STEFAN KARTCHEV
‘AMBIVALENCE’

STEFAN KARTCHEV
‘AMBIVALENCE’

“I’m using Bulgarian orthodox liturgical wear as an inspiration for the shapes and as a general influence but I mixed it up with sportswear and a lot of other concepts I find aesthetically pleasing. The things sparking my creativity are rarely rooted in fashion. I was drawn to backdrops, spaces and shops I’ve visited in Bulgaria and I looked at Bulgarian religious advertising as well. People in Eastern Europe are still hoping for their faith to bring them a better future. You’ll see ads for fortune-tellers or religious services everywhere and the graphics are quite amusing because of their lower quality image resolution and brightly coloured typography. I also played around with irony. Certain volumes were inspired by worn-down advertising banners, street surroundings and motorcycle covers. The end result is a combination of all of this and more. I don’t create a collection piece by piece, it goes through a process of mixing everything together. I actually started some pieces over, so it’s hard to talk about at this point in time.” (laughs)

I promise we’ll switch it up soon, but first tell me about starting over because it’s all part of the process. 

“Well, we had an initial jury review late February. I had the separate elements ready, but while putting them together and turning these pieces into garments that look like something you’d actually want to wear I started re-evaluating what I was doing. The feedback from the jury was positive but somehow, I wasn’t pleased. I was missing a new approach and it was clear I didn’t want to stay in my comfort zone of just sportswear. I never really worked with textured materials, because I was a bit scared of them, I think. I did this time and there’s lots of iridescence and colours that change as you walk by. I also added a mesh that’s transparent from the front but when you move, it reflects in different colours. It’s all coming together. Luckily, I have someone helping me out.”

It’s a lot of work.

“And very time-consuming. It’s not as if ideas keep popping up. Like you said, it’s a process and I didn’t really start thinking about my Master’s collection until after my sabbatical. Each project is different and inspirations come and go all the time. It is important to know when to press “pause” and start developing.”

THANKS TO:

Mama&Tati, Olya&Vladi, Ogi, Max, Dave, Bioracer, Sova-Audio, Blub Video, Michael Clasen, Zlatimir Arakliev & Simone

The full interview will be published in the Antwerp Fashion Department’s yearly magazine, available for purchase at SHOW2018


♥ to Dominique Nzeyimana and Knotoryus.com for the interviews.

The full interview will be published in the Antwerp Fashion Department’s yearly magazine, available for purchase at SHOW2018


♥ to Dominique Nzeyimana and Knotoryus.com for the interviews.

The full interview will be published in the Antwerp Fashion Department’s yearly magazine, available for purchase at SHOW2018


♥ to Dominique Nzeyimana and Knotoryus.com for the interviews.

EXPO 2018