L’impossible in London

BECHA & the set up. Credit: Nikola Sokolov



L’impossible in London


L’impossible in London


L’impossible in London


L’impossible in London

From left to right: Nomoco, Becha, Valentina & Rita from Machas



L’impossible in London

Familiar faces (left from right): fellow Machas Artist Spiros Halaris, Valentina from Machas, designer Ana Ljubinkovic, Nomoco, Rita from Machas



L’impossible in London

(from left to right): Spiros Halaris, Valentina from Machas, Nomoco



L’impossible in London

BECHA's backdrop.



L’impossible in London


L’impossible in London

London Fashion Week is establishing itself as the perfect platform for all the different and unconventional voices of fashion to be heard loud and clear. Belgrade Fashion Week took on the opportunity to showcase their best talent, both in the designer and in the creativity department.

The fashion crowd gathered to Serbian House, located just off Oxford Street and few steps away from Selfridges, the experience first hand the key looks of Serbian designer, Ana Ljubinkovic, Ivana Pilja and George Styler, BECHA‘s impressive artwork and a sneak preview of the upcoming FAAR magazine (the only Serbian-made fashion magazine). Familiar faces included fellow Machas Artist Spiros Halaris, watercolor master Nomoco and Nike Italy Marta Larese.

Between a glass of Rakija and Vodka-Orange that the very welcoming stewards were offering (believe us, those Serbian drinks are not for the faint of heart…) we caught up with BECHA to get her thoughts on the event.
This is not the first time you work with Ana and the team behind Faar - what does it mean for you to work on those kind of projects?
The most important thing in this collaboration is freedom I get from them and complete understanding and trust in my work. At the same time, this is the best space for presenting my work in domain of fashion in Serbia.
What was the creative brief for L’Impossible?
British Fashion Council invited Serbia to join this years International Fashion Showcase during LFW 2013. Nenad Radujevic, as the director of Belgrade Fashion Week, choose three most perspective fashion designers from Serbia, Ana Ljubinkovic, Ivana Pilja and George Styler to represent our country. Since their styles are very different from one another, they came up with and idea to hove some kind of set up which will unite them visually. Ksenija Markovic curated this exhibition and choose avant-garde spirit of the 1920’s Serbian Surrealism as a common ground for all of us. Result was one strange and surreal scenery in nice, little gallery of Serbian pavilion in London.
I love the animals that live in the world you’ve created for L’Impossible? Where did you got the inspiration from?
From Bosch.
But where his animals are quite scary yours are quite fascinating!
Well, his work inspired me to start mixing different bits and pieces of animals and nature. I guess that my nature got involved and they came up nice (laughs)
How was to organize the set up? Which were the challenges?
Our initial idea went through a couple of changes as we didn’t know exactly how space looked like (in fact the measurement are not enough to visualize a space)- so we used the information we had and improvised along the way. With not such a big budget and few sponsors from Serbia, we succeed to make this L’impossible into possible.
What are your impressions of the night of the event?
I had a really great time. First of all, met you guys from Machas for the first time (although it felt like we were old friends) and many other people who share my same interests and passion. Reactions were very positive and encouraging which was the most important thing for us.
Any impressions on London?
Ah, London is an amazing city. I think I’ve been very lucky because I haven’t seen the real cloudy and rainy London, the sun was out all the time! The architecture of the city really amaze me, as well as the little splash of color that the double decker buses and telephone give. I also loved London’s bookstores, a paradise were to loose the notion of time, and the underground signs that would wake up the little, sleepy graphic designer inside me every time I see it. It was really a wonderful experience.

We also had the chance to have a chat with Belgrade Fashion Week organizer and FAAR founder, Nenad Radujevic.
This is the second year you’ve collaborated with BECHA, and this time the collaboration was not just limited to FAAR magazine but also to this exhibition in London: why did you want to work with BECHA again?
BECHA has proven to be a great illustrator for fashion. Her work is not only graphically accurate and creative but has a very attractive way to enhance the designer’s idea. It’s exactly her imagination and her sense for humor that enable her to create a special atmosphere around the model or on the pages of a magazine.
What was the feedback from your readers about Becha’s work?
Many FAAR fans contacted us to say how special and unique BECHA’s contribution was - I would say that it is the most successful issue so far.
Beside being the founder of FAAR, you are also the organizer of Belgrade Fashion Week: do you think that the illustrations that BECHA created benefitted Serbian fashion? If yes, how? Beside Belgrade Fashion Week, I’ve been working more than twenty years in fashion in Southeast Europe region and I can tell you that it is very important to cross promote our talents, both as a designer or as a artist.
It looks like BECHA’s art is complementary to Ana’s fashion: why do you think those two worlds are working so well together? 
I think when people are open to cooperate and open minded those kind of collaboration are much easier, especially if they share similar sensibilities and interests - in fact Ana is a painter and her models reflect that. Anyway it’s nice to see that Ana’s creations reach superior visualization through BECHA’s work and, vice versa, in her imaginative fashion Ana encourages BECHA drawings.

We at Machas believe that BECHA should come back to enjoy some of London’s miserable weather very soon - and to show more of her brilliant art.



 

Similar Posts