WE’AR ART: Meet Fashion Designer Nana Kasradze
Interview
The new year for our collaboration with WE’AR ART, a copyrighted brand/slogan aiming to create awareness of fashion and art, means new interviews with Georgian designers.
In her interview with GEORGIA TODAY, Nana Kasradze, the creative mind behind the ‘Lazeti’ brand, tells us about the new reality of fashion design, her awakening to Georgian national clothes as a ballerina, and more.
How did your career as a designer kick off?
After graduating, I, along with my friends, decided to set up a small factory where my designs would be turned into clothes; where we could have a small circulation and display our works in showrooms.
Where did you get your education related to the field you work in? How important do you deem professional education in making a designer?
I’ve been fascinated with art since I can remember. Having graduated from the Nikoladze Art School, I proceeded with my higher education in the Tbilisi University of Culture and Arts. Having figured out that designing clothes was what I really wanted to do, additionally, I took private lessons designing women's clothes.
Have you taken part in any fashion shows?
I’ve never been much interested in organizing an individual fashion show. But we, as the brand ‘Lazeti,’ did participate in Tbilisi Fashion Week twice.
What is the main idea of your designs/brand?
The main idea is to help the world appreciate and fall in love with Georgian-designed clothes. We want to share our perception of designing clothes as art with as many as possible. What serves that idea is our goal: to export good quality Lazeti products to different countries of the world.
What kind of person wears Lazeti?
Sophisticated and tasteful people wear our clothes. We make it our priority not to blend in with overrated trends: we try to stand out from other brands as much as we can.
What is the feeling you get when you see someone strolling down the streets in your design?
I feel myself getting unmatched levels of “happy” in these moments.
How has the coronavirus pandemic affected your business and designing style?
I don’t think any business owner can say that they have not been affected by the coronavirus situation. We are currently doing our best to survive. I can’t say how long we can realistically persevere, but I remain hopeful that the pandemic will end soon and we will survive. Creating designs has become less necessary. We only sew fluffy sportswear, because only this type of clothing is in demand. Bars and clubs are closed, parties are banned, and no-one needs to buy distinctive, and formal, or even everyday, clothes. Such is our new reality.
What is the inspiration behind your works?
My works are inspired by traditional and Georgian clothes. Not only clothes but other expressions of art; works by Georgian artists which I later used as prints. For example, I was one of the first ones to use N. Pirosmani's "Fisherman Boy" in shoes and a vest.
Which international artists or designers have influenced your work?
I can single out one international well-known designer whom I have always loved. Coco Chanel has been my favorite, even my role model, since I was a little girl. I’ve always liked her work, as well as her approach to design: it is all so comfortable and elegant!
How do you view traditional Georgian clothing? Has it inspired your designs?
I have a special relationship with Georgian clothes. I danced at the Georgian National Ballet when I was younger. Both consciously and subconsciously, these years shaped me. The idea that these old but precious clothes could and should be transferred to a new Georgian modernity came from my experience as a ballerina. Happily, the idea turned out to be successful, and the customers got to know my brand.
WE’AR ART is a copyrighted brand/slogan with a unique philosophy: to create awareness of fashion and art. Since 2018, the WE’AR ART collection has only worked for one common ‘good’: raising funds through charity events and sponsoring competitions for young artists.
By Nini Dakhundaridze