special reason for not showing up at media events, I do come if I am interested and invited but I am aware that I am perceived as a private and shy person.

Your pieces seem to be made with „real“ everyday women in mind, they are wearable, romantic, seductive, how would you describe your average client? Who is she?

For me, all women are divas! They walk every day over invisible red carpet to work, to pick up their kids at the kindergarten, to meet a friend for a coffee or to go out clubbing at night. My clients are working, urban women who wants to be elegant all day long, but still quite chic when it is appropriate. I nurture retro chic style of designing clothes, I want and try to create timeless pieces or to redesign historically timeless pieces.

Photos: www.moda.hr editorial

In one of your interview I have read that you would like to design shoes. Do you have any concrete plans in that department currently? Which Croatian producer did you have in mind? Would you have your own brand of shoes?

All that I wanted to do so far in life I managed to do, but on a bit different way. However designing shoes has remained my unfulfilled wish unfortunately so far.  I would definitely design my own collection, the only company technically capable to produce a proper shoe in Croatia is Borovo factory in Vukovar.

Footwear is different then clothing, in shoe making millimeters matter, if you make a minor mistake that shoe is no good anymore, it is very hard to make a good quality shoe!

Past March you have presented your 10^thcollection for local clothing brand Mak. How satisfied are you with this cooperation? Is it more profitable and safer for Croatian designer to build his own brand or to work for an established clothing brand? What are advantages and disadvantages based on your experience?

Based on positive media and client feedback on my last show, which I had on last Cro-a-porter, I am very happy with my long term cooperation with Mak clothing brand. I am very proud that I managed to build up Mak brand with my collections in Croatian market.

To have own clothing brand is an ultimate goal of every fashion designer. I design my own line under the name Teo.P, this brand is idle at the moment. Mak clothing brand collections I sign as Teo Perić.  For a number of seasons now I have in parallel design as a contributor for numerous fashion houses and my own brands (which is 4 collections a year).

To have own line means having your own design style and creative freedom and to take upon all of the responsibility for the results. Designing for other clothing brands means designing within a predetermined frame for already existing customer pool. Creating two totally different collections in style is quite exhausting and demanding, but every real love story hurts a bit, so does this mine fashion love story.

Why do you show your collections at Cro-a-porter? Do you think there are to many fashion events in Croatia?

I have tremendous respect towards the organizer Viktor Drago who started this event 10 years ago and challenged all other local events.  I think Cro-a-porter is very influential in branding of Croatian fashion designers and creating a local fashion market. Thank you Viktor!

You were offered to move and work abroad but you decided to stay in Croatia, why?

I see life as a puzzle which always misses one piece. During 90's I was interested into working abroad, and in 1996. In Seoul I got the offer from Ebenezer Company to stay and work in Korea. However, as I returned back home I got offered a job as a main designer for the local fashion brand  Nebo.

After 6 years working for Nebo I have continued my fashion journey with my own brand, store and a studio in the city center in Zagreb.

Do you think that in today’s economy it is important for a designer to be equally good business man as a talented designer?

It is quite rare that a talented designer is also a capable business man. Designers are usually artists, artists are cheap. In today’s economy, market and in fashion system, a talented fashion team without a good businessman can hardly succeed. A successful international designer brands lie on such designer- businessman collaborations.

Every season you show quite mature, complete, good quality and wearable collections, you don’t follow trends much and many of your pieces could be cold classics which can be worn season in and season out. Do you think that women in Croatia recognize and appreciate well made clothes or are we to focus on trends and name on the label?

Trend factor is a measure of quality for most, producer and a shopper but also for some designer. I don't follow trends, I don't think I make them; I focus on making timeless pieces.

Croatians are very fashion nation, especially women, who very much appreciate and buy good quality fabrics and making. I come from a family of tailors and clothes makers – my biggest role model is my late father who was a tailor. My mother is a true fashionista with an amazing style and my sisters have tought me all about trends, anti-trends, branded and unbranded clothes.

Do you think that Croatian designer made clothes can compete with price and quality with mass produced low end brands like H&M and Zara?

No, but with Croatia entering EU I see more potential of Croatian designers working with local clothing factories on mass factory producing their collections and selling them globally. Current situation in Croatian textile industry is not allowing this to happen.

How do you see the fashion bloggers, social media and street style influencing fashion industry globally? Is this influence positive or negative?

