You work in a number of different mediums; fashion, film, illustration, photography etc. How do you feel these medium interact amongst each other (for example scripts, film, and costume)?

For me they all come from the same source. I have the urge to make things. I have the urge to create. I keep trying to look for different ways to express myself. I work in a very spontaneous way.

I get inspired through the process of work. So when I work with different mediums, it helps me to think and rethink of problems and solutions once again.

S/S 08 – Wild In Heart

S/S 08 – Wild In Heart

How did you gain a comfort in these different mediums, have you always experimented with multiple mediums?

I work in many different mediums. It depends on what I am trying to say. The medium I choose is normally that which helps me to express myself. I love making things. Observing my surroundings for a long time gives me inspiration. And I guess this process of building relationships with what I see gives me my confidence when using different mediums.

Life Sucks But It Tastes Good

Could you tell us about your film work? What does intrigue you to make a whole film by yourself?

I badly wanted to make films after graduating from my MA. I knew I didn’t want to be a graphic designer because the visual language I had developed throughout these years meant more than just selling things for other people. There’s more to it than that. I have something to say in my different way. Film was all I had in mind. I started drafting simple stories and trying to write simple scripts.

I started making clothes for my imaginary characters to help myself to see the stories. Clothes that carry stories or show emotions in some way. Anyway, my Japanese agency at that time (I also ran a t-shirt label throughout the MA course) saw my clothes and they wanted to help me to sell them in Japan. So I gave them some to try. Since then I started running around from factory to factory to learn how to make clothes! I started to translate my ideas into garments. On top of that I kept thinking up more stories with new clothes for the characters. Now I try making films for all my stories. I see the images of a scene in my mind and start planning the whole thing out… the sets, the characters, the little things lying around. When I visualize stories in my head I have the urge to make it happen for real.

About making clothes first or having a story first? This is very unclear still. It goes both ways. I see it now more as a long process of idea development. If one day I am making a feature film then all these are part of my research. I work very spontaneously.
Sometime I see a person and I get very inspired to think about the clothes. Sometime I think of clothes and then I find characters to fit in. I try to keep my creative process open.

S/S 08 – Wild In Heart, Photo: Jez Tozer

You represent your new collection in your film work instead of in a show. Why? What’s the most interesting thing to represent a fashion work in a short film?

I see what I am doing now as practice for filmmaking. I take it very seriously. I am the producer when I have to organize a short film. I have to think of all the possible aspects of the filmmaking process. Even though it is very small production it involves the same amount of decision-making and energy as a real film.

A/W 08 – Can I Come Inside?

Everything is important when thinking of a film. I enjoy making film because it is a ‘get rid of your own ego’ activity. You cannot make a film on your own. Making film is about collaboration with many different parties. I have learnt a lot from my short film experiences. There is no star. Everyone is the star. I have to show my clothes but at the same time I don’t really care. And that still kind of works! I wouldn’t have this luxury doing fashion shows!