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“I would have to say that the story of TextileHaus begins with my mother. I grew up in Russia in 90s where people didn’t really have an opportunity for impulsive purchases. It was expected that I maintain a capsule wardrobe that allows for careful add ons here and there. My mother also required that I make a sample of a garment before I was allowed to buy one if I was eyeing something on an expensive side. So I have always had this mindset that one garment should be able to do many things and be as versatile and comfortable as possible. Fast forward 10 years later, I graduated with a fine Art Degree from the University Of Cincinnati, and found myself in that limbo stage when I was deciding what IS IT that I want to do. My University professor asked if someone could help him sew a jacket for an Art Performance piece and I agreed to help. I was living in states by myself at that time, all of my family was still back in Russia and when I was working on that project, I felt that I was back in home with my mom, bonding over a project and that notion just felt right at home, and I just kept going. I started making one offs here and there before finally deciding to become a serious company, pick a name and so on.”
What’s the concept of your latest collection? The latest collection is called Moving Pieces. My goal was to create garments where each item can be worn in at least three different ways. Many of them end up being more and my customers come up with with new ways of tying up the garments all the time. I think with this collection I was able to blend the simplicity of minimalism that I love in Fashion and Interactive Art. I love that each item can transform into something completely new depending on who is wearing it.
What inspires you the most? I think movement. I love to observe how fashion can transform the way people move in the space. One person that is wearing a tailored jacket moves very differently from the one who is wearing an artful sack. There are so many layers to movement, of a person and textile, and both of them together, it seems so psychological to me and I can not stop thinking how it relates to fashion.
How does the place you live in affect your design? Tremendously. There are two things that I rely on: The weather and mentality. I live in California, and most everyone here is easy going and has a nice flow to them, I definitely influences my aesthetic in fashion and what I want to wear. San Fransisco can be cold and hot at the same time, depending on what side of the city you are on, so I always try to think of layers in my designs and how they can be mixed and matched with each other.
What’s the future of fashion according to you? To me it is simplifying and looking back a little? I feel like fashion has been racing to get somewhere with more and more stuff and better prices, then we entered that stage when everyone was so tired of it that we only wanted to support small brands and pay outrages prices for a small emerging designer item. To me right now is about taking a moment to organize, decide what is the most efficient way to consume and produce for each one of us in order to make fashion industry affordable and sustainable at the same time.
What’s your next project? My next project is gong to be unisex line. I have been toying with an idea of making me’s line, but it would be fun to start with unisex and moving pieces combo and see what I can come up with.
http://www.textilehaus.com
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