Why did you decide to leave Slovakia for the UK when you were just 19?

I felt like Slovakia was way too small for myself and way too small to express myself as a designer and as a person. Also, oportunitues to study fashion design are very minimal. My dream was to study at Central Saint Martins. So I was just following my dreams and instincts. My English was non-existent, and moving to the UK was the best place to get better at it.

What ideas have you explored for Bushfire?

After I arrived to Australia, I started discovering lots of articles and press releases about the ever-threatening bushfires and local fires in Australia. Reading about people stories and their losses, made me to create this
collection. After doing research of all the past fires and disasters, I kept discovering images of burnt animals, even humans, which played a massive role in shaping my collection. All the prints and main shape structures are taken from the images I found. This collection is my little tribute to people who lost someone or something in those fires. It’s my perspective; how I felt about it and how I saw it through my clothes and creative vision.

Explain what you mean by “an exploration of an individual’s burnt soul” when you’ve described it in the past?

[I was referring to] all the stories from people after bushfires. I felt like they lost a part of themselves in it; part of them just burnt away, with their loved ones, memories or just materialistic things they lost. People always protect them with an outside mask, but through their eyes, you can see the distraught inside of them. It was about the eyes and facial expressions I been noticing after watching countless documentaries and interviews with survivors.

Take me through how you feel your creative process has evolved in recent years.

I have grown a lot as a designer, and it’s a never-ending process. At the beginning, I loved to shock people with erotic prints and controversial and sexual shapes, these days I’m thinking more about the consumer and her needs. Also moving countries and moving to Australia – I had to start observing potential new clients and woman – Australian woman. Also working for Gareth Pugh while in London changed and shaped me as a designer dramatically. I think more about consumer needs, rather then pleasure and please myself. I’m more about the business with lots of creativity. I still look to shock, but in much a calmer way.

What are your plans for the summer?

Work on my new AW13/14 collection – very excited! Launching my label and planning a blog trip to Europe to get inspirations and materials for my upcoming collection.

Matcho Suba
Words: Jack Mills

The post Matcho Suba – BUSHFIRE appeared first on Wonderland.

You met whilst working under Robert Cary-Williams – how did the partnership flourish from there?

I was looking for an internship while doing my MA at the Royal College. Maki happened to be Robert’s studio manager and was the one interviewing me for the role. I remember coming away thinking she was quite hardcore and very professional… and hoping I would get the internship even more than before the interview!

What influences and ideas do you share?

Actually, we don’t! We generally have very different ideas and directions for where we want the season to go creatively. But this is the way we work and we use this diversity and conflict to create our collections. Ultimately, the strongest ideas and influences melt together and the needless unimportant parts fall away [allowing us to] focus the core aesthetic with much more precision.

What can we expect from your new collection, showcasing for the first time on Tuesday? What fabrics, shapes, patterns and themes does it explore?

We are continuing with our signature leather garments and complex jersey draping. ‘Soft meets hard’ has always been a favourite theme of ours. We are also trying out a more sculpted woven section of dresses (direction) this season which is a step towards a more minimalistic point of view that we have become increasingly attracted to. The prints are signature dark and eye-catching with one sultry and colourful style that sums up the harder vibe of the collection.

What themes and motifs are you enjoying this (forthcoming) spring?

Nature! We have always been drawn to the singular perfection of design in nature.

How has your working relationship developed over time? Is it easier than ever to produce pieces you’re happy with now?

We’ve been working in fashion for a while now and every season becomes more relaxed and confident in our work. There are still moments where the work seems almost like torture and reaching the desired result seems like a never-ending journey… But if it was easy, I doubt we would appreciate and enjoy the work in the same way. Our aesthetic has become much more self-assured though, and that does help the creative process.

Words: Jack Mills

The post Aminaka Wilmont AW12/13 appeared first on Wonderland.