As a Polish girl, I am used to hearing people suggest that Polish style has never really evolved past the early 2000s. Young designers DRAMAT, are a part of a new wave of creatives emerging from the Soviet Bloc more than happy to celebrate their native style signature, with kitsch designs that explore the aesthetic of that fun moment in fashion.
We chat with the founders- Daria Juel and Marlena Vader to find out more about their party-ready designs.
SLEEK: How did DRAMAT come to life?
DRAMAT: We started our brand as an art project in 2013, taking photos with costumes and sets we designed inspired by our country and childhood. Then we created our first collection called ‘Bogurodzica’ (‘Mother of God’) inspired by first Polish national anthem, it just felt natural for the project to evolve.
Our first collection ‘Bogurodzica’ was inspired by the Polish national anthem
SLEEK: What does the name represent?
DRAMAT: We just like that word, it means “drama” in Polish.
SLEEK: You reference the 1990s a lot, what else are you inspired by?
DRAMAT: Our country for sure, and music! We don’t really try to look for inspiration artificially. It all comes from surroundings and we believe it is really important to keep it this way.
SLEEK: It must be tough to work in the fashion industry in Poland, how do you find it?
DRAMAT: Unfortunately, in Poland, our projects are considered to be a bit strange and don’t really sell that well. The industry has a long way to go, and we hope that our work can help to inspire other young designers.
The fashion industry in Poland has a long way to go
SLEEK: Tell us about the latest collection.
DRAMAT: Our new collection is called ‘Final Fantasy’ and was inspired by the early 2000s: tribal tattoos, techno and our memories of Poland that time. We were asked to create an installation for Turbo Gallery in Warsaw with the theme ‘Guilty Pleasure’. We made a triptych with a big, crystal techno-tribal in the middle and then we continued this into the clothes. All the pieces in the collection were decorated with crystals by hand.
This collection was inspired by the early 2000s: tribal tattoos, techno and our memories of Poland
SLEEK: What are your plans for 2017?
DRAMAT: We are currently working on our next collection, called ‘True Lover’ that is inspired by the 80s and by love. It’s a mixture of ‘erotic-romantic’ aesthetics, Eastern-European taste and classical fabrics.
follow the brand on Instagram here.