Fashion defines who we are; this is where I think fashion bloggers came from a need to express ourselves, our personality, through clothes we wear. I see this as a positive trend and influence on global fashion industry as they inspire and leave no one ambiguous, which is good for design and industry overall. 

Envy Room SS 2012. collection

Today I received lovely photos of Envy Room’s collection SS 2012. One of the dresses - form fitting beige color maxi open back dress, particularly impressed me; I will go to try it on as soon as I am back in Croatia and possibly get it for one of the weddings I am attending in next two months.

You can see the remaining of Envy Room SS 2012. collection here & interview with the designer duo here.

Which of these dresses would you wear?

Photos: Filip Tot / Model: Vanja Halilović

Envy Room FW 2012. collection

Photo by Matija Habljak

Last night I saw the FW 2012. of one of my two favorite Croatian brands – Envy Room. Designer duo Vjeko and Nikica have yet again proved how well they know exactly what Envy Room women wants to wear. Not only they are quite in touch with their clientele, but I like them for knowing where to talk to their customer.

Copyright: STEFANO FIORENTIN

They are far the best designers in Croatia when it comes to using social media and digital media overall to scan the market and lead daily conversation with their customers. They are personally engaged and replaying to their customer questions on their website, Twitter profile, Facebook page, blog, guest column on one portal and they recently opened account on Pintrestas well.

Hereyou can see the interview I did with the boys couple of months back.

Envy Room designer team followed their SS 2012. collection theme which was inspired by glamorous retro 40's transitioning into 50's with darker and bolder color pallet, where they played with color blocking, floral prints and fabrications ranging from playful and romantic floaty sheer maxi dresses to naughty pin-up inspired, tailored strict lines Dominant colors were red wine, petroleum, cream and deep purple accessorized with gold and silver details.

Photo by Matija Habljak 

I really love the contrast they did with mixing day wear pieces with glam maxi skirts. My very favorite was a tight floral piece which I find day wear office appropriate and of course gorgeously romantic floral dresses perfect for spring and summer nights for tall girls like me J

What is your favorite Envy Room piece for FW 2012? 

Designer quickie: eNVy room

For a while now I am following the work of this two young designers: Vjeko Franetović and Nikica Ivančević and their, now well established brand eNVy room. However first time I wrote about them was fairly recently when I introduced photos from one of their campaign shoots. 

What I like the most about this brand is their business sense, strong focus on their core product and the fact that they are personally so in-touch with their customer via all of their communication channels from column, website to live communication on Facebookand Twitter.

 I definitely agree with the well known fact that dress is the best one piece outfit which almost always makes us look elegant and well put together. So eNVy room's focus product is very well on point ;) Here comes the interview...

Is there a fashion brand or an individual designer who you admire in creative or in a business sense?

We cannot differentiate one specific person, but we definitely follow and observe what is going on in the industry overall locally and internationally.

 Who is an average eNVy Room customer? What is the price range of your pieces and what are the best selling ones?

 Our basic product is the dress. Primarily evening dress and wedding dress, so our average customer is the women seeking  such dress for a special occasion, mostly weddings and prom dresses, while for example in Wien the demand for such dress is much higher.

There are three main price ranges: short dresses ( 2,000 to 4,000 HRK), long dresses (4500 – 6500 HRK) and wedding dresses for which price ranges corespond to long and short dresses accordingly with most expensive pieces ranging up to 1,000 Euros.

   Which other companies outside of the fashion industry did you cooperate with?

Last year, we have colaborated with the biggest Croatian consumer goods store Konzum and the Libresse. Product design has always been our area of interest, we really enjoy doing it.

Do you think that designer needs to have formal education in order to be successful in his work? Does fashion designer need  to be talented or rather a good business person to succeed?

Formal education cannot harm, it is desirable actually, but it's definitely not a guarantee for success. In order to be successful in todays economy it isn't enough just to be creative and talented, one must also have a good business knowledge.

You two are one of the rare Croatian designers who seem to have well developed PR strategy: blog, Facebook, Twitter, column, website etc. Are you administering these pages on your own or do you use an agency? How important is such close communication with consumer for development of your brand?

We don’t have an official administrator person, it is mostly us personally who communicate via these channels. We definitely follow and believe in current and future role of the internet as our brands communication channel.  It has definitely positively impacted our brand.

As many other Croatian designers you have started to collaborate with Croatian fashion bloggers. What is your opinion on Croatian fashion blogger scene? Do you find Croatian fashion bloggers media wise to much publicized based on their fashion knowledge and blog readership?

