zondag 20 mei 2018

Michaela Čapková presents ARTEFACTS

Michaela Čapková is currently a Master's student at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (Fashion Design and Footwear studio). Her newest collection, 'ARTEFACTS', studies the relationship between the traditional and the modern. Transforming Czech artefacts from the early 1900's, and using traditional Czech cloth, she contrasts tradition with contemporary garments.

Her collection will be presented at the Show Programme on Saturday the 16th of June at the SAM-decorfabriek. You can get your tickets here.

What made you realize that you wanted to work in (fashion) design?
I’m still thinking… I try to find the balance between fashion art and business.

Why did you choose fashion? 
Because fashion is the most natural way of expression for me since childhood. It is a good way of non-verbal communication.





What would you say are your main achievements in your career?
I think the biggest achievement is the possibility of making something that you like. If we are going to talk about achievements like some “milestones” I could mention for example presentations with our studio in Tokyo, New York or London in the last three years… and of course, last and this year in FASHIONCLASH! :) Last year I also received the National Prize for Student Design and I was nominated at the Czech Grand Design Award / Fashion Designer of the year.


What are your sources of inspiration?
Everything, everywhere, all the time. Just walking around the world with open eyes.

Why did you decide to participate in FASHIONCLASH 2018? What are your expectations? Last year the curators of FASHIONCLASH at Designsupermarket in Prague chose me for the show, but I knew about this event three years earlier from social media and from my friends who also presented their work here. I enjoyed the whole festival very much and absolutely fell in love with this event. So that 's reason why I decided to do a presentation here again.

What do you love most about (fashion) design? What are the biggest struggles faced by young designers?
I love the process of making it, which is absolutely different in every project. It's like living a new life in every new collection. The biggest struggle faced by young designers is a very big market of commercial brands and fast fashion. So many people still give priority to quantity before quality. In the Czech Republic, we have several platforms for designer presentations, but, of course, the demand is not followed by them. There are no buyers. Young designers often have no opportunity to have their own shops. Mostly they have shared studios with more young designers and sell collections in some concept stores, where the commission is very high. Then the final price becomes almost unreal.

How would you define fashion?
It's like a life. Could be a pretty fantasy but also a bitter reality.

What do you think are the most important issues in fashion today?
Sustainability. And also don't lose yourself.

How do you think fashion contributes to society, can it contribute to a better world?
Actually I am not sure. This is probably what every designer today tries to solve. It is very important to keep thinking about the resources and following the life of the garments. Everything is a circle. Today, the world is full of clothing, and if we really wanted to help the world, it would probably be best to stop production of new clothes and just start recycling.

What challenges do you face in the design process? What are your favorite parts of the process? Every project means another process, that's what I like. During the making of garments I love the shaping and sampling and touch with a new material the most, because it's the most creative part of the whole process in my opinion.

Describe your design process in one word.
Story.

How would you describe the concept behind your project (for FASHIONCLASH)? ARTEFACTS is a female collection about the relationship between person and a historical artifact, which arises like an applied subject and his function is changing during the age. For example after placed into the museum the applied artifact is changing into the historical craft artwork. On the occasion of the anniversary of the foundation of Czechoslovakia I chose some Czech “artifacts” from the age before the first Czech republic (the age until 1918) which are connected by the specific Czech cloth called “kanafas”. There are coat, cordula, shirt, apron, skirt, pillow and towel. I transformed these artifacts into the contemporary garment and garment objects. I used traditional Czech cloth “kanafas” made in cooperation with a czech textile designer Eva Jandikova. In the collection I also combined these typical Czech clothes with Czech craft glass grinding (in cooperation with Preciosa company).
Michaela Čapková at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2017

How would you describe your project in three words?
Heritage, story, dialogue.

What projects are you involved in at the moment? What are your next steps?
Now I am super concentrated just on the collection which I will present at FASHIONCLASH. Next year is my last in the academy so I am going to finish my diploma project. That should be start of my new brand project.

What are your thoughts regarding fashion and religion?
Fashion and religion are definitely interconnected. It's beautiful how significant fashion could be for religion. For designers there could be a relatively wide range for creativity.

How does your day look like during the design process?
Eating, sketching, cutting, eating, sewing, eating :) Every day is absolutely different, it's difficult to describe that. If I prepare the collection, I like the whole day just for process. I hate if I have to leave the studio and go to some seminar or something like that. I like to just concentrate on the story which I want to tell via my collection. Concept, technology ... I usually listen to the same or similar music during the whole process and this helps me feel inside the collection. In the end I often use the same music also during my show.

Who is your favorite artist?
Ohmaki Shinji, Stanislav Kolíbal, Karel Malich, Magdalena Abakanowicz

Who is your favorite designer?
Yohji Yamamoto, Commes des Garcons, Sruli Recht.

Instagram: michaelacapkovaofficial
Web: www.michaelacapkova.com

 Michaela Čapková at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2017, photo Team Peter Stigter


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