Femininity, delicacy, fluidity… are concepts that evoke natural shapes, the most subtle and at the same time most sophisticated beauty. Kimono & Me is synonymous with this concept. From Turkey, her designer Elif Kutlu opens a window to the creative world where fabrics are the extension of the concept. We review her vision of the world and her ideas after her first major international presentation during Feeric Fashion Week 2023.
- Can you tell us about your journey into the world of fashion design? What inspired you to become a fashion designer?
After completing my Business Communications education at university, I worked in sectors unrelated to fashion for about 10 years. However, my interest in beautifying the space I live in with the resources I have since childhood and my interest in colors and fabrics have pushed me into more creative pursuits. My journey in the textile industry started in my early 30s. I gained experience in the design, fabric R&D and production departments of various companies. About 5 years ago, I started with small steps to create my own brand in order to develop my creativity more freely, creatively and worry-free. And my biggest source of inspiration on this journey was Mediaeval Painting.
- What’s your favorite part about being a fashion designer?
My favorite thing about being a fashion designer is that I do something with love and desire. What I experienced and felt during the time it took to turn the colors and stories of my dreams into reality is indescribable.And the thinks I feel when I see a person wearing one of my designs…
- What are the challenges of being a fashion designer? If you ever felt like giving up, what made you not do it?
The truth is that the design world is very big and very powerful designers are both a source of inspiration and anxiety for you. The feeling of being better and why not me? is really tiring sometimes. And you are alone in this journey. You need to start every day with your own energy and motivation. If one day I wanted to give up on this, what would make me give up would be looking at where I started 5 years ago and today.
4.How would you describe the identity of your brand in a few words?
We are working to be a brand that designs models that will make women feel special when they wear our models, feel the soft texture of the fabric on their skin, and will not go out of fashion fora long time.
5.What do you think adds value and authenticity to your creations and concepts?
We are actually a company that creates creations with modern lines, starting from Kimono, which is a traditional garment. And I believe that this and the quality, meticulousness and original designs in this process add value to our brand.
6.Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
My inspiration for my designs is sometimes a beautiful work in a museum, sometimes unique creatures in nature and of course all the colors in universe.
7.How does your background, culture and environment influence your designs? Are there any specific elements of your roots that inspire you?
As you know, I am a Turkish designer. Of course, our deep-rooted Turkish culture, family history and memories have an impact on my designs. There are designs in my collections where oriental and modern lines are combined. My roots are strong, hard-working, determined women who pay attention to manual labor. For example, some pieces in my collections feature handcrafted details or hand-sewn buttons.
8.How do you approach the process of designing a collection? Can you walk us through your creative process from initial concept to the final garments?
The most important factor in my process of designing a collection is, first of all, what I will design the collection for. For example, is it a seasonal collection, a personalized collection or for a special period. What affects me when determining the concept, for example, is nature, art or historical period… I create 3D drawings by doing research, watching images and surrendering myself to the world of colors. I start by choosing the fabric of each model very carefully. If when I touch the fabric I feel like the finished model, this is the right fabric for me. If I use patterns in the collection, I design most of the patterns myself in accordance with the concept. Of course, suitable patterns and accessories are also very important here. As you know, these are a whole. During this period, I almost completely isolate myself from the outside world and experience tiring but exciting and happy weeks. During the sewing period, I check each model in detail and if necessary, make corrections to the model and my own touches. It is very important to have a team that knows you, knows exactly what you want, and can understand my stress a little, and I am happy to work with such a team.
9.Do seasonal trends influence your designs in any way?
Like every designer, I try to reflect my own style and express my own world with my collections. Without deviating too much from this originality, of course, sometimes I am also influenced by the colors and lines of the season.
10.How do you think fashion should make people feel?
Fashion should make people feel special, valuable, comfortable and beautiful. You may find this a bit traditional, but we must not forget that fashion is for people.
11.What does femininity mean to you and how do you convey this through your collections?
Femininity is a woman expressing herself with feminine energies and reflecting these energies to the outside. This requires being in harmony with the emotional, elegant, gentle, sensitive and compassionate aspects of the woman’s inner world. Femininity is accepted as a part of women’s identity, but we eliminate certain stereotypes here. Women and men can express their femininity in different ways and each can create their own unique feminine style. In our collections, we design pieces that can create this style and reveal the reflection of this energy.
12.Referring to your collection presented at Feeric Fashion Week, what was the source of inspiration? What made you choose these fabrics and this chromatic?
My inspiration for my Feeric Fashion Week Collection was life in the ocean. The shiny surfaced fish, octopuses, the structure of the shark, the bright colors of the ocean depths. I tried to reflect all of these with the fabrics and colors I chose.
13.In the collection presented at Feeric Fashion Week you focused on the relationship between transparency and opacity, what did you want to convey through this detail?
I wanted to explain the transparent reflection of ocean creatures and ocean shine on the female body and how this is shaped in the female body. This collection also tries to explain our need for this habitat and to be more sensitive.
14.What do you think is the impact of your collections from the perspective of the public and buyers?
Our brand is still very young and needs to make more effort to express itself. Yes, we receive good feedback about our collections and we get recognition opportunities in some fashion weeks and department stores. But we know we have a long way to go.
15.Looking ahead, what are your future plans and aspirations for your brand? Are there any exciting projects or collaborations on the horizon?
Feeric Fashion Week was a good experience and recognition opportunity for my brand. I am really happy about this and we have collaborations and projects that we will implement soon. My biggest goal is to increase the awareness of my brand and bring my dream collections to more people.
Interviewed by Erin Gregor
Photo credits: Mircea Netea – Cornel Petrus – Calin Covaci.
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