We have to admit that we are not that familiar with the readership of Croatian fashion blogs, so we cannot comment this part and compare it with media coverage they are getting.  For us fashion bloggers are still interesting subject, as we wrote about it in our last column.

Naturally, from marketing and advertising side, they should be treated as any other media, for us they are just another channel of communication toward a potential customer.

What is your overal opinion on the Croatian women styling and on the current situation in the Croatian fashion scene and existing polarization among local fashion events? Do we really need that many fashion weeks?

This is one of the topics we wrote about in our column. We don’t see it as being black or white. While there are designers willing to show their collections, interested guests and media who eager to watch these shows, while we all successfully do our jobs, why not? Competition is a good thing. Production wise, we believe that Fashion.hr event can be compared with some of the international fashion events.

Do you find Croatian designer prices in general to be a bit to high? Why is that so?

It depends, in comparison to an average salary in Croatia, yes, they are definitely to high. However, the costs of the local production are rather high (machies, fabrics,rent, utilities and staff), so with that taken into account, the final price is not that high anymore. However, both of these sides need to be observed from local market point of view and its reality.

Where do you produce your garments, what are the avrage quantities and do you insist on local production?

All of our production is mostly independant, local in limited, smaller series.

Did you ever noticed someone copying your designs? If so, what did you do about it? Do you believe that current local legislation protects your design as your intelectual property?

We are not one of the paranoid ones who would create a noise about every similarity we notice, and we don’t think we have patented things like draping or bondage dress. However, there were the cases, absolutely, some that flatter, while other which clearly went too far with copying.

There was only once that we have proactively reacted, when one young designer from Rijeka has in detailed copied one of our dresses and presented it in media as her own collection design.

Local legislation doesn't provide sufficient protection so the public humiliation is the highest penalty one can get in Croatia in such case.

What is your stand on collaborations of high-end fashion designers with mass market retail clothing chains like Versace & H&M, Alduk & Amadeus. Do you think this cheapens designers main line? Why would someone buy more expensive piece from Versace's runway collection when one can get the similar piece 4x cheaper in H&M?

Such collaboration certainly makes fashion more available to general public. We fully support it.

Your collections can be purchased on 4 locations in Croatia and one internationally in Wiena. How hard it is for Croatian designer to expend to international market?

The main goal of each Croatian fashion brand should be the placement of their product to the local market first. If local market in Croatia could ensure well functioning business environment and placement to international markets, it would be much easier for us. This way it is rather hard. With Croatia entering the EU next year, there will be no import fees which will help us to be cheaper and thus more competitive on EU markets.

What are your future brand development plans?

We are working on showing new collection on the next Fashion.hr event as well as on launching T-shirts with fashion illustrations.

Given the current negative local and global economic trends, our plan is to maintain current business activity. While as a response to the economic crises, in the near future we plan to respond with launching the lower price tier collection.

Designer quickie: MOODYTWIN by Miranda Vidak

When is your brand founded? How did you decide to have your own label and what did you do before?

I founded MOODYTWIN at the end of 2008, and started to design pieces for the brand in 2009. Before that, I did two lines; MIRANDA RIGHTS in 2003 while I was still studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and a collection of corsets called MISSpLACED, the following year. But I first started to design my own pieces was when I was 18, during my first year of studies at TTF, Zagreb. I did a line of leather jackets and made couple for Minea, then very popular Croatian singer. 

       The following year I moved to USA. After enrolling at FIT in NYC and doing two lines I mentioned above, it all jut became too much for me. Fast life in New York, constant financial struggle to pay my college, working at clubs until 5 am to earn money for my tuition, and then going to sleep just for few hours, only to wake up and spend half of day at school drawing until my eyes dropped out.....just wore me out at one point. 

        My creativity got burned under the pressures of challenges city like New York can put on you. I knew myself very well and I understood I have to take a step back, inhale, take a break from constant running, recharge mentally, and proceed when I’m ready again.

So far your collections have been provocative featuring T-shirts with funny, simple, punkish & rebellious messages, which fashion brand or designer do you most admire?

Yeah, it was very long thinking process, to comprehend what kind of brand I want to launch. What I knew very clearly is that I didn’t want to do different lines like I did before that only satisfied my current inspiration, a vision. I wanted to commit, I wanted to launch a brand, not a line, but a brand that would be long term, something that will exist until I exist, and something that would have to have my fashion signature all over it. And since everything that is final, therefore not possible to alter makes me very nervous, this had to be something that I can stand behind 100 percent, so it took me a while. First I had to understand what I am, to create a brand that would represent me.

