LFW: Interview with New Generation Winner Ginta Siceva
20-02-2007
Q How do you feel having received the New Gen award?
Ginta: I have to say I’m very grateful about having been chosen for this scheme as I was about to start something new and I didn’t have the money to exhibit at LFW. It was the best thing that could happen to me. I applied for the sponsorship and I really must say I’m overwhelmed with all the interest. Buyers from all over the globe have approached me. Among them, an Arabian store and charity organisations. I’ve also received many offers for my carnival masks; they might appear on a new American TV series and will be stocked at a Covent Garden sex shop. There is much wider range of people attracted to my work than I ever thought there would be.
Q How would you describe your style?
Ginta: My work generally consists of unique, sculptured and all-of-a-kind designs. I try to combine old traditional craft skills with innovative and modern techniques. The result is a very artistic and different style from the ordinary collections you will find in the shops. It’s certainly not what the commercial market is primarily aiming for. I love decoration and pay a lot of attention to detail which results in an Art Nouveau style. It is very important to me not to use pre-existing materials, but rather to do everything myself. For example I make my own fittings, handles for bags or decoration pieces from glass for some necklaces. My most recent collection is mainly about necklaces, but also includes evening bags, face carnival masks, hand-cut appliqués, all surrounding the theme of mysteriousness.
Q Where does your inspiration come from?
Ginta: I use nature’s resources as an inspiration. For this season’s collection it was the motive of flowers and leaves. I start with something very simple, it could be anything – just a detail of a flower’s petal for instance – from there I sketch my designs and develop them further and further. A big influence to me is Art Nouveau, an art direction one can find all over Riga.
Q Do you feel the time has come for the Baltic States?
Ginta: There is still a different thinking about fashion in Latvia. The designers are much more art focused. I’m no exception to the rule; my work shows a great art influence. I tried many different things, starting from local craft school to modelling, but in the end I decided to study Accessories Design in London, because I thought it was the best place to go. And so did my sister, Aiga, who is also working as a designer. We do collaborative work on my designs. But for most Latvian people handcrafted skills are simply a significant part of the national heritage.
Q What are you planning for next spring?
Ginta: My head is like a scrapbook full of ideas. I think for spring I will make the bags bigger in size and I will use brighter and stronger colours. So watch out for me!
About Ginta:
Ginta Siceva grew up in the Latvian capital, Riga, where at the age of ten she started studying at a local craft school and learnt the basic skills and knowledge of small leather goods. After she finished school, Ginta decided to study at the London College of Fashion where she first did a foundation course in Fashion Design and Illustration and was later awarded a First Class Bachelor of Arts degree. She won the CPL Aromas award for her end-of-year collection “Art Nouveau†and also holds a Masters degree in Design and Technology of Accessories from LCF.
More information will soon be available under www.ginta.co.uk. For questions or enquiries send an email to ginta@ginta.co.uk
About TopShop New Generation:
For this season’s fashion week, 15 designers received the New Generation sponsorship from TopShop. Started in 1993 the high street giant is running it for the eleventh time. Among earlier recipients are big designer names such as Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and Hussein Chayalan.
By Christa Catharina Muller
