Why do you dress the way you do?
the Design Museum
I perceive clothing as something that expresses our personality but at the same time something that should protect us and make us feel comfortable. The way I dress is a result from those things.
Roksanda Ilincic
How did you first become interested in fashion design?
the Design Museum
I think I was always interested in fashion from an early age, even if this was subconsciously. I grew up in Belgrade around my mum’s incredible wardrobe which was so colourful and vivid, so in turn, I loved experimenting with clothes, customising them, changing them in a way which would make me stand out.
Roksanda Ilincic
Do you have a preference for particular shapes, colours, fabrics or textures?
the Design Museum
Wearing my own designs usually means a very colourful palette. I tend to wear full or midi length skirts and dresses more than anything else.
Roksanda Ilincic
When did you become aware of fashion?
the Design Museum
I've always had a keen interest in style which was inherited from my mother, but I probably wasn't aware of 'fashion' until a bit later.
Roksanda Ilincic
What are you specifically doing for women in terms of the suggestions you make in your shoe collections?
the Design Museum
I like to think I am offering women a fun and exciting alternative, something that should definitely lift their spirit once they put it on.
Roksanda Ilincic
How do you want women to feel when they wear your designs?
the Design Museum
I want women to feel comfortable, confident and elegant. I think if you wear something you understand and you believe in the design, you will always look your best.
Roksanda Ilincic
Does fashion empower you? What outfit would most empower you and why?
the Design Museum
I think getting dressed every day is like putting on armour, what you wear serves as your statement to the rest of the world about your taste and style.
Roksanda Ilincic
When did your love for colour begin?
the Design Museum
As well as my mums wardrobe, the city we lived in was also vibrant and the sunny climate always saturated the colours to make them look even brighter. I think that is why now I feel so comfortable and familiar with colour.
Roksanda Ilincic
How has your design education and background influenced your career?
the Design Museum
I studied architecture and fashion simultaneously at university in Belgrade. I am still influenced by my training in applied arts and architecture not only visually, but also in a way that I compose my designs, drawing and draping fabrics to build my own shapes and structures, also using interesting fabrics, textures and surface designs.
Roksanda Ilincic
What inspires you the most about design?
the Design Museum
The fact that you can create possibility out of impossibility and beauty out of the ordinary.
Roksanda Ilincic
Where do you draw inspiration for your work?
the Design Museum
I draw it from life itself: rom the people that surround me, artists I meet discover and rediscover, books, exhibitions but also culture and social references because fashion and what we wear is so connected to the times and social climates we live in.
Roksanda Ilincic
What’s your biggest achievement to date?
the Design Museum
I have been lucky enough to achieve many of my goals, it would be hard to choose just one. Opening my first store on Mount Street and working with architect David Adjaye to design it was a big moment for me. Winning Designer of The Year, and seeing all the women who I admire so much wearing my designs have also been highlights
Roksanda Ilincic