I don’t really get inspired by different times in history; I just always get inspired by dark, apocalyptic, deconstructed couture whose feel and emotion I want to translate on to street. I like to play around also, fashion is a playground, I like to put serious things, a serious and dark emotion on something so casual that is a T-shirt.

If I would have to officially define MOODYTWIN, it would be like this - it’s a brand that aspires to take an inspiration in dark, deconstructed fashion and give it a Hollywood broken-down street ease. MOODYTWIN brand is contrasting its moody-toned (hence the brand name), goth vibe with slouchy, monochromatic simplicity and minimal detailing. Weather it’s creating T-shirts, jackets, jewelry, shoes or even home accessories; MOODYTWIN strives to be a brand with a strong, sometimes even provocative messages; highlighting the personality of people wearing it. 

I like couple of designers, but my full on obsessions are Rick Owens and Olivier Theyskens. I would practically slit my wrist for their stuff! See, I find fashion a bit overwhelming, and I think stylists are partly to “blame”. Everything is so all over the place, it’s just over-saturated and aggressive to me, so I like things pretty clean. Clean cuts, monochromatic, simple. And I like designers who design like that.

Who is a typical MoodyTwin consumer and what is the average price of your shirts?

Well, if you ask me, I would make stuff for Trent Reznor, Adam Lambert, Pink......or just avant-garde people who like a bit of deconstructed fashion. And in America, people like that show interest in my clothing. That’s why I had troubles seeing my clothes in Croatia or Balkans in general. I just thought it’s going to take years and years before people here would wish to spend money on something that is slouchy and slightly undone. But I was wrong, and when I call stores that sell my stuff I never ask “who buys my stuff”, but “what kind of people buy my stuff”. I took on marketing and communications for fashion at FIT and I always want to know the market, and my odds in it, so I call them a lot! And what they’ve told me, complete different people than I envisioned buy my stuff here. But I also have to say I toned down this collection for this areas, in America stuff is much darker and grave-y. I wanted to start little softer here, not to scare people off! :)

Prices are btw 40-55 euros in Belgrade, and btw 50-65 in Hvar.

Other then in Hvar store and multiband boutique in Belgrade where can one buy your collection?

For now Supermarket Concept Store in Belgrade, and Thesaurus Concept Store in Island of Hvar. And the end of October, there will be a location to buy MOODYTWIN in Zagreb, I can’t give you the exact name still because we’re negotiation couple of locations right now, but there will be an update about the location and exact date onmoodytwin.com! Also, I plan to add an online sale by the end of the year. It’s just too much work, and doing it on two continents, constant traveling, it’s hard to stay super-focused, but I have to, and have to endure it while not letting my creativity suffer during the whole ordeal.

Where do you produce your collection and what is the volume?

In US, I manufacture it in a small studio-production in downtown LA, and for Europe I manufacture in this small factory I found in Belgrade. And for the fall/winter I’m adding sweaters and bags into the collections, and that I wish to manufacture in Croatia. Working on finding a right manufacturer, as we speak. The amounts that I design are never more that 30 pieces for each design. But I also do custom made designs for people I know. I analyze the character of the person, and then I design a piece just for that person, one unique piece. It’s kind of a game that I do, try to “guess” people with design I do for them.

What are your plans for the future? Did you ever show your collection on any of the fashion weeks?

I envision my brand in the way that I do not want to be slaving of to seasons. I want to release pieces when I have an inspiration for it, and if it will be 10 times a year by couple of pieces, that that’s how I want to do it. I don’t want anything to challenge my creativity, and I want a clean, short path between me and people that want to buy my stuff.

But in general, MOODYTWIN is committed to being more than just a clothing brand. I’m determined to build a lifestyle brand; with a blog that i’m writing and editing onmoodytwin.com, I want to create an online community for its customers of a similar fashion taste – where we can all come daily to feel inspired, exchange ideas & keep an eye on all visual identities we love.

Viktor Drago called me 7 years ago to show on CAP, when I did my first Men’s line, but back then I had a partner I designed with, and he didn’t have any interest to show in a country he doesn’t even know about or as he thought would not be beneficial to his work, so we didn’t show. But I think I’ll do one in near future, just don’t want to do it with T-shirts only, I want to do a complete look. 

