I'm ending this week, with something really special, and exciting.
Promising Serbian designer, Dejan Despotovic, was very kind, and answered my questions. And now I proudly present an informative and interesting interview with him.
He is a very positive person, who is really enthusiastic about fashion and designing!
I wish you good luck to your upcoming collections!
Thank you Dejan, and thanks to your Agent as well!
Regards, Miska
DEJAN DESPOTOVIC INTERVIEW
- Your clothes have a dark, monochromatic, very simple edge completed with interesting and complex cuts and tailoring. How would you describe your style as a designer?
Dejan Despotovic:
I always wanted to go to the dark, but still romantic side of fashion and style. Maybe it comes from my little bit alternative way of looking on living, and other stuff… Music, movies, everything around me is art But music is my main influence and it makes me going further with inspiration… it’s always something experimental, something strange in that music. I like to search people, who do very good, strange experimental music.
- Why have you chosen to be a designer? Have you been always inspired by fashion? How is Dejan Despotovic’ personal style and taste?
I always wanted to be a designer, like from my childhood, really! There were always some pencil and piece of paper with me, and I always draw dresses for some divas from my mind! Funny, but true!
Fashion is everything, that inspires me, and will always be the first one in my life.
My personal style is very British, because I love London, and I have plans to go there, to live and to start work there. My fashion is also very London-style, with all the strange shapes and details.
So, old shoes, hat, slim pants… but almost everything black!
Im preparing my woman collection for Fall ’09/’10, which will be showed in April at Belgrade Fashion Week. There are many things in that collection. The look is inspired by horses, monkies and old, rusted silver details… very very old, antique and very animal!
The man collection was inspired by the music of Wim Mertens, because he is my favourite composer, and is genious in music. Very aristocratic, but also dark and romantic at the same time.
-Which fits you better designing for women or for men?
Well, it’s not hard to design for men or for women. It’s harder to make something, which will be not seen yet, something new in womens fashion. But in mens fashion it’s a little bit easier to experiment with shapes and fabrics. I love both styles, very very much.
- What is your vision about the women and men, who you designing for? What are they look like outside and inside?
Hm… strong, clear-minded, happy in life. People with strong attitude, and with the wish to be seen, and to be different from others.
- In these hard times, during crisis how you see, is it more difficult to make your way in the market?
Well, I have to say that I’m new in fashion, I’m only 22 years old. And I only have 3 years of professional experience behind me, so I’m still in that period, when I have to show what I really can do in design. I can say, that I’m already well-known in my country, and I am still there for one year more, or for two seasons, then I’ll think about to open a shop, and everything about it... and also about crisis!
- You come from Serbia, as an Eastern European designer how do you feel, is it harder to get into the circulation of global fashion?
Well, I think that it’s not that hard. It’s a little bit strange, because, when people see my work, they don’t think, that I’m from Serbia, but I don’t know why. Other designers from Serbia are now in Paris, and London, and everywhere!
My quality is known in other countries also, and I’m glad, because of that. For me it’s a pleasure to go everywhere I’ve been invited by other fashion-week organisations. I had invitations from Prague Fashion Week, I was there at London Fashion Week to see everything, and people there really liked my stuff, and I’m so happy and pleased about that. Also Berlin… my dream is Paris FW, NYC FW, and to show at London Fashion Week.
- Are you influenced by Serbian culture, art or traditions?
Not really, because there are so many designers influenced by our culture. I have some shapes, but in our traditional clothes there are so many details. Maybe I’ll do something with that, who knows! Maybe, when I will show in Paris, London, or NYC!
- I read, you also work as a stylist for the Serbian Elle, how do you see the style of Serbian people? Are you influenced by street-style as well? Which country's style do you like most?
I’m not working for the Elle Magazine anymore, but maybe I’ll start it again, who knows… I was inspired by street-looks from many countries for those editorials, I’ve done for that magazine. Also, it was a real pleasure to work for them with these numbers of years. But I personally like and prefer London-look!
- Is it important for you to do the styling part of your own collections and products as well?
Yes, of course. I do everything with the style and look for the collections, and it makes me happy.
- Are you influenced by the "big names"? Who are your beau ideal in fashion?
No… well, not really, but I like to see the work of some designers, like Raf Simons, Karl Lagerfeld, Martin Maison Margiela, Dior Homme… a lot of them!
- Which fashion-capital (New York, London, Milan, Paris) would you like to show your collections most? Why?
Like I said, every city is a dream to go to, and show there. I’m dreaming about to go to show in New York, London, Milan and Paris, but I think that London, Paris and NY are closer to my style than Milan…
- Tell me someone from the fashion-world, who you really would like to work with! (designer, model, photographer...)
Well, I always wanted to work with Agyness Deyn. Also want to work with Judy Blame (I met him at Gareth Pugh’s show in February ’08), great man and great artist! And I also worked with Florian Passenteiner (model from London) and it was such a great cooperation, because he’s a great model and a very nice person.
- Do you already have your own brand under your name, or you produce your collections in limited editions? Where can costumer explore and buy your clothes?
I don’t have a brand yet, so I have only limited editions of clothes, but soon, after the fashion week in April, I have plans to open a store in Belgrade.
Now, at the moment you can buy my stuff at Supermarket Concept Store and in Kokliko Boutique in Belgrade. I have plans to find contacts with shops from fashion capitals, to see if there’s any possibility for me to exhibit my clothes there!
- Do you still study?
Yes, haha, I have one more exam left and I will finish my college! I’m so happy about that, because I finished my college on time, while working in fashion, and you know, what fashion is like…
- How you see yourself in a few years? Or how would you like to see…?
Like a designer for some great house, have my own label and my collections shown at fashion weeks of the capitals of fashion!
- Thank you for the interview, Dejan!
Thank you very much!
Please, respect my work, and do not copy this interview without my permission!
photos: Julia Kim
