A couple of seasons before Anna Oktiabr made a successful debut within the framework of the Ukrainian Fashion Week. Her works greatly impressed the fashion critics, who defined her style as intellectual minimalism combined with experimentalism and functionality. Read in The Day’s interview with the young designer about the prospects of Ukrainian fashion as a business, European fashion standards, and nature-friendly design.
Anna, apparently, Ukraine has not developed any fashion culture? In your opinion, what is the reason? What do you think about the style, typical of Russian society? Is Ukrainian society affected by Russians’ appeal to imperial chic?
“What you have just described is above all the legacy of the Soviet past with its limitations. We have a good proverb in this concern: if you did not have a bicycle as a child, and now you are driving a Mercedes, you still did not have a bicycle as a child. It is the same story with Russia, though it is several steps ahead of Ukraine in this respect. But in my opinion this problem is no more acute, as the new generation has grown up, who has a different, more considerate approach to consumption.”
What is the face of Ukrainian fashion? What factors influence it?
“It has become younger and has begun to acquire individual features. This is connected with emerging of space for young designers and rising of the demand for indeed high-quality work. The way how their work is stimulated also has its effect. It can be influenced only by exerting efforts. The main thing is not to look back to what you have done, simply to go on working.”
How to form an adequate, quality style in society? Who can do this? What decisions can you offer, being one of the “hopes of Ukrainian fashion”?
“Style consists of tiniest details. For example, it is music we listen to. The information we consume is of immense importance in this concern. Now there are no obstacles for those who want to catch up with the world, follow foreign cultural life, for example, read foreign books and magazines. As a designer, I offer the vision, style, images expressed in qualitatively new clothes which I produce. This is a story one can try and enjoy.”
Is fashion connected with the atmosphere in the country? How?
“On the whole, fashion depends on many socioeconomic factors, but the new generation shows little interest in them. The youth orients at fashionable Europe, which is apolitical on the whole. So, politics has practically no effect on clothes as well as products of fashion.”
Ukrainian fashion is moving from glamour to stylish, yet simple and functional clothes. Can this be considered a kind of Eurointegration process in the manner of dressing?
“Of course, a great role in this process was played by the fact that mass market brands have been opened in Ukraine. Now people have an opportunity to wear stylish clothes at a low cost.”
You are intending to develop your business in Europe, in particular, you are going to show your creative work in Amsterdam and Antwerp. By what qualitatively new conceptual streams are you going to attract the European consumers?
“Currently I am working on a concept store Ra in Antwerp. They have bought the collection Anna October aw 2011.
“From my so far short experience of communicating with Western buyers I have understood that the main thing in design is to preserve individuality and go on with experimenting. Therefore creating new collection for me is like creating an object of art. For this I choose the best fabrics at the Premier Vision [the world salon of clothing fabrics. – Ed.], I experiment with textures and put my emotions in color. The best concept is to do your work sincerely and with a high quality.”
Now the topic of nature-friendly way of thinking is quite urgent. Is your collection Bionika a step to support this stream? How much are we lingering behind from the West in this question? For such things receive state support in the West and are a social standard. What prospects does nature-friendly design have in Ukraine?
“Indisputably, this topic is pressing, and more and more designers in our country turn to it. But in the West it has become a way of thinking, whereas in our country it still remains on the level of external manifestation. Probably, with time we will understand to the full that natural resources are exhaustible. But again, for people who have been used to realizing themselves through external factors, it is difficult to understand why they should use low cost cars and refuse from fur.”
Can you see any prospects of development of fashion industry in our country? Does the Ukrainian Fashion Week help to develop your business?
“Frankly, no. Even at the level of small productions and cooperation with Western buyers I have faced so many problems that I can see more prospects in going to Antwerp and working there. There are very few buyers in Ukraine who can buy collections. This can hardly be called a business. The Ukrainian Fashion Week is helpful for designers’ development, this is a kind of school which sets standards, season rhythm, and is a kind of promotion. But you should not expect any business progress after showing the collection. At the same time you should be able to do many things: look for those who are interested in your creative work, send photos to foreign periodicals. In fact nobody is looking for designers, because the world market is full, and you should prove why namely you are worth of attention.”
You are residing most of time in Odesa, whereas your business is located in Kyiv. However people say it is easier to run business in provinces than in the capital, taking into account Kyiv’s high prices and competition.
“There are pluses and minuses in both versions. In spite of high prices, Kyiv has a well-arranged system. Everything from printing lookbooks to buying additional materials – everything is within your hand’s reach. In Odesa even money is hardly able to motivate people to work, they have such a mentality: as soon as summer comes, everyone goes to the sea. But on the other hand, in province the creative component of the process may turn out to be much more efficient.”
