When is your brand founded? How did you decide to have your
own label and what did you do before?
I
founded MOODYTWIN at the end of 2008, and started to design pieces for the
brand in 2009. Before that, I did two lines; MIRANDA RIGHTS in 2003 while I was
still studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and a
collection of corsets called MISSpLACED, the following year. But I first
started to design my own pieces was when I was 18, during my first year of
studies at TTF, Zagreb. I did a line of leather jackets and made couple for
Minea, then very popular Croatian singer.
The following year I moved to USA.
After enrolling at FIT in NYC and doing two lines I mentioned above, it all jut
became too much for me. Fast life in New York, constant financial struggle to
pay my college, working at clubs until 5 am to earn money for my tuition, and
then going to sleep just for few hours, only to wake up and spend half of day
at school drawing until my eyes dropped out.....just wore me out at one point.
My creativity got burned under the pressures of challenges city like New York
can put on you. I knew myself very well and I understood I have to take a step
back, inhale, take a break from constant running, recharge mentally, and
proceed when I’m ready again.
So
far your collections have been provocative featuring T-shirts with funny,
simple, punkish & rebellious messages, which fashion brand or designer do
you most admire?
Yeah,
it was very long thinking process, to comprehend what kind of brand I want to
launch. What I knew very clearly is that I didn’t want to do different lines
like I did before that only satisfied my current inspiration, a vision. I
wanted to commit, I wanted to launch a brand, not a line, but a brand that
would be long term, something that will exist until I exist, and something that
would have to have my fashion signature all over it. And since everything that
is final, therefore not possible to alter makes me very nervous, this had to be
something that I can stand behind 100 percent, so it took me a while. First I
had to understand what I am, to create a brand that would represent me.
I
don’t really get inspired by different times in history; I just always get
inspired by dark, apocalyptic, deconstructed couture whose feel and emotion I
want to translate on to street. I like to play around also, fashion is a
playground, I like to put serious things, a serious and dark emotion on
something so casual that is a T-shirt.
If
I would have to officially define MOODYTWIN, it would be like this - it’s a
brand that aspires to take an inspiration in dark, deconstructed fashion and
give it a Hollywood broken-down street ease. MOODYTWIN brand is contrasting its
moody-toned (hence the brand name), goth vibe with slouchy, monochromatic
simplicity and minimal detailing. Weather it’s creating T-shirts, jackets,
jewelry, shoes or even home accessories; MOODYTWIN strives to be a brand with a
strong, sometimes even provocative messages; highlighting the personality of
people wearing it.
I
like couple of designers, but my full on obsessions are Rick Owens and Olivier
Theyskens. I would practically slit my wrist for their stuff! See, I find
fashion a bit overwhelming, and I think stylists are partly to “blame”.
Everything is so all over the place, it’s just over-saturated and aggressive to
me, so I like things pretty clean. Clean cuts, monochromatic, simple. And I
like designers who design like that.
Who
is a typical MoodyTwin consumer and what is the average price of your shirts?
Well,
if you ask me, I would make stuff for Trent Reznor, Adam Lambert, Pink......or
just avant-garde people who like a bit of deconstructed fashion. And in
America, people like that show interest in my clothing. That’s why I had
troubles seeing my clothes in Croatia or Balkans in general. I just thought
it’s going to take years and years before people here would wish to spend money
on something that is slouchy and slightly undone. But I was wrong, and when I
call stores that sell my stuff I never ask “who buys my stuff”, but “what kind
of people buy my stuff”. I took on marketing and communications for fashion at
FIT and I always want to know the market, and my odds in it, so I call them a
lot! And what they’ve told me, complete different people than I envisioned buy
my stuff here. But I also have to say I toned down this collection for this
areas, in America stuff is much darker and grave-y. I wanted to start little
softer here, not to scare people off! :)
Prices
are btw 40-55 euros in Belgrade, and btw 50-65 in Hvar.
Other
then in Hvar store and multiband boutique in Belgrade where can one buy your collection?
For
now Supermarket Concept Store in Belgrade, and Thesaurus Concept Store in
Island of Hvar. And the end of October, there will be a location to buy
MOODYTWIN in Zagreb, I can’t give you the exact name still because we’re
negotiation couple of locations right now, but there will be an update about
the location and exact date onmoodytwin.com! Also, I plan to add an online sale
by the end of the year. It’s just too much work, and doing it on two
continents, constant traveling, it’s hard to stay super-focused, but I have to,
and have to endure it while not letting my creativity suffer during the whole
ordeal.
Where
do you produce your collection and what is the volume?
In
US, I manufacture it in a small studio-production in downtown LA, and for
Europe I manufacture in this small factory I found in Belgrade. And for the
fall/winter I’m adding sweaters and bags into the collections, and that I wish
to manufacture in Croatia. Working on finding a right manufacturer, as we
speak. The amounts that I design are never more that 30 pieces for each design.
But I also do custom made designs for people I know. I analyze the character of
the person, and then I design a piece just for that person, one unique piece.
It’s kind of a game that I do, try to “guess” people with design I do for them.
What
are your plans for the future? Did you ever show your collection on any of the
fashion weeks?
