Fashion Designer: SLADANA KRSTIC @queenmoodcouture @NYTORM agency
Creative Director: Giada Falcone @giadafalcone._
Photographer: Alessandro Crusco @visionimiopi
Wardrobe Stylist: Stylist: Antonio Bardini @antoniobardini_ny
Fashion Designer: Jelena Bosnjak @boshjelena.jb
Model: Gaia Mancuso @gaia_mancuso @A Pois
Model: Zohra Moutaraji @zohra.mj @A Pois
Makeup Artist/Hair Stylist: Eva Marzocchi @evamarzocchi_mua
Textile Designer: Stjepko Mamic @stjepkomamicSladana, could you tell us who you are and how did you get involved with fashion?
I was only six when I drew my dolls on sheets of paper and then I delighted in creating clothes for them to dress them as best I could. The passion for fashion was therefore born with me.
My first sketch came to life when I was still a little girl: at that time I was in middle school and after doing my homework - I loved spending time drawing and making fashion models.
Then I managed to carry out targeted studies both in my country of origin - my beloved Croatia - and in Italy, a land that welcomed me as one of the new talents of European fashion.
How is working in fashion different today than from when you started out?
When I started studying art and fashion in the art high school in Croatia we were privileged because it was very difficult to join an art high school which at the time were only two in all Croatia. I studied art, drawing, painting, graphics, industrial design, photography and fashion all strictly by hand, without the use of technology. For me personally, it was a true paradise. Now approaching fashion is very fast, too much technology is used and a lot of art and manual skills have been lost. Now with the use of technology much less hand drawing is used and I see a lot of copy and paste as we are bombarded with social media of all kinds every day. I see less originality and the desire to transgress by creating one's own identity.
What do you want to achieve through fashion?
Since I can remember myself, I already knew that Art in all its forms would be my path in life. Through design, the research of trends, by personally choosing fabrics for my collections, I reach the maximum artistic expression, authentic freedom of my extract and language of my creativity. As long as my heart has so much joy to do it all means I'm on the right track. As long as there is almost childish fun in the creation of my collections, it means that I have a lot to give and learn. I would like to reach the maximum of my artistic expression by not bowing to the laws of the market.
Are there particular issues within the fashion industry that concern you? If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
There are so many problems in the fashion industry and every day it is perceived more and more. It will be the problem of globalization, fast fashion and too much speed in changing the collections that become impossible to manage if you do Haute Couture. Going too fast decreases the quality of both the ideas that are starting to fail and the quality of the materials chosen to create a collection. Personally, I would invite the consumer to return to the atelier and have the models made to measure by helping the re-growth of handmade and originality rather than quantity.
In your daily routine, what resources do you like to learn new things about art, fashion?
Being very attentive to Beauty in all its forms and born esthete, I notice everything around me almost unconsciously, I absorb the beauty of nature and colors that have a great impact on me. I am very curious by nature, I am very interested in street fashion and its originality which is constantly changing intrigues me what young people wear, who have the desire to transgress and not follow the crowd. From them, I take many ideas for the realization of my collections.
What's the most important thing you want your potential clients to know about you?
Being very attentive to Beauty in all its forms and born esthete, I notice everything around me almost unconsciously, I absorb the beauty of nature and colors that have a great impact on me. I am very curious by nature, I am very interested in street fashion and its originality which is constantly changing, intrigues me what young people bring who have the desire to transgress and not follow the crowd. From them, I take many ideas for the realization of my collections.
If you could say one thing to someone younger who looks up to you, what would you say?
If I could say one thing to someone younger who admires me, I would tell him that if he wants to take this path he must absolutely study, study and study. Creativity is important but it takes the right to study and theoretical preparation that forms the basis for the whole process. You have to draw endlessly and always start over while remaining faithful to your ideas and not being conditioned by mass media and society.
What's been the biggest highlight in your career so far?
The highlight of my career so far was certainly in July 2014 with the Altieri Academy where I contributed to the creation of the main costumes of the science fiction film "Andròn-The Black Labyrinth" with Alec Bodwin and In March and May 2016 I participated in the broadcast " Detto Fatto "of RAI 2 where I was chosen from among thousands of requests to be part of Gianni Molaro's Academy of Fashion. In the extra-academic episode in May 2016, again in the broadcast "Detto Fatto" of RAI 2, I won the challenge with two other stylists, interpreting prevention with nutrition against diseases in the best possible way with their outfits. The great satisfaction is certainly my participation every year at AltaRoma, the Roman Fashion Week where I present my collections.
What does life look like for you now and where do you see yourself in the future?
Now I am inspired by the Rebirth after the heavy world situation with Covid disease. I am an innate optimist, I think that after rain there is always sun and that we absolutely must believe in the Rebirth. My next collection will be projected into the future, very colorful and lively, like me.