Unique Client. [EN]

Unique
Client

Photography © Viktorie Macánová

Unique Client.Marek

In the extraordinary times of the pandemic, it is nearly impossible as a teacher and student of fashion design not to reflect on the situation of each person, and of every individual. A fundamental disruption of social relationships, contact restrictions, etc., focuses the view on each individual set aside from their groups, social classes, categories, to which we have over time become used to.

Therefore, I decided to open the topic for this semester that does not try to solve the global crisis of the fashion industry, or typical overly adored fashion, but rather addresses the primary object of this field, a person as a unique physical and mental being. For students, this meant the opportunity to put themselves in the difficult role of a designer whose client is not physically a so-called ready-made figure and are probably not even certain about their own self-identity.

The specific story that also inspired me for the topic choice of our semester called UNIQUE CLIENT, subtitled MAREK, is the true story of last year's high school graduate, now a university student with a congenital physical disability, who wished to dress for prom like his peers, but it turns out that current custom clothing designs were not able to reflect his needs. Coincidentally, he came to me, as a professional designer, I understood, and solved his needs. I had experience with costume design, and regularly communicated with „acting clients“ – individuals and designed costumes for different roles, but also created outfits for the civilian actor and everything in between.

Marek was willing to cooperate with the studio, offer his „story“, share his wishes and needs, and so the wardrobe for this particular unique client became a joint studio project, where each student had to create some part of it of their choice.

The main topic of the semester was focused on the physical side of the female and male body – her / his physicality, communication, and the psychology of working with the client. The physical side of the body as the primary point of the project was researched, analyzed, and observed from many perspectives and together with well-formulated questions became the basis for the final project – a collection of clothes for a particular client. We placed special emphasis on the perception of bodies that have their physical peculiarities, deformities or anomalies, or acquired by injury or poor lifestyle, which today's clothing production (individual and ready-made) usually does not have in its "viewfinder". Nowadays, fashion on the slim body reigns supreme. However, humans have bodies with certain deviations from what we can call standardized or anatomically common „ready-made“ figures.

Such a body – a „figure“ is a challenge for a fashion designer. The designer must pay specific attention not only to the choice of materials, colors, designs used, cutting peculiarities but also to the overall understanding of the physical and mental aspects of their client. Establishing contact and mutual trust is the starting point for successful communication and a process leading to a result with which the client can personally identify.

Each student started the implementation of their projects by choosing a specific „client“, with whom they established contact and designed and created a specific clothing mini collection for them.

An important part of the project was the cooperation with students of the Photography II Studio, led by Václav Jirásek and Štěpánka Stein. They naturally connected with our students and their clients, and in various layers and intensities, they became part of the creative process, to capture their personal view of the final result of the work of their colleagues.

The aim of this semester, when I was invited to the studio as a guest by my colleague Liběna Rochová, was to offer students the possibility of overlapping topics that are closely related to clothing design, but also open other areas of fashion and costume design.

Text © Simona Rybáková

Photography © Viktorie Macánová

Júlia
Sadloňová

Photography © Alžběta Chrudimská

For the Unique client project, I collaborated with Jana Hanová, a client with paraparesis of the lower limbs. In Jana's collection, we focused on functional elements, such as the use of flexible materials, and specific clothing cuts for a seated person in a wheelchair, which helped to create items such as shirts, jackets, and pants. Usually, off-the-rack retail collections do not fit Jana, but this collection combines her sporty spirit and passion for diving with elegant solutions.

Jan
Smejkal

Photography © Samuel Petráš

DIA – MORE, MORE and MORE! That is the motto of DIA, we highlighted the most important moments from her daily life as a movie star through 3 outfits. The first outfit “Naked” in a caravan during filming, the second an “Office girl” who makes extra money as a secretary, and the third “GLAM PARTY”, because she would never miss an event where she always is and likes to be the center of attention.

Jaroslav
Vích

Photography © Jakub Delibalta

For the Unique Client project, I collaborated with my client Zuzka. Zuzka was born without a part of her left hand. In the collection, we worked in two different ways, with symmetrical variations where Zuzka wears a prosthesis and with asymmetrical variations without a prosthesis.

Kristýna
Lovasová

Photography © Ondřej Kubeš

The RIDIPINK collection was created for a woman whose measurements are not 90 60 90 but still wants to feel attractive and unique. I approached Ridin Ahmedová to create a plus-size Unique Client collection for her. Three designs were tailored for Ridina: leisure, business meetings, and concerts. It was an amazing experience to create a plus-size collection, I am very grateful for the opportunity.

Valerie
Vrbová

Photography © Iurii Ladutko, Matěj Racek

My unique client was Katka, a girl who lost her left leg due to cancer at the age of 15 but has found the strength and determination to show that she can live a full life even with a disability. In my collection, I focused on the design of the prostheses and creating clothing that will not cover it, but on the contrary will present it as a design element, as part of the future me.
We want to give strength to those who are afraid of otherness, rejection, or themselves.
Even out of deficiency, one can create merit.

Magdalena
Rajnohová

Photography © Markéta Slaná

G Á B I N A
Woman and mother with the soul of a sportswoman and the character of a lioness.
Dresses that create a reflection of the client's inner self.
S H O W M E Y O U R I N N E R P R I N C E S S

Hana
Valtová

The collection created for Maruška Žampachová was created thanks to the Body with a Story project, which Maruška is part of. Maruška's body has been affected from birth by a skin disease called epidermolytic ichthyosis of the bullous type, the slightest abrasion can cause great inflammation, bruises from clothes on her skin create blisters that can become inflamed and spread the infection throughout the body. Therefore, the emphasis in the collection is mainly on comfort, the materials used are as gentle on the skin as possible, the seams of the clothes are minimized and turned outwards.

Rajat
Arya

This project is dedicated to Jana Hánová, a client with paraplegia of the lower limbs. It focuses on "Adaptable Clothing" as well as its requirements and needs. This custom summer collection is inspired by the nautical theme "Kinship" and consists of three sets, where silhouettes and design are achieved in different colors, widths, and placement of stripes.

Tereza
Chytilová

The aim of the project was to for a moment fulfill Katka's dream of becoming a singer, actress, and model. Inspired by the glitter of Hollywood and the theme of fantasy films, which Katka likes best. We made an exaggerated video about Katka while retaining her strong personality and expression by portraying a girl in a wheelchair who turns into a forest queen or in a dream realm Ophelia in a bathtub.

“It was clear from the beginning of the project that a visual presentation of individual designs must be created so that the whole concept could be sufficiently presented, and that is how the cooperation between the Fashion and Footwear Design Studio and the Photography II Studio of the Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design in Prague started. The aim was to create a set of portraits "UniqueClient" in different environments, to outline a different view of fashion photography, and to get into the depths of this issue.

How does one take photos of ‚non-models‘ and people who have atypical bodies? This and many other questions were asked by the students of the Studio of Photography II, who were able to take part in interviews and get to know the individual environment of the portrayed from the beginning of the whole project. To a certain extent, there was a fundamental intersection between the client, the photographer, and the designer. We understand the dialogue between all the above as a measure of contemporary man and an ideal counterpoint to conservative thinking. At the same time, this dialogue should raise the profile of Unique clients and should become an inspiration for future thinking on the topic of dressing and a person's relationship to the clothing itself.”

Štěpánka Stein
Tutor of the Photography Studio II