I
envision my brand in the way that I do not want to be slaving of to seasons. I
want to release pieces when I have an inspiration for it, and if it will be 10
times a year by couple of pieces, that that’s how I want to do it. I don’t want
anything to challenge my creativity, and I want a clean, short path between me
and people that want to buy my stuff.
But
in general, MOODYTWIN is committed to being more than just a clothing brand.
I’m determined to build a lifestyle brand; with a blog that i’m writing and
editing onmoodytwin.com, I want to create an online
community for its customers of a similar fashion taste – where we can all come
daily to feel inspired, exchange ideas & keep an eye on all visual
identities we love.
Viktor
Drago called me 7 years ago to show on CAP, when I did my first Men’s line, but
back then I had a partner I designed with, and he didn’t have any interest to
show in a country he doesn’t even know about or as he thought would not be
beneficial to his work, so we didn’t show. But I think I’ll do one in near
future, just don’t want to do it with T-shirts only, I want to do a complete
look.
Do
you think that a designer needs to have formal education in order to be
successful?
I
think every designer has to come from artistic upbringing. Different types of
design are different in construction, yes, but the creativity is universal. If
you look for the answer to that question in the real world, what are the
examples? Galliano graduated from Saint Martins. Tom Ford graduated from
Parsons, but he didn’t major in fashion design, but architecture. When he
applied for a job in Chloe, he failed to mention in his application that he
majored in architecture, not fashion.
Today, are we going to call Tom Ford, the
most talented designer in the world - unsuccessful? Owens, the absolute fashion
genius studied Fine Arts at Otis, in LA, but he dropped out after two years
because the college was too expensive and got a job in downtown LA, doing patterns
for designer knock-offs. Doing knock-offs?! Are we going to call Rick Owens
unsuccessful? Theyskens also, studied fashion, but dropped out to do his own
label. One of the best in the business today.
Art
is very simple, you cannot fake it. There’s just one thing that speaks about
the quality of an artist - a piece that he designed. When you take a pice that
someone designed into your hands, it’s very clear if the artist is talented of
not.
Unfortunately,
it’s not easy being an artist, because there’s always a lack of money on the
other side. In order to finish school you need a lots of money, fashion school
are one of the most expensive. And then you need money to manufacture something
that you designed. Less money, lesser quality. So it’s a struggle until you
make it. And sometimes it’s hard to navigate your creativity with harshness of
life. My journey is following - I enrolled in TTF, was first on the list, 100%
on my entering exam. I studied for 4 semesters (the college degree at TTF
consists of 5 semesters), and then moved to US, because I had an opportunity
that I felt it will pass me if I don’t grab it at that moment. When I came to
US, I enrolled in Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and since the
college didn’t offer a scholarship or financial aid to foreign students I payed
9450 dollars per semester, myself.
I finished all my fashion credits, finished
almost all liberal arts, and I have two credits I never took, math and
micro-economics. I couldn’t study anymore because I couldn't pay it anymore. I
applied for my green card and had to pay so much money to my lawyer, that I
just couldn't pay school anymore. And that’s where I stopped, an inch before a
degree.
Yes I plan to go back and finish it, but in the mean time I moved to
Los Angeles, started a label, and I just cannot find time to do it, even though
I try every year, and absolutely every year I think - this will be the year.
Does that make me less successful?
Do
you think that a fashion designer today needs to be more of an artist or a good
businessman?
At
the end of the day, we can only be what we are, if we are business savvy,
that’s what we are. If we are more creative and not really understanding
marketing of it, then that’s that. I might be a wrong person to answer that
because I always appreciated creativity more than being business savvy. Two
designers that I mention over and over are best examples - Owens that made his
first success when he was 41, because he insisted to staying an independent
designer who does not care about marketing, press, advertising in magazines.
Did you ever see Rick Owens editorial in a magazine? And he still managed to be
one of the most sold designers of the decade. It’s what makes him who he is,
and I strongly think that’s his appeal. Also Theyskens who designed for Rochas
and Nina Ricci, and refused to do a more marketable assessors line or advertise
to make bigger profit, and got fired from everywhere he worked because of that.
Now he’s a creative director at Theory, and everyone can kiss his ass.
The guy
designed Madonna’s Oscar dress when he was 21, who gives a rats ass he’s
doesn’t care about marketing?! But I do also think if you’re not that business
savvy, in order to still be in the game, you have to be 4 times more talented.
Who
is your favorite fashion designer, foreign and Croatian?
Again,
Rick Owens and Olivier Theyskens. I also like Ann Demeulemeester. Croatian
designer Zigman is also very cool, he does a great cut and does colors really
good. I hate colors, but the way he combines them is something that doesn’t
“bother” me. And I adore Serbian designer Dejan Despotovic, I strongly think
he’s the most talented designer in Balkans.
How
do you see a style of an average Croatian women and what is your opinion about
Croatian fashion scene overall?
Honestly,
mostly not too crazy about it. I think girls here are too done, even during the
day, I mean all that dresses, heels, freshly blown-out hair in 2 am? Not crazy
about it. People walk like that on red carpets in US, why walk like that on the
streets? Were you headed exactly? To have a coffee? But then again, I’m a bad
person to be answering that question too, since I like Hollywood ease, so yeah,
for me, they are to done. Too buttoned up, too done. But Croatian fashion, man
that fascinates me. To have a fashion scene that developed, in a country that
have been through so much, I think it’s pretty fascinating.
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