Do you think that a designer needs to have formal education in order to be successful?

I think every designer has to come from artistic upbringing. Different types of design are different in construction, yes, but the creativity is universal. If you look for the answer to that question in the real world, what are the examples? Galliano graduated from Saint Martins. Tom Ford graduated from Parsons, but he didn’t major in fashion design, but architecture. When he applied for a job in Chloe, he failed to mention in his application that he majored in architecture, not fashion. 

     Today, are we going to call Tom Ford, the most talented designer in the world - unsuccessful? Owens, the absolute fashion genius studied Fine Arts at Otis, in LA, but he dropped out after two years because the college was too expensive and got a job in downtown LA, doing patterns for designer knock-offs. Doing knock-offs?! Are we going to call Rick Owens unsuccessful? Theyskens also, studied fashion, but dropped out to do his own label. One of the best in the business today.

Art is very simple, you cannot fake it. There’s just one thing that speaks about the quality of an artist - a piece that he designed. When you take a pice that someone designed into your hands, it’s very clear if the artist is talented of not.

Unfortunately, it’s not easy being an artist, because there’s always a lack of money on the other side. In order to finish school you need a lots of money, fashion school are one of the most expensive. And then you need money to manufacture something that you designed. Less money, lesser quality. So it’s a struggle until you make it. And sometimes it’s hard to navigate your creativity with harshness of life. My journey is following - I enrolled in TTF, was first on the list, 100% on my entering exam. I studied for 4 semesters (the college degree at TTF consists of 5 semesters), and then moved to US, because I had an opportunity that I felt it will pass me if I don’t grab it at that moment. When I came to US, I enrolled in Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and since the college didn’t offer a scholarship or financial aid to foreign students I payed 9450 dollars per semester, myself. 

       I finished all my fashion credits, finished almost all liberal arts, and I have two credits I never took, math and micro-economics. I couldn’t study anymore because I couldn't pay it anymore. I applied for my green card and had to pay so much money to my lawyer, that I just couldn't pay school anymore. And that’s where I stopped, an inch before a degree. 

      Yes I plan to go back and finish it, but in the mean time I moved to Los Angeles, started a label, and I just cannot find time to do it, even though I try every year, and absolutely every year I think - this will be the year. Does that make me less successful?

Do you think that a fashion designer today needs to be more of an artist or a good businessman?

At the end of the day, we can only be what we are, if we are business savvy, that’s what we are. If we are more creative and not really understanding marketing of it, then that’s that. I might be a wrong person to answer that because I always appreciated creativity more than being business savvy. Two designers that I mention over and over are best examples - Owens that made his first success when he was 41, because he insisted to staying an independent designer who does not care about marketing, press, advertising in magazines. 

         Did you ever see Rick Owens editorial in a magazine? And he still managed to be one of the most sold designers of the decade. It’s what makes him who he is, and I strongly think that’s his appeal. Also Theyskens who designed for Rochas and Nina Ricci, and refused to do a more marketable assessors line or advertise to make bigger profit, and got fired from everywhere he worked because of that. Now he’s a creative director at Theory, and everyone can kiss his ass. 

         The guy designed Madonna’s Oscar dress when he was 21, who gives a rats ass he’s doesn’t care about marketing?! But I do also think if you’re not that business savvy, in order to still be in the game, you have to be 4 times more talented.

Who is your favorite fashion designer, foreign and Croatian?

Again, Rick Owens and Olivier Theyskens. I also like Ann Demeulemeester. Croatian designer Zigman is also very cool, he does a great cut and does colors really good. I hate colors, but the way he combines them is something that doesn’t “bother” me. And I adore Serbian designer Dejan Despotovic, I strongly think he’s the most talented designer in Balkans.

How do you see a style of an average Croatian women and what is your opinion about Croatian fashion scene overall?

Honestly, mostly not too crazy about it. I think girls here are too done, even during the day, I mean all that dresses, heels, freshly blown-out hair in 2 am? Not crazy about it. People walk like that on red carpets in US, why walk like that on the streets? Were you headed exactly? To have a coffee? But then again, I’m a bad person to be answering that question too, since I like Hollywood ease, so yeah, for me, they are to done. Too buttoned up, too done. But Croatian fashion, man that fascinates me. To have a fashion scene that developed, in a country that have been through so much, I think it’s pretty fascinating.