Geometry Translated In Fashion
Prague is a popular destination in central Europe. Its unique architectural design and avant-garde arts have attracted many art enthusiasts as well as tourists from all over the world. From this bohemian art city, Zuzana Kubickova, a new graduate from the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague has already drawn attention from international fashion magazines such as ELLE and Harper’s Bazaar.
Zuzana Kubickova – Elle May 2011
She is certainly talented and there is something more than just technique and design which distinguish her from her fellow graduates. So what makes Zuzana so unique?
Interview:
(Zuzana Kubickova:ZK, Utsushi Suganami :UT)
UT: How do you describe your design, what is the uniqueness of your clothes?
ZK: I don’t make clothes for fashion. I think designing clothes is like creating a story. Every design has its own message to it and once a dress is made, it becomes a medium to convey the message. For me, designing is a means to express my philosophical and theoretical ideas.
Zima Concept Design
UT: Do you have any particular philosophy and theory you refer to?
ZK: I often refer to geometry because I am interested in the forms and structures of organic nature. I think that this theory can be expressed in many forms, for example, it can be expressed in cubistic forms, or it can be something to do with relativity or it can refer to the organic system of nature. Geometric elements can be found everywhere in daily life, so I try to collect ideas every time that I find something interesting that can be put into a story. It takes time but it is an important process for my creation.
UT: Interesting, but how do you transform your theories into a piece of clothes?
ZK: For example, the collection called Zima is inspired by the geometric form of snowflakes. The cubic collection is inspired very much by crystal forms of the Czech cubism in design and architecture. For me it was an experiment to see how a human body can be dressed on the basis of cubic theory. And also natural elements like light, rain drops etc are taken as a part of the design of the dot collection.
Zima
UT: Well, your clothes have a special message born out of geometry. Maybe we can say that your design is unique because the theory is combined with a personal story? But does this explain why you do not go into the retail industry?
Dots Concept Design
ZK: Yes, I enjoy the process of making a piece with clients because it is as if I am creating a story with them. Each dress has its own expression and this expression tells a story. It is a warm, humane part of the clothes design and thus I can make my clothes a little more personal, maybe a little more unique.
It is probably true that her attempt to translate the universality of geometry into the art of fashion design makes her designs unique. By crossing between the territories of both philosophy and design, Zuzana Kubickova’s approach to fashion design could be said to be a new mode of art in itself.
Words & Translation: Utsushi Suganami
June 9, 2011
