- Can you explain the name Feeric Fashion Week considering the new conditions of the pandemic? Itʼs common enough, but we want to show others a deeper meaning of it and how its term changed though the years.
Feeric means fairytale or magic in Romanian language and this was because it started in a fairytale place 14 years ago – the Small Square of Sibiu city. And then, during the following years of development it even earn this name through the content we created and the goals we achieved. Well, pandemic was a contrasting context and looked more like a nightmare than a fairytale as we were unwillingly in the situation of not following our path and schedule in 2020, but we managed to gather our resources in creating such a beautiful and healthy edition last year. I think during pandemic Feeric got even more sense and utility for the ones involved. Even if the situation was not favorable for business we were a great moral support and fired once again designers hope and opportunity of continuity. Feeric Fashion Week is one of the most sustainable fashion projects in the whole world. Using resources that usually had other purpose than being integrated in a fashion week we reduce waste and create interest for things that we are used to pass by and consume conscious and less.
2. What was it like to #FeelFeeric again last July? How did you feel?
It always feels special. Thatʼs why #FeelFeeric came natural and the feeling we are all living here during the fashion week is indescribable. It is first about unity and connectivity related to people with the same purpose of making their voices heard. For me, managing to organize another edition in full pandemic with lots of more or less controversial measures was a true challenge. I am lucky for an amazing team that wanted to prove once again to themselves first and then to the world, that no matter the obstacles, following your goal makes a better environment full of possibilities and opportunities. And we all did it properly.
3. There’s so much heart behind every location at Feeric Fashion Week. I’d love to hear your thoughts about this and how do you manage the decision when it comes to choosing a location?
Thereʼs so much heart in everything about Feeric and all other projects. Because this is the way they started and this is how people got involved. The criteria in choosing locations are more about inspiration let’s say. Sometimes a places I am constantly passing by might become a revelation for a show. It has maybe nothing spectacular but at the same time I find it special just because that place is part of peopleʼs lives day by day so they are no more noticing its particularities. And I like to revive it and make people seeing it differently through a fashion show with a matching collection. At the opposite pole I am searching for locations that are never imagined to have been touched by other activity than the one they are dedicated to. And audience loves discovering these amazing places they could never ever imagine hosting a fashion show.
4. How important is Feeric team for you?
Feeric team is everything a leader could ask for in achieving success. Every single individual has its own trigger in doing the best for the project and this comes with the pleasure of working alongside other people like him. The goodness and kindness are two of the many qualities people in the team are sharing. Of course Landiana and Brylu are the first ones involved many years before and the three of us manage to coordinate and to sync in harmony around 200 other amazing people from the team. Without this synergy Feeric would have another face or it probably wouldnʼt exist at all.
5. We know youʼre the mind behind many successful women at Feeric, but also an important support of Landianaʼs project. What would you say to women today who are aspiring to be entrepreneurs and how women rights changed through the years?
I donʼt think I like how it sounds as the mind behind women. I am mostly the strategist behind people or projects. I have an easy and good chemistry with people and if Iʼve found nice resources in some of them I propose. I came with the right strategy to both exploiting the resources and creating something significant from scratch. I like doing that and it came natural for both me and Landiana to create a project on her name. So it is a must in considering Landiana as a project and as a woman in separate terms. She is anyway a force that achieved so many things during a tight period of time since she became VP of Feeeric Fashion Week. Talking about her as a project it is true the strategy is mine, while talking about her as a woman you can feel she is an example for women worldwide that want to succeed in their projects. She is also an example for leader (mostly men unfortunately) conducted by success in terms of money, that forget the real meaning of human being on the planet. As an ambassador of No More Plastic organization or through her sustainable projects she might bring an important change if she will keep this pace.
6. What role do you feel Feeric is playing in the world today and are we in a moment when fashion designers have their opportunity to show their collections like never before?
We had some difficult moments during time. Mostly caused by financial situations but we were motivated to face them and win. Now we understand the importance of the project for such talented designers worldwide that struggle to reach to a better market in terms of education and finance. Feeric is facilitating this for them and more than this we are an important component in general audienceʼs education.
7. What are other important projects related to Feeric and why are they important?
Our continuous mission is to create opportunity for professionals in fashion and mostly for the emergent designers and students. Following this goal we created partnerships with fashion design and arts universities alongside organizations and authorities that can bring a positive influence in young talents development. When they are ready for the next step we are here with projects like Modic magazine, Apoldist sustainable e-commerce and Hooldra – upcycling clothing brand where they can explore and apply knowledge.
8. How important is to build a sustainable system on Romania today and why key people from fashion industry should take this direction?
It is vital for us to implement sustainability in every field worldwide. We are not doing this only in Romania but wherever we had the chance to speak about or to produce projects. Before pandemic we started to shoot a documentary called The Fightback trying to rise interest in sustainable emergent designers condition. They really fight back against fast fashion and try to find best solution in reducing waste and pollution. We are there learning from them and sharing to others what we are doing in our projects. Things are starting to move, the pace is slow though. We need more education and this is what we are focused on at this moment.
9. How is Feeric Fashion Week making a difference as a platform for young designers, but also for established ones?
Besides the opportunities we create Feeric is also a complex source of inspiration. Everything starts with the people and ends with them because it is all circular. Young designers had the chance of their lives to showcase in such a project and suddenly to benefit of a huge production and exposure in the biggest global fashion media. Their items might be included in editorials, they can get reviews from top journalists and can be invited to display and sell worldwide. The same opportunities apply to established designers as well and more than this they have the right environment to get some more inspiration and to enlarge their market horizons.
1o. A letter to your future-self. What would you write?
Hey mate, I know you have the power to do whatever you set your mind on, if health and peace will govern this world, I only hope you will speed up the fulfilling plans in order to have the opportunity to create others. I am looking forward to meet you and feel the shining “together”.
Interviewed by Mira Postolache