London and Moscow might be two strikingly different cities, but they share at least one thing: Yulia Kondranina. The Moscow-born, London-based designer brings the pragmatic design approaches of Russia to eccentric London, resulting in highly textured, visibly crafted pieces. Think metal-and-ribbon eyelet dresses, hand-knitted, geometrically cut sweaters, and dramatic pleats.
“When I go back to see my family, it’s an absolutely different feeling and it doesn’t feel as creative,” she says in her London studio. “Here, you see all the eccentric people, and London’s a great city, so you get inspired. I wouldn’t be able to achieve what I have now in Russia; I would have just stayed with [corporate] brands.”
After honing her craft at Central Saint Martins, Kondranina developed her line, focusing on dramatic statement pieces. Her Autumn/Winter 2014 collection tones it down just a smidge, but the graphic designs are still eye-catching. “Saint Martins really influenced me because it pushes you so much,” Kondranina says. “In Russia, you have boundaries. I had really good skills, but you can’t do this; you can’t do that. Here, it’s whatever you want, so they push you to make you be different.”
Shop all Yulia Kondranina here
JESSICA CHOU: It seems like you’re very much focused on texture, with fringe and cut-outs and braids. Do you focus on that before coming up with other factors of design?
YULIA KONDRANINA: I think I do start from texture. I might have shape in mind or some kind of details, but technique is really important for me. It’s the starting point. Like, if the technique is complicated or you have embroidery, you don’t need anything else, so you have a boxy shape or something simple.
For your Spring/Summer 2015 collection, what are you looking at?
We’re starting from fabrics first; I like this look of natural silk threads and embroidered material. I’m really careful about colors, since it’s really difficult to work with colors and a really graphic idea, but I am trying to push myself, so I really want to do really subtle and light colors. I think it’s going to be more feminine, but you never know.
How did you get involved in fashion designing?
I always made clothes for my dolls, when I was little. It sounds stupid, but I would just make clothes for Barbie. I wanted to buy clothes, but they were so expensive. So I made little jumpers and dresses.
What was the first article of clothing you made for yourself?
My grandma taught me basic sewing when I was 8 or 9, so when I was 9, we made a skirt for myself. It was a firm, checkered pencil skirt. We had uniforms in the older times, and when I was in second or third year, we were allowed to wear anything we wanted. It was very visible; some families were doing really well and could dress their kids very well, but other kids didn’t have those opportunities, and it was kind of a struggle. You can’t wear something new and exciting every day, so that pushed me to make my own clothes, to have something that is only mine.
Where did you get fabrics and material?
My grandmother would stock up on fabrics, and I cut up a lot of my mom’s skirts.
Like Pretty in Pink! Did you ever get into any fights with your mother about this?
There were a bit of arguments at times. Like, “Oh, Mom I really like your dress.” And I would use it without asking her, because she would never have let me do it.
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“When I go back to see my family, it’s an absolutely different feeling and it doesn’t feel as creative,” she says in her London studio. “Here, you see all the eccentric people, and London’s a great city, so you get inspired. I wouldn’t be able to achieve what I have now in Russia; I would have just stayed with [corporate] brands.”
After honing her craft at Central Saint Martins, Kondranina developed her line, focusing on dramatic statement pieces. Her Autumn/Winter 2014 collection tones it down just a smidge, but the graphic designs are still eye-catching. “Saint Martins really influenced me because it pushes you so much,” Kondranina says. “In Russia, you have boundaries. I had really good skills, but you can’t do this; you can’t do that. Here, it’s whatever you want, so they push you to make you be different.”
Shop all Yulia Kondranina here
JESSICA CHOU: It seems like you’re very much focused on texture, with fringe and cut-outs and braids. Do you focus on that before coming up with other factors of design?
YULIA KONDRANINA: I think I do start from texture. I might have shape in mind or some kind of details, but technique is really important for me. It’s the starting point. Like, if the technique is complicated or you have embroidery, you don’t need anything else, so you have a boxy shape or something simple.
For your Spring/Summer 2015 collection, what are you looking at?
We’re starting from fabrics first; I like this look of natural silk threads and embroidered material. I’m really careful about colors, since it’s really difficult to work with colors and a really graphic idea, but I am trying to push myself, so I really want to do really subtle and light colors. I think it’s going to be more feminine, but you never know.
How did you get involved in fashion designing?
I always made clothes for my dolls, when I was little. It sounds stupid, but I would just make clothes for Barbie. I wanted to buy clothes, but they were so expensive. So I made little jumpers and dresses.
What was the first article of clothing you made for yourself?
My grandma taught me basic sewing when I was 8 or 9, so when I was 9, we made a skirt for myself. It was a firm, checkered pencil skirt. We had uniforms in the older times, and when I was in second or third year, we were allowed to wear anything we wanted. It was very visible; some families were doing really well and could dress their kids very well, but other kids didn’t have those opportunities, and it was kind of a struggle. You can’t wear something new and exciting every day, so that pushed me to make my own clothes, to have something that is only mine.
Where did you get fabrics and material?
My grandmother would stock up on fabrics, and I cut up a lot of my mom’s skirts.
Like Pretty in Pink! Did you ever get into any fights with your mother about this?
There were a bit of arguments at times. Like, “Oh, Mom I really like your dress.” And I would use it without asking her, because she would never have let me do it.