An Interview with RAW Sydney Fashion Designer of the Year: Maria Izvestkina

Remember our recent Sydney RAWards category winners series? Today we have one last inspiring interview to present to you - The interview with the RAW Sydney Fashion Designer of the Year, Maria Izvestkina!

Maria is a multi-talented creative in the fashion industry and her level of expertise ranges from minimal ready-to-wear designs to complex and conceptual designs.

"As a fashion designer my aim is to symbolize the artistic meaning of the garment: ready-to-wear or conceptual design, as well as to create the garments that express individual's identity and personality," she explains.

You're going to love Maria's insightful interview below, so be sure to check it out!

.

Q: Congratulations on winning first place in the fashion design category! Please tell us, what have you loved the most about your RAW Sydney experience?A: What I loved the most about RAW Sydney experience is the ability to make my own decisions about the presentation, styling and concept of the collection. It was also great to meet other talented designers in my field and share this experience.

Q: What was your initial reaction when you heard the news that you would go on to represent Sydney in your category?A: I was actually quite surprised and thrilled to find out that I am going to represent Sydney as a Fashion Designer. There were so many talented designers competing alongside with me. It was amazing to gain such great support from everyone who participated in the voting.

Q: When did you first discover your love of fashion design?A: It was a long way for me. I often think of myself as a cross disciplinary practitioner. I have always been into fine arts and graphic design, but at the same time, thanks to my mother, I developed an interest in fashion and textiles. Fashion Design became sort of a challenge. I was intrigued in the way garments are constructed and as soon I got my hands on it, I fell in love.

Q: What inspires your creativity the most?A: Inspiration finds me at the most unexpected times. I get mostly inspired by people, personalities, faces, bodies, the way someone walks and speaks. I also find an inspiration in nature and surfaces, as well as shapes and motion pictures. Lately I have been inspired by interlacing different disciplines: fashion and graphic, textile and photography.

Q: What do you hope to achieve with your fashion design career in the near future – are there any exciting, upcoming plans that you would like to share with us?A: Currently I'm working on a capsule ready-to-wear collection, which you'll be able to look at soon. I'm also working on a conceptual textile / photography project which I am really excited about. I would love to keep working in the industry, develop my knowledge in design and hopefully one day start my own label.

.

We want to thank Maria for taking the time to answer our questions and we wish her the very best of success in 2015! We encourage you to check out her website, Facebook page and Instagram (@mariaizvestkina) to see more of her work. Enjoy!

.

Full credits: Fashion designs by Maria Izvestkina | Photography: Jilvan M | Model: Caitlin Sclater | HMUA: Rachel Kwak