New Designer Andra Bucsev-About the New Collection and more..
Who is the mind behind this collection?
In the first place MONTAGE was meant to be just a collection name, but I fell in love so hard with the idea that I decided to use it as a whole concept for the brand that I was going to launch. Once the project was selected to be a part of the RCW23 IF Platform Group, I thought that maybe this was a sign that I should go forward with this approach. So, to answer the question, Andra Bucșev is the designer and the founder of MONTAGE, a project that was designed in order to encourage people to accept themselves as they are, allowing each element of their being to retain it’s separate identity as a way of adding meaning to the composition of life.
How does this collection reflect your personal design aesthetic and philosophy?
According to the dictionary, MONTAGE is the technique of combining in a single composition elements from various sources to give the illusion that the elements belonged together. In the fashion context it becomes a metaphor. We look at someone and perceive them as a whole, but in most cases, when we gaze upon a diamond, the facets we cannot see reflect the most light. This also applies when we talk about the anarchy behind the punk subculture, that has deeply inspired the collection. Anarchy it’s not always supposed to be loud and noisy. Sometimes it comes in different forms, such as internal emotional conflicts, that lead to sentimental anarchy.
Are there any specific cultural or social issues that inspired or influence this collection?
In the glory days of the punk subculture, anarchy was an external manifesto, which could be observed through political activism, protest marches, and the defense of social justice. But the thing is that nowadays young people's worries are no longer generated by the same things as they used to be. They are generated precisely by what used to be pride and evidence of individuality: non-conformity to classical ideological and behavioral patterns. To answer the question, this “internalised anarchy” that resulted from this phenomena is the social “issue” that inspired me the most.
Were there any particular muses or icons that inspired the overall aesthetic?
Creating the pieces I felt like I was continually channeling my inner Jordan Mooney, young, punk and dancing at the Roxy’s in London. Derek Ridger’s photo archive from the ’70 helped me also a lot in finding the right aesthetic to express my vision. It was really important for me not to imitate an aesthetic visually, but to translate the atmosphere from back then through shapes, textures and accessories.
Can you discuss any symbolism or hidden meanings behind certain prints, patterns, or motifs in this collection?
The tartan pattern that was printed on some of the fabrics brings for sure the old London, leaded by Vivienne Westwood &Malcom Mclaren, to mind.
Check them out here !