They presented their stunning collection Fungi.
How would you define fashion?
Florencia: Fashion is indefinite and volatile; it presents infinite options and changes constantly. It is a reflection of our society; an act of expression. For us designers, it is an exercise of sensitivity that helps us transform an ideal into something material. It has to do with beauty, tradition, luxury… but also with dreams.
Vivian: Fashion is one of the institutions that creates meaning. It compiles a sociological document that deals with the sensitivity of an era; with the important causes of social change and dominant lifestyles.
What fascinates/inspires you and why?
Florencia: Everything that surrounds us can be a source of inspiration; it depends on the sensitivity with which we perceive it. There is not one thing or person in particular. We always have to be alert and surprised by the world around us.
Vivian: My inspiration shifts and is usually related to daily life’s necessities. In an aesthetic level, I am often seduced by architecture.
Finding your own distinctive voice can be difficult, where and how do you find your personal creativity (before you start designing/during the design process)?
Florencia: I think creativity has to be trained and the only way to generate something different is through experimentation, and that takes a lot of work. Any path is a challenge; we live in a very competitive world. We have to celebrate difficulties because that is what pushes us to become the best version of ourselves. If you want results, you have to go the extra mile to stand out. You sacrifice a lot, but it is worth it.
What challenges did you face during the design process?
Florencia: Not having a team to carry out the work efficiently; one that has the appropriate technical knowhow and that you can trust will deliver in a satisfactory and timely manner.
Vivian: The most difficult part usually is managing the project; to coordinate the different work teams and ensure everyone delivers in due time and form.
Can you tell us something about the project you presented at the FASHIONCLASH Festival?
Florencia: The collection is called FUNGI. It is inspired by the fungi kingdom: mushrooms, lichen and mildew. It is an avant-garde collection which transforms the silhouette, combining contrasting materials with fun prints. We aim to stand out through the experimentation and manipulation of the fabrics.
Vivian: The Fungi collection is reality and fantasy working together. It coexists with wild nature; it embraces her until they become one. It is awareness and evolution. It goes from macro to micro, rooting all its force in the thrill of the route.
Florencia: We question today’s lifestyle and decided to emphasize the loss of the tactile sense in favor of the screens. This is why we chose to give our collection a strong sensorial imprint from textures that work on both, the two-dimensional and three-dimensional planes.
Vivian: We question the lifestyle we are immersed in. We are increasingly connected through mobile devices and losing sensitivity. It is about bringing back the sense of touch, which has lost the battle to screens.
What brought you to participate at FASHIONCLASH Festival?
Florencia: It was an opportunity that came with the Lumina competition. The visibility and experience motivated us to participate. This opportunity will allow us to get to know the field of fashion at an international level.
Vivian: It is an excellent platform to display my work, learn and get to know what is done in a different part of the world.
FASHIONCLASH is already working on future themes. What are the topics you find interesting?
Florencia: Freedom of expression, violence, diversity, globalization.
Vivian: Sustainable luxury.
What are your thoughts regarding ‘religion and fashion’?
Florencia: Religion is an important part of culture, and fashion reflects culture.
"The purpose of fashion is to reflect the world around us. Fashion is life."
Florencia: Fashion is not just an aesthetic form of communication; it is also a reflection of the sociocultural and anthropological context. Fashion is a cultural industry that creates content, but beyond "subjectivizing" fashion to the user, it is they who give fashion its meaning. Fashion takes on meaning inasmuch as it is appropriated by people. Fashion is a social language; the clothes you wear are communicating and sending a message about who you are, what you want to say and what you want to hide. The role of the designer in postmodernity is to artificially generate an ideal space where common senses in a society acquire tangible and material characteristics.
Vivian: The purpose of fashion is to reflect the world around us. Fashion is life.
What are your thoughts on making ‘fashion’ more environmentally-friendly?
