Thanks to moredash.com

LOOM Weaving is an Armenian brand of knitwear clothes founded by two sisters Inga and Elen Manukyan in 2014. Each item is a unique handmade piece created by mixing Armenian handmade embroidery with modern machinery capacity and as a result receiving cosy and cute, bold and bright, ultra-fashionable and fabulous product.

…But the dream of having own brand comes back in student years of Inga Manukyan, designer and creative director of LOOM Weaving. Her love and interest in fashion-design has grown deeper during her studies in Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts, Fashion and Textile Design Unit. During her studies she was inspired by the spiritual culture and uniqueness of Armenian carpet weaving with an idea to bring back that tradition into the fashion and to accumulate ethnic lines with modern trends by offering unique knitwear clothes. And after a while her sister encouraged her and they decided to stimulate the production of modern knitwear garments in Armenia.

…We use national shapes, silhouettes and distinctive colour combinations in our beautifully designed knitwear collection of cardigans, sweaters, dresses, scarves, jackets, skirts and hats, which are practical and stylish. Whatever style you’re after, LOOM Weaving has it covered! Quality and great value: this is how to we characterize LOOM Weaving. We work to ensure you’re never fashionably late. We are here to make your personal style more defined and trendy.

“It’s never late to start, just do it with love!” – Inga Manukyan

When and how you decided that you wanted to be a designer?

When I was a child, one of my favourite things was to try on all the clothes that my mom has and I was always excited when my mom teold me that we’re going shopping. Later on at school I started my first steps by creating beautiful accessorises and experiencing imagination on my clothes. Becoming a designer seemed like the best way for me to exercise my creativity. My love and interest in fashion-design has grown deeper during my studies in Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts, Fashion and Textile Design Unit. I became a designer because I love creating beautiful things, there is an unexplainable thing that happens to me when I take my sketchbook to get my ideas out.

Was it your dream job?

Since childhood I’ve dreamed of being fashion designer, mainly because I love clothes. I think the main reason people want to be fashion designer is the sense of achievement you get when you see a lot of people wearing the clothes you created and it also makes you extremely proud when you’re not just being fashionable – you’re setting the standards and calling taste.

Which is the first thing you designed and for who?

The first things I’ve made were accessories for myself and my sisters in school. Later on, in the university, I have started with batik painting technique of wax-resist dyeing applied on scarfs and whole clothes, afterwards my love to knitwear raised when I started to explore and learn spiritual culture and uniqueness of Armenian carpet weaving.

Who is the designer you admire the most and why?

Elsa Schiaparelli – one of the most fashionable, outrageous and stunning designers of 30-40s, and if Chanel offered to wear little black dress, she shook the world with pink colour. I also like the fact that she started with knitwear as well, moreover, her first collaboration was with famous Armenian lady.

Who is your muse, your icon, when you create a dress?

It’s hard to mention one person or thing, since they differ from time to time While creating I can be inspired by a variety of things, such as weather, internal emotions, nature, music or even an old vintage style dressed lady walking in the street.

If you had to design an entire collection using just one colour, which is the one you’d pick and why?

I love colors very much, I enjoy playing with colors, mixing them, creating incomparable color combinations, but if I have to choose only one color it would be the white since all other colors are hidden in the white.

Who is the first person you show your sketches to?

For me the most important people I show my sketches and share new ideas are my sisters, since they are the ones who motivate, inspire and support me in everything.

The fabric you love the most is silk, lace, velvet or … ? 

I like to work with natural yarns/threads, most of all I like the combination of wool and silk. It seems to me that any item will look ideal and perfect if there is at least a little silk in the thread.

If your clothes had a soundtrack, which songs you’d choose?

Chromatics “LADY”, I think my created clothes have something in common with this song.

Do you have any trick to avoid that “blank page” moment when you’d at the beginning of the designing of a new collection? Do you watch a movie, flip an old magazine …

I have no special tricks, but what I’ve created so far have been created at night.

If you weren’t a designer which job in the fashion world you would like to do and why?

I think a stylist, as I enjoy creating different looks, mixing different colours and textures, making contrasts, following trends, etc. I like all when it comes to art, fashion, brands and designers.