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KATYA – How did you two start working together? Dalma – We met at school and had to do a team project in one of our classes. Then we were in a workshop together and then Tibi used to be a fashion editor on a magazine and I joined him in that job as well so we figured out that we are able to work together and that was the start. And then we started our label right after that.
Tibi – It was in Budapest.
KATYA –So let’s talk about your collaboration: what’s your process of working together as designers?
Tibi – We work separately and together. There are processes where we work separate and then discuss but it’s very easy to work together because although we don’t have the same views on life we have a similar energy and sensibility so it’s easy to work-
Dalma – and our goals are definite so we know which way to go, what decisions… and sometimes we argue of course, but we agree on inspirations and things we are interested in. We’ll share our ideas and that can be inspiring for both of us and through this we develop our collection.
KATYA – so let’s talk about what your inspiration was for this particular collection. You mentioned before we began the interview that you worked with a painter. How did that happen?
Dalma –We knew we wanted to do something picturesque and sensitive and we really liked the work of this painter, Attila Sz?cs, who is extremely known and popular in Hungary. We asked him if we could work with his paintings as inspirations and as patterns. And he said “okay let’s give it a try” and he liked what we did with it so he gave us permission to use his paintings. So that was the basis and we had other inspirations as well.
Tibi – Yeah, and besides the picturesque, we were working with the concept of nostalgia but we wanted to do something innovative and something interesting with minimal cutting.
KATYA – When you talk about nostalgia, what period is that, or is there an idea… Tibi – it’s a personal nostalgia. When you have your own life, you have your own from the past so it’s very personal…
Dalma – not the retro or that kind of nostalgia, it’s the intimate kind of nostalgia…the personal memory. We’ve worked this into the collection through the visuals, colors and textures chosen.
KATYA –Okay, changing the subject a bit: Do you think that the changing economy is changing how people are looking at clothes or fashion design?
Tibi – Yeah it’s very strange because in Hungary the message from New York is always “do it cheaper, do it do it cheaper and minimal”. But on the other hand, there is a shop called “Not just a Label” and all they choose -all the designers who are very young designers- have prices much higher than the luxury designers. So I don’t know what’s the exact definition for this crisis because it’s confusing for me now.
KATYA – Understandable. It’s like there are multiple messages coming at you.
Does coming from Hungary and its’ history inform your work ?
Dalma – Yeah…we always say that we don’t use typical Hungarian patterns but you always will have the feeling that it will have some Hungarian taste because that is what’s coming out of us because it’s part of who we are and I would rather say that our collections before were full of traditional cuts but re-interpreted. Like we used to use men’s shirts and cut them and sew them together so it was
Tibi – deconstructed…
Dalma – but with a little bit of irony
Tibi – and humor
Dalma – humor but not in a funny way of course and now I don’t think that we use this kind of thinking with the cuts but maybe with the whole styling and the image of the whole collection…it has this kind of thinking…
KATYA – Thanks. Is there anything else you’d want to add? Your future plans??
Tibi – We will have this collection, not just these pieces but more, in New York Fashion week as well.
KATYA – Really? Will it be at in the tents?
Tibi – It will be off-site but it will be a huge photo shoot thing with polaroids and there will be some models and you can also just stand there and take a photo with the whole thing…
Dalma – ICP, it’s at ICP (International Center of Photography)
KATYA – Great, it’s going to be at ICP, did ICP arrange it or…
Dalma – the Hungarian Cultural Institute.
KATYA – Well, definitely keep us updated and we’ll be there. Thank you so much for your time.
Dalma + Tibi – Thank you!
SOURCE: Interview with Je Suis Belle designers Dalma Dévényi and Tibi Kiss
