Initially graduated in architecture Julia Los and Joana Krawczyk ⎯ a Polish duo ⎯ redefine the garment’s structure through the dark theorem of Klekko.
Based in Berlin and launched last year, the brand is the mathematical equation of deconstruction through the lines. The silhouette is strong, the style is sporty, the cut is avant-garde. Klekko is for Fashion what Pierre Soulages is for Painting: the light comes through the black.
For a full immersion into the dark paradise of Klekko, Lust in Fashion suggests you to listen Fresh & Low – New Life source of inspiration during the creation process of the new collection “Bolder Line”.
Julia Los & Joana Krawczyk
How does architecture help you in your work?
Julia: Architecture has enormous influence on our projects and the aesthetics. Through architecture we understood and found out our own style. While creating collections we move the architectural elements of designing into fashion design. It determines our way of thinking, which tends to be very geometrical. We treat fabrics as surfaces and think a lot about the forms.
Joanna: We like to focus on proportions as well as dependency between them like for instance, how the items will match one another, which parts of the body they will reveal or cover, or what sort of lines are formed by the cuts. Studying architecture helped us definitely understand the process of designing.
Why have you decided to move to Berlin?
Joanna: Why? I think it’s started with your boyfriend, Julia. He moved to Berlin first and because of him we started to consider it as well. If he would not have made this step, we would have continued just thinking about it until now.
Julia: We really like the energy of this city and possibilities that it offers. There is a lot of creative people around, which is very motivating.
Is everything made in Poland?
Julia: Yes, all the items are made in Poznan. We are very proud of it, proud that our clothes are not made in China or Cambodia. We know and we can influence the working circumstances of people manufacturing clothes for us. What’s most important we can see how working for us can affect somebody’s life. It feels amazing.
Joanna: Yes, definitely. It is great we know all people and we can contact them personally, talk and discuss things.
What is the influence of your country on your work?
Joanna: I wouldn’t say it influences our aesthetics. We did not search for inspiration in polish culture. I could say it helped us get through tough moments when we had to work in quite difficult circumstances and conditions.
Julia: I agree. Comfort it is not the most important factor for us. Also in daily life or when we travel. (both laugh) .
At the beginning what were the difficulties that you had to face?
Joanna: At the beginning we were just sooo excited to work on our own label that we did not know or realize how difficult it could be.
Julia: To be honest with you – we made many stupid mistakes. We did not know how to make any business plan or manage our finances. I admit it might sounds crazy but luckily it all went well.
Joanna: Probably because we also did not know the consequences of all that. We were just so happy and so excited about what we were doing we did not see any obstacles.
You design clothes together. What do you do to always be on the same wavelength?
Julia: No, we are not always on the same wavelength. I can’t actually imagine that. It would not have worked but I don’t know, to be honest, how it is with us.
Joanna: What helps and connects us is common aesthetics, although we have different opinions while designing. It is great because it forces us to discussion. And we trust each other. There will be always one of us saying ‘oke, let’s do it your way’. We don’t have impression we have to choose between something good or bad, it is rather choice between good and better.
Among the emergence of the new designers what differentiates Klekko from other brands?
Julia: To be honest, I am not sure. We are focused to do our job as good as we can and don’t think what others do. We don’t try to be different or compare our work with another designers. Everything comes from us and is never secondary.
What kind of communication tools do you use in order to promote the brand?
Joanna: At this moment it is mostly Facebook and Instagram. We try to engage with our fans not just through showing them clothes, but also sharing content we are interested in ourselves. We try to on regular basis post events we are going to participate, like art exhibitions or parties, or just share interesting articles we have read, ‘things’ and music we like.
Julia: Yes, we try to show a bit of us and our tastes through social media. Let’s not forget that talking about our work and wearing our own clothes is great promotion as well.
How do you combine the stylistic geometry that defines the brand with the proportions of the human body?
Julia: We try to divide the silhouette and to design clothes with such proportions to put emphasis on particular elements of human body and human proportions. We use the geometry to stress some parts of a silhouette.
Why have you chosen to call the new collection “Bolder line 3/3”?
Julia: In this collection we talk about the line, which also ‘starred’ in the previous collection. It became stronger together with the silhouettes. The designs are much bigger and oversized, the lines are not just seams, but they grow into belts and stripes, for example on the back of the top or in the loincloth.
Joana: What’s funny, many people confused this name changing and started calling it Border Line. It was coming to people’s mind while looking at the collection. Number 3/3 doesn’t say anything about borderline personality but pays strong attention to internal deconstruction process. It talks about shaky emotions and consequently, about a process someone goes through.
“Follow the line ” and then “Bolder line”. How do you consider lines in your work?
Julia: I think that together with the “Follow the line” we started a story of the line, which Klekko is going to continue in the future. A line is sort of a process for us, it is something that extends, stretches and constitutes an axis we can work around. Lines are also relations and emotions we are talking about. What’s great about lines is that they can cross one another, run in different directions, which exactly reflects the stories we want to tell.
Compared to your previous collection were you more confident for the launch of “Bolder Line” ?
Julia: For sure in some aspects. We had more experience while designing this collection and that’s why we also felt more self-confident.
Joanna: You can also see that the silhouettes are more confident. We were very aware of the goal of this collection and we knew precisely what we wanted to do. I think we succeeded in that.
Why have you decided to introduce one white garment through this omnipresence of black?
Joanna: It was purely visual, I guess.
Julia: It was a strong intro to the collection – black stripes on white surface. Actually, it was an introduction and synthesis of the story. We wanted to have one graphical silhouette which would express it.
CAMPAIGN : Bolder Line
photo: Joana Krawczyk
models: David, Isaiah
Cyril Jordil
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