We first met Hungarian-Romanian fashion designer Olah Gyarfas while he was part of Romanian art and fashion collective Rozalb de Mura. With the latter on hold at the moment, Gyarfas moved onto another fashion project, lifestyle menswear label Patzaikin
Based in Romania and inspired by the story of multiple world and Olympic canoeing champion Ivan Patzaichin (who’s also a member of the creative team behind the label), Patzaikin debuted at Berlin Fashion Week and will indirectly make its London debut this week since the label also created the uniforms for the Romanian delegation to the 2012 Olympic Games.
Patzaikin Designer and Creative Director Gyarfas felt immediately drawn to the sport aura of the label and created for its S/S 2013 collection 16 playful looks. Versatility is the key to the designs - trousers, overalls, jackets, coats and waistcoats, shirts and blouses are characterised by austere cuts and a restrained palette including greys, beiges and hand-dyed denim pieces.
Emphasis is on natural fabrics - mainly cotton, linen and hemp - and all the designs are accessorised with hand-made pieces such as bulrush hats, leather sandals and shoes. Though Patzaikin was launched as a menswear label, Gyarfas highlights that most pieces he created are definitely unisex and dedicated to women willing to experiment with different shapes and silhouettes. The label is currently also preparing the large scale project “Danube Connection” in Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest.
What prompted you to join Patzaikin?
Olah Gyarfas: Patzaikin is a fresh, Romanian-based lifestyle label. I was immediately drawn to the sport aura the label intends to create with its clothing, accessories and boat lines that will address the eco-aware citizen, more adventurous in taste and willing to discover nature.
What’s the inspiration behind the debut collection?
Olah Gyarfas: The untamed beauty of the Danube Delta is a background source of inspiration. It is one of those mysterious, almost magical places that undeniably put people under a spell. The whole Patzaikin team is enchanted. Not coincidentally, it is also Ivan’s birth place. All these notions of pristine beauty, rough nature plus the straightforwardness, endurance and tenacity of a sportsman collide on the inspiration moodboard.
Do you feel that your own background somehow influences this collection?
Olah Gyarfas: I live in a small village deep in the cold Carpathian mountains. Nevertheless the unspoiled, rough, yet so exotically tropical waters and smells of the Danube Delta seemed instantly familiar – the same absolute honesty that nature has, the same innocence, the same indifference to us, humans. I hope I can catch this feeling in whatever I’ll embark on.
How was Patzaikin’s presentation at Berlin Fashion Week?
Olah Gyarfas: Intense, with all the inherent stress, preparations, exasperation, waiting around and haste in the backstage; all that beauty getting ready, only to have a few incredibly short minutes on the runway. The adrenaline of a fashion show is always exhilarating. We are quite happy with the results, and the feedback was very good.
You also designed the uniforms for the Romanian Olympic committee, did you find it challenging?
Olah Gyarfas: It was a privilege and a challenge. The aim was to breathe a contemporary mood into clothes worn by the Romanian athletes at the Olympic games ceremonies in London. It was interesting to closely collaborate with Ivan Patzaichin who, as a multiple gold Olympic medallist and participant into countless official ceremonies brought in precious insights. Another challenging point - from a logistic and stylistic perspective - was the number of the outfits: the delegation counts more than 150 athletes, trainers, officials and medical staff, and a wide range of sport disciplines - swimming, polo, athletics, canoeing, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, judo, table tennis, tennis, etc. - so we needed to create a design that would compliment all types of physical built and produce personalised outfits for all the team members in a relatively short time.
What happened to Rozalb de Mura?
Olah Gyarfas: It’s on hold right now. It was a rollercoaster – we had amazing, exciting times working on it, but we all needed a break and the backing of a real investor, in order to continue without harming the integrity of the project. Sometimes it takes a great deal of courage to put an end to something you love so much.
Interview facilitated by Dragos Olea
Image Credits:
Patzaikin S/S 13 collection - Photographs by Nicu Ilfoveanu
Romanian Team Olympic Uniforms - Photographs by Tibi Clenci
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