Magazine

Quo Vadis, Czech Fashion?

As Mark Twain once said (and Jan Werich later sang), "Clothes make the man." This is of course a profound truth. But the question remains how do Czech clothes make the Czech man (or woman). To answer this we need to look a bit further back into history.

Clothing and fashion has always been, is and always will be a very sensitive reflection of a society's way of life and ideals. The early part of the twentieth century was a golden era for Czech fashion. The blossoming of Czech dressmaking and tailoring arts that preceded the Second World War has not yet been surpassed. During the First Republic, famous fashion houses were established in our country that had customers from both at home and abroad. There were not many opportunities for fashion designers during the war. The brief period between 1945 and 1948 was marked by an attempt to quickly return to pre-war standards of clothing and fashion. In the period between 1948 and 1989, Czech fashion developed under the influence of a totalitarian Communist regime that wanted to create a distinctive fashion independent of the outside fashion world. New fashion magazines were published that only provided information about fashion but that were also designed to "reeducate" the citizenry. Clothing and fashion were under strict ideological control. This unique period in Czechoslovak fashion and clothing lasted until 1989.

Contemporary Czech fashion is strongly aided by a joint international fashion trade fair held in Brno: Styl and Kabo. They represent the best opportunity for presenting the products of the Czech textile, clothing, leather working and footwear industries. Prague's Veletržní (Trade Fair) Palace also plays host each year to Fashion Point-A Week of Czech Fashion, which is a celebration of Czech fashion designers, including the one who has been named "Designer of the Year." Each year since 1994, this award has been presented at the Styl and Kabo Trade Fair in Brno. The first fashion designer to receive this award was Libena Rochová. She has been followed by such names as Taťána Kovaříková, Hana Havelková, Josef Ťapťuch, Dana Turečková and Yvona Leitnerová (who work together under the name D. T. Leitner), Monika Drápalová, and Eva Janoušková and Daniela Flejšová (their joint studio is called E. Daniela).

A majority of Czech fashion designers are also successful abroad with their designs. For six years, Libena Rochová has been working with the Austrian lace company Austrian Embroideries. Hana Havelková, who several years ago had a very successful presentation at IGEDO, Europe's largest fashion trade fair held in Düsseldof, Germany, designs for a number of German boutiques and works with the automobile maker Škoda in the German market. Taťána Kovaříková is well known in Austria, England, France and Germany and, for her Absolut collection, in the United States. In addition to France where she opened her Studio Modrá in Lyon in 2001, Monika Drápalová has had success in the United States, Japan, Belgium and Lebanon. Among the younger generation the D. T. Leitner studio is quite successful, designing clothes for the Parrot brand.

Prague, like Paris and London, now has its own fashion quarter. Cozy boutiques offering originals by Czech fashion designers have their prestigious address not far from Old Town Square. The first enterprising designer to set up shop here was Hana Havelková, who opened her salon on Dušní Street eleven years ago. The next fashion designer to follow was Klára Nademlýnská, who opened her own shop five years ago on Dlouhá Street. The interior of her boutique with its movable walls in a Japanese style was created by designers from the architectural studio of Olgoj Chorchoj. The interior walls are decorated with large photographs of the top model Tereza Maxová, who was the public representative of the brand for a number of years. Two years ago, Taťána Kovaříková also opened her own boutique, Tatiana, on Dušní Street, where the Boheme Fashion Salon of fashion designer Hana Stocklassová is also located. Around the corner on V Kolkovne Street, you will find the home of the brand Timour et group belonging to the painters Ivana Šafránková and Alexandra Pavalová. Eva Janoušková and Daniela Flejšová have their boutique appropriately named Every Day, which offers fashion for a wider range of customers, near the National Theater.

We should not forget to mention a world famous Czech fashion designer who is a native of Svetlá nad Sázavou in southeastern Bohemia. Unfortunately Blanka Matragi does not work in the Czech Republic but she has spread the good name of Czech fashion for more than twenty years from the capital of Lebanon, Beirut.

We asked some of our leading fashion designers about fashion.

Where do you think that Czech fashion is moving?

Hana Havelková:
It's important for Czech fashion to create a number of regularly scheduled platforms for presenting both established and young, talented fashion designers and for presentations by firms working in the field. The third Fashion Point was held in Prague in October. It helps to increase awareness about the level of contemporary Czech fashion design in the media and among the public but also abroad.

Taťána Kovaříková:
It's continuing to develop, definitely in an upwards direction, I think. There are enough designers here who have ideas and style. They should spend more time working with Czech designers. Fashion is a creative thing, but more of it should reach the general public.

Monika Drápalová:
Czech fashion is moving in the same direction as in other countries, but Czech designers unfortunately don't have as many opportunities.

In your designs, how does Japan inspire you?

Hana Havelková:
For me, Japan is a great source of inspiration. I not only admire their traditional clothing, but also Japanese architecture, interior design and their beautiful gardens. In general, Japan is inspirational in its concepts of culture, sophistication and internal sense of order. It provides me with moral support in my efforts to create very clean fashions with refined detailing.

Taťána Kovaříková:
I was inspired by Oriental motifs in my past collection, which included a kimono, obi and corset.

Monika Drápalová:
I love Japanese culture. In 1999, even before this exotic source of inspiration became "fashionable", I created a collection inspired by the Japanese kimono. The simplicity of the cut, its functional nature and beauty have always inspired me. I like contrast and simple shapes with a certain refinement and femininity.

Alice Erbenová