Leonie Smelt is - next to Emma Bell – a MQ artist in resistant. Both girls live and work in the MQ and will present their clothes on Wednesday. I really love both Emmas and Leonies clothes and can not wait to see their new collection. In advance Leonie answered me some questions:
AW: Is art an integrated part of your everyday life?
L: Yes, I have been creating things since I was very young and my creative thinking process is active 24 hours a day. You could say that it is the other way around, I try to fit in my everyday life in my art world where I love to live in.
AW: How would you describe life?
L: Live life to the absolute fullest, and try enjoy it by making everyday a special one in big or in small things, for example having a great picnic party in the park with good friends on a sunny day instead of the lunch you have behind your desk on your daily lunch break. Or go out dancing in the rain instead of disliking rain, it can be quite refreshing. I think people should enjoy life more and shouldn’t be busy running, taking life to serious and complaining all the time.
AW: Why are you here?
L:I think what brought me here, is that my designs are not based on trends but more out of a fascination for form and material, and a love for architecture, illustration and graphic art what you can see in my designs. I think that’s what makes my work different and stand out from some other designers.
AW: How do you describe your fashion?
L: I don’t see myself as a fashion designer, more as all-round designer. I like all the different art forms and I think you can see those interests back in my work, like graphic lines or architectural folding around the body. It is mostly inspired from a fascination for industrial forms or from nature and then. And I always challenge myself to try other techniques or to make other materials, and like to think that everything is possible.
L: I don’t see myself as a fashion designer, more as all-round designer. I like all the different art forms and I think you can see those interests back in my work, like graphic lines or architectural folding around the body. It is mostly inspired from a fascination for industrial forms or from nature and then. And I always challenge myself to try other techniques or to make other materials, and like to think that everything is possible.
AW: Who / What influences you?
L: Is is now still the same as it was in the beginning, it is that I want to create a very tiny part of the world as I would like it to be, and I do that by creating things, and I start at doing it because I like doing it and when people around me intent to like it then that is very nice and a big benefit, but it is not my priority to begin with.
AW: Do you have any heroes, someone you admire?
L: I admire people who stand for something in life, or give some color to the world in any possible way, because they create great things or just because they give positive energy and walk around with a smile on their face or with some balloons in their hand J.
AW: What do you think about the MQ VIENNA FASHIONWEEK?
L: I think it is a good initiative to start a fashion week here, I don’t know Vienna that well but the MQ were Emma and I are staying for the time we are here is one of the greatest cultural surroundings I ever been worldwide and has a great atmosphere for something like this. And I think in this time fashion design has become more important, because you can really show who you are or want to be by wearing something witch is typical you, and with the globalizing of the world, I think own identity will become more important. And I often think Fashion is underestimated as an art form, so it’s a good time for a fashion week.
AW: You just recently graduated and this is your first big show. How do you feel?
L: I think it is a good initiative to start a fashion week here, I don’t know Vienna that well but the MQ were Emma and I are staying for the time we are here is one of the greatest cultural surroundings I ever been worldwide and has a great atmosphere for something like this. And I think in this time fashion design has become more important, because you can really show who you are or want to be by wearing something witch is typical you, and with the globalizing of the world, I think own identity will become more important. And I often think Fashion is underestimated as an art form, so it’s a good time for a fashion week.
AW: You just recently graduated and this is your first big show. How do you feel?
L: Everything is a big adventure for me. I hope for the organization and for myself that it will be something great and the first of many more fashion weeks to come.
AW: As a foreign designer: What do you think about the "Austrian Style"?
AW: As a foreign designer: What do you think about the "Austrian Style"?
L: I don’t really know, I think the world is globalizing, and it is becoming easier to stay on top of all the new fashion and trends because of internet and more difficult to be very original. And many people here wear the same kind of trends, or H&M clothes as the wear in Holland. But I think the style here is more riche and classic, and people in Holland wear more colorful clothes, here I see more grey tones.
AW: Do you know something really beautiful?
L: Nature... I think there is nothing more beautiful than the colors of autumn leaves, a sky by sunset or a sky full of clouds which keep changing every second, I could watch them the whole day and never get bored of it! The absolute ugly one is more difficult because I think it is so personal, and you can always make something beautiful out of something ugly or see it as something funny! that’s the fun of being creative I think J but when I must say something than I would be very bright light’s because they make everything look ugly..
AW: What piece of clothing you will never be able to throw away?
AW: What piece of clothing you will never be able to throw away?
L: A Spanish red flamingo dress witch my mother made for me when I was very little at Sinterklaas (Dutch holiday on the 5th of December when children think that st Nicholas gives them presents in their shoes, which he throws in the chimney by night when walking with his horse on all the roofs in Holland) I was a big fan of Madonna in that time and the song isla bonita was my most favorite song in the world especially because of the beautiful red flamingo dress, and I was so happy when I got my own, and could be dancing around the house in my Madonna dress all day long.
Leonie Smelt 23.09.2009, 21: 00
x, a.
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen