Happy Sunday friends!Hope you are all well, and enjoying your weekend so far.Today I am sharing with you a long promised interview about the guy behind my Rocking in the USA lookbook feature Here, summer photo shoots Here, here and Here.I have also been wearing some of his works on my late outfit post a lot , remember the Blue rain boots and this lovely black clutch? The guy is a wonderful multitasker and he also know how to purse the dreams He have without letting situations get to his head, after showing you all his works and most of you were thrilled, I promised to get him down and take an interview out of him.It wasn't easy because we are both busy and run on totally different schedule but I know we can make it work and you dear totally deserve more than al the trouble.I hope you enjoy this little interview and get to see his works too.Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from? What's your educational background? What are your general professional and non-professional interests?
I’m from Greece, but I was born and raised in Germany. My parents are second immigrants and I lived there until I was 18 years old. I graduated from both German and Greek high school, came to Greece for studies in Nursing and Welfare Social Solidarity Healthcare in 1999. I also took Music-Technical Art diploma in Germany. I am supposed still be working on my doctor title in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support-NCMH. In general I am into a lot of stuff. I am writing, editing and doing the art-work on my online magazine CityMag. I am also searching and writing about several science projects. And everything that has to do with art especially manufacturing and sewing.
What does fashion mean to you?
In my mind fashion has to do much more with style and not with any cloth wearing. In fact I have not really much in common with fashion as most people knew it. I am not a mainstream guy basically I am not fashion designer ether. The thing is that I feel something who wants to go out of me as an expression of an idea but in a real way to wear it. I don’t know if I manage it well so far but it does not seem to go very badly.
What was the first article of clothing you ever designed?Oh something many years ago. I don’t can remember it exactly if it was something in school or at home, for sure it was a dress, mostly clothes for my little sister. She’s very petite and I think that’s why I’m sewing dresses in the same way today. She was my first model standing for hours posing and witnessing my craziness. I will yell at her and she would not speak to me for days but today she’s very proud of me and for me she will be always my number one favorite model.
How long does it usually take you to construct a piece?That depends on many factors. The kind of piece, the size, my mood and of course. I will give tree days margins but a whole collection with everything, clothes, accessories and shoes can hold up to six months especially the fall/winter fashion collection. Sometimes I’m in the middle of a project and I stop it unexpected. I’m a little unpredictable and get easily bored. That’s one of the reasons why clothes of mine are not featured on catwalks.
What do you believe makes a quality article of clothing?
The fabric and seam. It’s simple and to be honest bad quality of fabrics with low percent of cotton or wool are inappropriate as much as bad sewed sutures that can open at any time and we all know that. That does not mean that you have to by very expensive. Today the market is full of bad quality clothes even from brands.
Do you consider yourself an artist?
I consider myself as a producer of a different kind of clothing which involved art. Because I also sew costumes for theatre, musicals and dance shows. Beside my occupation with my needle and thread I also perform art in many ways from paintings to photography and from writing to entertaining. There are times where I don’t really like to sewing, and just something totally different. In few words I don’t have a fashion circle like other designers have. The inspiration comes; I make it, that’s it. So in that meaning to be in general called as an artist is a more secure title. Anyway, I would never consider myself as a fashion designer. I didn’t study anything related to fashion designs.
Do you prefer sketching designs or actually constructing them?
I used to put my ideas down on papers because I also do sketching and painting, but today I just grape my shear and go directly in to the textile. There are pieces like dresses I like to sketch but I could never imagine myself to be only in front of a draw desk and never on my sew machine. When it comes to accessories there are moments I wish I could have a dozens of sewers in line to finish them, especially when I do handmade. That has to do with the repetition I have to do over and over and I hate that. That’s why I prefer to make one piece of every item.
How would you define your personal style?Well, I can’t say I am alternative, because I don’t really like that word. I always say art is not divided into qualitative, but in “I like” and “I don’t care” because in the end, bad art is difficult to achieve. For many years I was searching in and outside of myself for my personal style. Eventually I am still searching or I don’t have any style either. I can adapt to many styles quite well, so for me it’s not really an issue. I have come under criticism for my ubiquitous and controversial behavior through my weird and admittedly add campaigns. But I cannot and I won’t put myself in moral boxes. I am who I am. Where can my readers find out more about you and your work?They can find me at my Facebook Page leo theo - fashion home accessories and my website http://leotheo.photofolio.org/
What will you advise young people who are aspiring to go into fashion?I don’t know if I am qualified to give advices but I would say that living now in the century we are, it does not matter which style or genre you follow. The most important is to make fashion represents who you are and also be wearable.
Cheers till next post and carpe diem!
