Damir Doma - Conversation No5 - N2

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DAMIRDOMACONVERSATIONN'5 A conversation with Damir Doma on the world he creates with his garments.

A designer from the soul, Damir Domas embrace of the human form alludes

to a beautiful fragility as his vision translates into a form reminiscent of

aesthetic poetry. His exploration through fabric experimentations show

through the progressive ideals of discovery and diversity, leading to organic

silhouettes of fluidity, in turn creating his own universe for us all to reside in.

Text bySamuel Willet

Photographs courtesy ofDamir Doma

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We heard that you are currently working on

the upcoming season which involves some

traveling. Where are you headed to and how

is ever ything working out so far?

Im in the middle of the womens collec-

tion! We just started the development of

shoes and bags and for the moment Im

in Paris preparing the next womens

show, checking locations and meetingwith the production team. By the end of

the week Ill have to go to Italy to check

on the collection samples. Its a very

hectic period right now and Im trying to

take some days off to relax.

Your vision is extremely directional, do you

design a world within your garments or an

experience to be interpreted by the wearer?

Im basically designing my own world

and I try to turn my vision into reality. Ibelieve its up to the wearer to create his

own individual style once he or she has

my products. Im trying to inspire

people, show them alternative ways to

approach clothing and personal style,

but at the end of the day I dont really

believe in people wearing whole looks

from one designer.

Texture and material are an integral basis to

each garment, why is this so important to youand how would you descr ibe the relationship

of these elements to the wearer?

The material is the base of each garment

and I create my materials from scratch.

Most of the materials we use are exclu-

sive developments and depending on the

material, the style of a garment can be

very different. Its a process we go

through that enables us to change the

whole look of the wearer. I also believe

clothes and especially materials are

something very intimate and personal.

The materials are in direct and closecontact with your skin and I find most

people dont really spend enough time

to think about this fact and select the

right garment.

How would you describe the quintessential

Damir Doma female and male and how does

this affect the way you design each collection?

They are both proud, elegant and strong

individuals. My clothes give them the

chance to live and show their character. Ialways create with this image in my mind.

Your aesthetic influences seem to stem from a

diverse range of sub-cultures, what is your

constant source of inspiration?

There are a few different roots and

characteristics in me. I wouldnt just

reduce it to my Croatian roots but I

believe its really important to see my

whole background including my Croa-tian origin but also my German, Belgium

and Parisian background. I believe that


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the mix of these cultural influences make

my work so special. Its also important to

see that through the mix of different

cultures there is no clear reference left! I

cant really identify with one of these

cultures and say: this is 100% me!. Imtrying not to give a clear reference.

You are surrounded by a strong group of

talented avant-garde designers showing each

season. How do you remain focused on yourown direction?

Im trying not to look to much left and

right, I protect myself and my personal

individual vision by focusing on my own

work and creation.

Brands are now driven largely by online

media with a plethora of information readily

available within minutes of any runway

show. Do you see the current transparent

nature of fashion as a positive or negativeimpact on your vision?

Online media has no impact on my

creation or my inspiration. In general I

believe that its a great thing for the

consumer and the press but the major

problem is that there is no quality

control anymore! At the end of the day

Im not the biggest fan of online infor-

mation. Well have to find a way of

structuring the information we find onthe web.

We have to refine our understanding of

what information exactly isat the

moment I find it really hard to under-

stand which online information is based

on a quality research by a professional

and which one is just bullshit by a bored

fashion student!

The interior of your flagship store in Paris

goes hand-in-hand with that of your gar-

ments, can you tell us a little bit about the

development of the store and how integralyour own working environment is to its

creative process?

I believe its important to create an

individual universe, not just one made

up of clothes. People who enter the store

have to feel surrounded by the aura of

Damir Doma. Its also very important for

myself to be surrounded by the right

music in the right light and really feel

the creation.

With the release of SILENT and your

womens collection all in the same season,

what can we expect from you in the future,

particularly from FW 2011?

Im working a lot on the refinements and

positioning of the collections now, each

of them should portray its own charac-

ter. For end 2010 there will be some newcollaborations and there will definitely

be some great surprises!

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Damir Doma - Conversation No5 - N2