Founded in 2007, womenswear brand IVANOVA has gone from strength to strength – capturing the spirit of quintessential ‘it girl’ fashion at its very best. Designed by Lena Ivanova, the label uses dramatic cuts and bold colour schemes to create vibrant pieces, which remain a timeless classic.
From leather-type skinny jeans to vibrant tartan shirts, the HTF team were eager to catch up with Lena and discuss the inspiration behind her latest collection. Here’s what she had to say.
HTF: Hi Lena. Your collection theme is all about encouragement and reward, how do you encourage and reward yourself when you have achieved something?
LI: I think I am punishing myself more often than rewarding. I typically want to make everything better and more interesting. Very rarely am I satisfied with the result. I reward myself with walks with my friends and shindig.
HTF: So what do you usually seek when it comes to choosing garments for yourself?
LI: In my wardrobe there are many jersey pieces, a lot of black dresses, leather trousers and white t-shirts. I also love rings! Sometimes I look almost like a rock star!
I’ve now launched a second line IVNVAsweet.baby.jesus – in this line all pieces will be like everything in my wardrobe.
HTF: Have you ever done something that you feel incredibly proud of but didn’t praised for it? How did it make you feel?
LI: Yes, it really is some mystery to me how people value creativity. For example, on my Instagram account sometimes pictures of my dog can gather 300 likes, but a photo of a piece from my new collection gets only 60. But this is social networking, with its special rules. At the end of the day it’s life and sometimes shit happens and you’re not duly appreciated. But I am trying to look forward and am improving my skills all the time.
Source: LenaIvanova.comHTF: Too true! Since the collection is all about ambitious and creative people, when selecting models for your collection, was there a particular feature you looked for?
LI: It’s true, generally, I’m not looking for models but for a special personalities. For this collection I needed two girl types – strong, reserved girls and fresh and young ones. Still, somehow I needed someone to embody the looks of Jesus and Judas. In those personalities I has two of my friends – the only two men in show. They are not professional models, but had looked very convincing on the runway.
HTF: As for SS trends, we all love a full skater skirt! What would you suggest we wear on top to enhance the skirt even more?
LI: Try to wear it with leather skinny and red/black plaid shirt . Or, maybe, with a small velvet jacket and lacquered loafers. Do not forget the socks – gentle mint or orange colours.
HTF: Being a designer, you have dabbled with lots of different style, what one would you say is your favourite?
LI: Maybe my favorite one is the school girl look, wearing a school dress with a little collar. And at the same time, I would call this style the most iconic piece by IVANOVA. Those dresses in all their interpretations are most popular among our target audience. I’m in love with colour black and the combination of black and white. I love the hidden femininity and I’m interested in church aesthetics. I often use in my designs puritan and a quite modest silhouettes.
Source: LenaIvanova.comHTF: You’ve made a huge impact on Ukraine’s fashion industry, what was the best piece of feedback you’ve received so far?
LI: The best piece – is an invaluable business experience in a country like Ukraine, and the recognition of my creation – and I realised that borders actually do not exist. I am working and I keep friends with a lots of fashion people worldwide and I remain understandable and accessible to them. Art has no borders.
HTF: Finally, where will you be taking IVANOVA next?
LI: I continue to work with my brand and I already have a lot of new ideas. I believe that the any borders are not important for IVANOVA. I wish we would develop our brand and sell our garments worldwide. Maybe the next season we will start with a show in London.
If you would like to find out more about IVANOVA visit: http://www.lenaivanova.com/.
Interviewer: Julie Ly
