We are finally getting to the Baltics. They've been entirely neglected and I can't ignore them, no matter how tiny they may be. I came across
this list and shamelessly went through and searched designers on it. I often make notes on how I research for my posts, and I'm writing a post to address this very topic. It's a whole matter in and of itself and for those interested in the region (who may not know the scads of languages necessary for such tasks), it's good to see how I come up with the information. It's not as easy as it looks even with Google the great machine, I swear.
Ivo Nikkolo is the first Estonian designer I came across. You can browse more of his designs on his
website. His collection is smart street clothes and the construction is clean and very smart. I loved this prints, like the dress to the left. Ah, the marbling and watercoloresque prints are beautiful. I'm really into it. The military jackets are borderline marching band outfits, but I'm a sucker for red and a bunch of cool buttons. But
these pants? Love 'em. It's like someone painted on the pants and that makes me think of Basquiat, which is a good mental association. He's a pretty hot designer in the Baltic region, as you can see in the list of boutiques in the region that carry his clothes. There's a picture of a very, very, very cool sweater in the background of his website and I'm wondering if he's willing to sell that. It's like a skeleton, which I would very much like to wear in a fashionista way. I'm just super fashionista...*wishing I was a fashionista*
Nu Nordik is the next fashion label. There is a Facebook page with lots of
photos and I like it. The 2011 collection has a cool hooded-parka thing called "
winter flower" and I loved all the variations (especially the one I linked to). The deer t-shirt is such a cool print and I love how it's sketched. The half t-shirt versions were not my fave, but I did like the embroidery for a bit of funk. I looked at a few photo albums and I get a very funky Ikea vibe. It's like Ikea went a bit punk and funky modern and made clothes. There's something clean and generally appealing despite its particularity. Nu Nordik also makes home accessories, so it
is kind of like Ikea went into fashion design. Or it's kind of like Urban Outfitters. Whatever. (You'll have to browse their Fbook page, I can't be bothered to capture pictures).
Next on the docket is
Triinu Pungits. I nearly had a heart attack when I scrolled through the photos. I couldn't love it more. He makes down coats the most fashionable things I've ever seen. Those bird wing coattails are
phenomenal. I'm seriously giddy. Some of
his items remind me of
this from a fashion blogger I read. But they're less packing-peanuts-stuffed-in-panty-hose and more awesome. GAAAH. This
dress made me die and this
hood killed me all over again. If I wore any of these clothes, it would either feel like wearing a cloud or wearing a duvet as clothes. Both of those sound so comfortable, especially during winter. Even though Chicago is experiencing an early, temporary spring, when the cold comes back, I want that orange jacket with the hood. It just needs to happen.
The next designer is
Vassilissa Danavir. She is one interesting designer. Her
website is chock full of collections and with headpieces that make my jaw drop in their extravagance. She also styled a
show that I thought was way, way cool because the catwalk was a set of stairs in the city, which blends the idea of street fashion and haute couture. The porcelain-like masks just make it a fun and surreal real life catwalk. I like seeing a real life context and background to the clothes, even though the setting reflects on the clothes, etc., instead of the clothes being the sole focus. There's also an interesting
commercial for her berets. She graduated with a BA in artist/model making, an MA in textile design, and is currently studying filmography. She runs her own design studio and has done work in film, mainly short ones. She did this video as a "
Happy New Year 2010", which is a bit strange, but I love knowing that she does several aspects of the creative process. She can direct her own videos for her collections with some serious chops. Hats off to that!
I should mention the
designer Beatrice since she cohosted a fashion dinner with Danavir. She's worth look at as well. Something that I read on Danavir's website said that the fashion community in Estonia is very small and mainly centered around Tallinn. She made the point that "any voice can be heard" because of the intimacy of fashion in Estonia. I think there's something interesting in that.
*I need to thank the blogger Anne for her helpful
list of Estonian designers.
