I l j a Conceptual vision interview irina romashevskaya
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lja, the haute couture line created by Dutch designer Ilja Visser, has all the elements of a quintessential European tradition of custom clothesmaking: It’s exclusive, artistic and has a flair for the unexpected. Made to measure quality of couture allows the designer and his team to concentrate on conceptual vision and refined craftsmanship, producing a limited range of equally unique and astounding showpieces. What can you tell us about the woman that wears your clothing? The woman that wears ILJA has a desire for quality and individuality. She wants to express her feminity with class and charisma while experiencing the joy of luxury. She feels confident, no matter what age she is, and her look conveys knowledge and sophistication. What are your favorite materials to work with? ILJA is concentrating on fabric and fabric manipulation. We like to experiment with fabric and enjoy working with new innovative materials. In some of your collections you presented matching shoes and accessories. Are you involved in the design of your accessories as well? Shoe design is an integral part of the house of ILJA, which we are planning to expand in the future to include a wider range of accessories. However, we love to exchange ideas with other artists and designers. And for our Fall/Winter 2013 SKINFONIE collection we collaborated with Germany-based BJORG accessories to create coordinating jewelry.