I like to buy materials that I need for my work in factory shops, where I always find something new and inspiring.  my first meetings with such shops were during my study when I was buying sample pieces of textile materials intended for italian customers in the “tekstilindus” factory shop with my classmates. some years ago a guest professor from the netherlands, who also designed collections of felt hats for issey miyake, came to ljubljana. she was amazed with the felt supply in the factory shop of “filc mengeš” and couldn t decide what to buy. I prefer to buy ribbons, elastics and cords in the factory shop of “trak domžale”. last time I snapped up a stock of ribbons from which crocheted baskets and bags were designed. as there are fewer and fewer textile factories in slovenia, factory shops are also slowly disappearing. they are being replaced by fashionable outlets.

črte so ene izmed najbolj zanimivih in izrazitih vzorcev. imajo poudarjeno dolžino, zato pogled drsi v tisto smer, kamor potekajo. so ravne in stroge, v gubanju pa postanejo organske in mehke. kjer se zgostijo ali spremenijo smer, poudarijo telo. v letošnjem poletju se na najrazličnejše načine znajdejo v mnogih kolekcijah.

lines are one of the  most interesting and distinctive textile patterns. they have an emphasized length, therefore one’s view slides in the direction in which the lines run. they are straight and strong, but in the crease become soft and organic. where they are condensed or change direction, they emphasize the body. this summer, they can be found in diverse ways, in many fashion collections.

in recent days, when the rain has replaced the sun, it seems as if we are afraid of walking around the city, viewing shop windows, accidental meetings and optional chats. the increased number of facebook clicks confirm that we prefer to remain at home and do our socializing through the internet.  are we really scared because the rain? 

magical flowers, fairies and mythical figures are intertwined, multiply and grow into new patterns on arijana’s dresses. when we put them on we become friends of alice in wonderland. the arijana gadžijev autumn/winter 2012/13 collection will be on display until 5 may in the almirasadar shop, tavčarjeva 6, ljubljana.  

moscow is a mix of old and new: there are luxury shopping arcades and corner shops with “piroskas”; brutal four-wheelers with tinted windows and thirty-year-old “ladas”… even on the jury of the international competition of young fashion designers entitled “kremlin stars”, there was the vice-president of the state union of designers and a popular young fashion designer who was followed by a bodyguard.  

finally, the fashion show…

foto: arhiv AML

the second fashion week has began in ljubljana this week.  for me, the most interesting part of the event is to prepare for it: to select the clothing for the presentation, complement it with new pieces, draw the sketches, find suitable materials, hand-make the accessories, dig out the shoes, paint them, buy the socks, add the bags and caps, think about the music…then follow the expectation of how the collection will look as a whole on the catwalk. and at the very end, all kinds of trouble happens on the stage in just a few minutes…

finally, the long wait is over and the new collection is in the shop. finally, the space has become alive with fresh colors and patterns, the shelves and the racks have laughed with fine cotton and silk. finally the sun’s rays in the shop have opened the doors wide. welcome!

this year the spring collection will arrive at the shop no earlier than the first day of spring. in past years it was pushed forward to compete with shops in milan and was ahead of the weather, meaning the cotton dresses were almost certainly hit by snow. this time we will announce the sunny spring with bright colors, colorful embroideries, crocheted bags, braided belts, and much, much more …

very often we give flowers instead of words. since ancient times they have communicated a variety of content with their colors, shapes and smells. the carnation symbolizes a mother’s love. today, it was nice to see passers-by with carnations in their hands - men as well as women.