Florencia: Ethics and responsibility for the products we manufacture and sell should be a priority in any industry, and fashion should not be the exception. Once we are aware of the damage done to the environment and to people, their human and labor rights, how health and the right to a decent life are not respected, and learn about the abusive commercial practices that govern production, we cannot remain indifferent. I believe that although design in Latin America is still young, it has the resources and talent to carry out sustainable projects and be a competitor worldwide.
Vivian: For fashion to be sustainable, the production system must change. Accelerated production is destroying the planet.
"The human body is a kinetic sculpture, and as such can be molded and redrawn. It's a blank canvas."
What are your thoughts on the senses in relation to the human body?
Florencia: The human body is a kinetic sculpture, and as such can be molded and redrawn. It's a blank canvas.
Vivian: As Saltzman says, the body is the interface of our body with the environment. Through sensations, intuition, thought, actions and feelings, the vital energy is concentrated in the body and becomes behavior, posture, willingness and habit.
Do you think that fashion can contribute to a better world / better well-being, and what do you do to make a difference?
Florencia: The challenge of fashion for the future is to control that production is carried out in the most ethical terms possible, without harming the planet or people. The consumer also has to be responsible for their purchase, and I believe that as designers we have to spread the word and inform in order to raise awareness and make fashion more demanding.
Vivian: Fashion can contribute to the world if it gives importance to the care of natural assets and human resources. Zarvich values workers and we are in the search of the forsaken trades. We want to generate different production modalities outside from the massive approaches. We make quality clothes which are meant to be durable.
What senses are engaged in your creation process?
Vivian: Sight and touch.
How does technology change your creation process?
Florencia: Technology is a resource; we have a wide variety of devices and technology solutions within our reach which become stimuli and tools in the creation process.
Vivian: It has simplified many of the processes and granted me very useful tools. For example, some of the accessories in my collection were laser engraved, the prints made through digital sublimation and some of the fabrics were bought online.
Fun Facts
What’s a standard day for you?
Florencia: I get up very early, work in the University, and then run between errands and meetings with producers and collaborators. After that, we work office hours with my partner. I get home very late at night to get a shower and go to sleep… that is, if I don’t bring any work home.
Vivian: My days are very diverse; I don’t really follow a routine.
Vegan, vegetarian, healthy diet or any food will do?
Florencia: Any food is ok.
Vivian: Healthy diet.
What’s your favourite song at the moment?
Florencia: ‘’Dulce Carmesi’’ by Campo, a Uruguayan collective band.
Best Tv-show/movie at the moment?
Florencia: Stranger Things. Vivian: “Call the midwife” from BBC.
What is your bad habit?
Florencia: Smoking.
Vivian: To be looking at a screen all the time.
Are you a people's person or a loner?
Florencia: I’m definitely a people’s person.
Vivian: Loner.
Do you have a pet?
Florencia: I have a cat named Toulouse but we call it Cucu.
Vivian: Lola, an English bulldog.
Your favourite quote?
Florencia: “Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing.”― Salvador Dalí
What’s your favourite city?
Florencia: Barcelona.
Vivian: New York
What/Who do you miss the most when you are not at home?
Florencia: My family and friends.
Vivian: My son.
If you could move anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
Florencia: I think I would live a short time in every corner of the planet, but I would always come back home.
Vivian: Buenos Aires, Argentina. I lived there for 3 years and it feels like home to me.
What do you enjoy the most in life?
Florencia: Paint, embroider, do any manual activity while listening to good music or watching a series.
Vivian: Having projects and challenges ahead, both personal and work-related.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Florencia: Watch a bunch of episodes on Netflix without getting out of bed.
Vivian: Binge-watching Netflix and not being able to stop.
Who is your biggest example/idol?
Florencia: My mom.
Favourite magazine?
Florencia: National Geographic and Vogue.
Vivian: Vogue.
Yourfavouritehashtags #?
Florencia: I don’t use hashtags, I'm not very good with social networks. It's something I have to work on.
You favorite social media app? Instagram.
Florencia: Fitz_licuado
Vivian: Zarvich’s account.
all pictures by Team Peter Stigter
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