| Winner of the ‘Best Danish Design Talent’ 2009 at the prestigious Dansk Fashion Awards, Copenhagen-based designer Stine Goya has carved out a niche for herself, designing unique day-to-night pieces characterised by bold colours, distinctive silhouettes and dramatic prints. Taking time out from designing for AW10, Stine chats to farfetch.com about her eponymous label and the theatrical grandeur of the AW09 collection, entitled The Black Spectacle. |
How would you describe the Stine Goya aesthetic and do you have a particular type of person in mind when you design?
Stine Goya: It’s difficult to describe the boundaries and signature style of Stine Goya. I believe in a progressive brand and as such I’d rather not restrict myself with guidelines or a certain audience. Of course there is a continual identity from my fundamental aesthetic as a designer, but when I design I focus primarily on creating pieces which are relevant and support the individuality of the wearer, not on a certain type or look.
For AW09 you presented a collection that felt both glamorous and unconventional, with a flavour of the circus in both the clothing and the catwalk, how did you come up with the overall concept?
Stine Goya: I was initially fascinated by the more sultry end of the spectrum of performance arts, where theatrical grandeur seems to gain a darker and more sensual connotation and becomes sexier - almost touching upon the farcical in its finery and use of extravagance and adornment. As a result the collection has evolved and is slimmer, more form-fitting and darker than that which I have previously presented.
The themes of drama and performance seem to be central to your aesthetic, what inspires you about these themes?
Stine Goya: A tendency towards the dramatic is something I regard as a natural result of my aesthetic as a designer. I like to work towards a symbiosis of form and colour which subtly accentuates and compliments the female form - this combined with the play between volume and graphical lines - mean my work can be interpreted as theatrical.
Before your debut collection in 2007, shown at Paris Fashion Week, you worked for a variety of fashion magazines in both editorial and styling, how have these roles impacted the way you design today?
Stine Goya: It has nuanced my work, in that it has given me a solid understanding not only of the protected universe in which one creates in the unity of a collection, but also in the interpretation of fashion by a plethora of other contributors. It is important to me that my pieces have strength of design which makes them interesting, even when taken out of the vision of a collection and into the context of fashion at large by a photographer or stylist or in the subjective use of fashion by the wearer.
| You’ve just presented your SS10 collection at Copenhagen Fashion Week, in a poolside setting, how did the show go and what made you choose this location?
Stine Goya: I was very pleased by the end result in that the surroundings and feel of the show encapsulated the leisurely perusal of decadence, summer and determined optimism which lay central to the collection. I was especially fascinated by the atmosphere prevalent among the privileged youth of the Hamptons set in the early half of the 20th century; a sort of casual enjoyment of existence and distancing from the seriousness and moral code of previous generations.
“I like to work towards a symbiosis of form and colour which subtly accentuates and compliments the female form”
Stine Goya
Congratulations on winning the ‘Best Danish Design Talent’ award at the prestigious Dansk Fashion Awards last year, it’s a great accolade, what does the award mean for you?
Stine Goya: It was fantastic to be recognised for that which I greatly enjoy doing. Designing is an introverted process, so an award such as this is a testament to the relevance and external interest in my designs. I think this is important for the brand, to have a continual purpose and right of existence.
Copenhagen is recognised as a hub for unique talent and innovative design, why do you love showing in this city and how does it compare to London and Paris – where you have also presented collections?
Stine Goya: Showing in Copenhagen allows me to focus on exhibiting that which sets Stine Goya apart, while at the same time drawing on the collective design identity and expectations which surround Copenhagen Fashion Week. It has its advantages and disadvantages, however I love the intimacy of the Copenhagen Fashion Week; the integration of the city and the unity of the industry create a rather unique and open atmosphere.
Do you have any exciting projects or collaborations on the cards for 2009?
Stine Goya: At present, I am in the midst of the creative process for the AW10 collection and I am also collaborating with Swedish chain Weekday, to launch a capsule collection embodying the classic elements of the Stine Goya universe.
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