We met Helen Przhonskaya at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Days Tbilisi 2015. She impressed us with her big expressiveness, naturalness, simplicity and sympathy. We interviewed her to find out of this promising and talented designers.

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

Becoming a designer had been dream from my childhood, I’ve always been passionate about drawing.

2- It was your dream job?

Absolutely

3-Which is the first thing you designed and for who (yourself,a friend…)? 

My first thing was sewed when I was 14 years old, I always wanted to stand out among my peers, so experimented often. Remodeled my mother’s clothes, made it shorter, skinnier, sewed decorations on dresses, pants and jackets, and proudly showed on myself my own outfits.

4- Who’s the designer you admire the most and why?

I’m in love with Coco Chanel. I like that no matter what, she did what she felt, and eventually turned the concept of fashion upside down and made a revolution, partly changed the way of people’s thinking.

5- Who’s your muse, your icon, when you create a dress?

When I create a collection, first of all, I think how make an accent on soulful side of women, to show her inner world through clothes. I have no muse. Style icons are different in each period, they are like a mirror of fashion, dominating at the present.

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

If it’s summer collection – white, if the winter – black. These colors fit everyone, open for experimentation and self-expression, it’s a good base!

7- Who’s the first person you show your sketches to?

It is director of the brand PRZHONSKAYA Alex Forst

8- The fabric you love the most…silk, lace, velvet and why?

Most of all I like to work with wool. Soft, heavy fabrics that keep their shape well suited. It’s perfect to create concise and conceptual silhouettes.

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

It’s hard to tell.. We always write own music to each collection, so no music expresses the soul of our clothes better then “help me fashion” project.

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

I try to watch interesting movies all the time, traveling is very inspiring also. I like to research inspirational trendbooks that combine fashion and art. But creation of new collection – it’s a work with deadlines and tight schedule, understanding the range and DNA of the collection. I’m always looking for inspiration, but never wait for it. In the work process, you meet something interesting for sure.

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

I would be interested to work in glossy magazine or a company that is engaged in fashion forecasting.

Bio: Helen Przhonskaya graduated from the Kyiv National University of Technology and Design in 2007. She also took part in a workshop conducted by Peter Cox, Lecturer of the London College of Fashion. In 2012 Helen Przhonskaya becomes a nominee for Best Fashion Awards (Ukrainian Awards in the filed of fashion) as “Discovery of the year”. PRZHONSKAYA brand was founded in 2010 by fashion designer Helen Przhonskaya and since then became the permanent member of official fashion week in Kyiv – Ukrainian Fashion Week. In September 2011 PRZHONSKAYA becomes the member of Ukrainian fashion-presentation within the Fashion Week in Milan – Milano Moda Donna, and from 2012 the brand takes part in two of the largest European fashion trade shows: White Milano, Who’s Next Prêt à Porter Paris. PRZHONSKAYA is the first women wear brand in Ukraine mainly focused on work with outerwear. The main features of the brand are – minimalism, laconism and constructivity of the cut. Form and silhouette prevail over commonness and shapelessness. It’s timeless garments that create comfort for your feelings, space for action and silhouette for your inspiration. The heroine of the collection has inner aristocracy perfectly combined with freedom and ease. She would not wear superfluous clothing, but readily agrees to experiment with clothing fit and textures.