ON STYLE AND STEEL

In this interview EGO, the promising young designer Bianca Georgescu talks about Decadence, her latest collection which was inspired by the degradation and corrosion, her brand and her journey into the world of footwear. 

In your own words, how would you describe your brand?

What I aspire for my brand to represent can be summarized in three simple words: authenticity, personality and uniqueness.

What is unique to Bianca Georgescu?

I believe that what makes my brand different is the ease of combining unconventional creative techniques and themes with less common materials, in order to create a unique and unprecedented product.

How did you come to be a shoe designer? Can you share with us how you strolled upon the world of footwear?

Since childhood, I was determined to never stop looking for my real passion. My first encounter with art was through music; I studied piano for eight years at the Art High School, during which I had constant contact with plastic arts, both sections sharing the same building.

Although I choose to continue my studies in a scientific high school, my love for art has lasted so intensely that I was sure that attending the University of Arts in Bucharest – Fashion Design Department – was the right thing to do.  From there things evolved by themselves, backed by a lot of hard work.

Being guided by the desire to practice the craft I loved, I began to search internships in Bucharest and I took advantage of every opportunity that arose, including practice in the footwear industry. Shortly I have earned a scholarship in Milan where I had the opportunity to meet with the world stage design and artistic creation at their most appreciated levels.

Why shoes?

I don’t think that there was an actual moment of conscious and rational choice. Somehow I have always managed to do just what I desired, with all the passion and love I could invest. At the moment I love to create unique and personalized shoes. If one day I will discover a new field that awakens in me a passion at least as intense as this, I will approach it without hesitation.

Your fashion and design philosophy?

It is simple for me: put love in everything you do, no matter how insignificant it may seem. This is the secret ingredient.

What is the creation process of the items?

Generally I go from an idea that inspires me; that I am passionate about at that time. My favourite part is the process of research, documentation; it is the moment when every detail can change decisively the creative perspective. Then I find practical solutions for my ideas, through experimentation. From here to actual realization of a product is just one step: piecing together ideas and results, along with a lot of work in the workshop. This leads to the birth of innovative prototypes, which later develop into commercial versions ready to walk the same steps as their lucky new owners.

What inspired your latest collection?

My latest collection “Decadence” talks about the states of steel structure degradation under the influence of corrosion. It’s a metaphor towards human degradation, both moral and physical, and our obedience to the temporal dimension. But during its course, due to unexpected circumstances, it creates impressive coloristic structures. Submission to time puts us face to face with the inevitable changes that make us unique entities, dynamic and ephemeral.

I’ve been admiring for some time places affected by weather and time, where corrosion acts on metallic materials to create artistic elements, both in terms of colour and structure. I began to investigate this phenomenon in order to retrieve the fusion of colours in drawings. The way nature perfectly balances its creation deeply impressed me.

What to you is a must for shoes?

As strange as it may seem, I am not fanatical about shoes. I wear the same pair of sneakers most of the time and only possess two pairs of shoes created by me that I wear to special occasions.

However, when creating footwear design I take into account firstly that a shoe should be extremely comfortable; it should love us, make us feel beautiful and free, not hurt us. Of course, appearance is also very important, turning shoes from an object that protects us against bad weather into a fashion accessory that directly influences our attitude and mood.

In what ways does your personality reflect your creations?

I believe that many of my personality traits can be found in my creations: exuberance, energy through intense colours, childlike curiosity to discover something new, to put meaningless things together and then eagerly waiting for satisfactory results.

Is there a piece that you’ve designed that was really personal to you? Can you share with us the story behind it?

During my stay in Milan, I had a project at school where I was supposed to create a product that represents the culture and traditions of my home country – Romania. How could I summarize such vast cultural heritage in a simple shoe product? Then I realized that I did not want to create a product, instead I tried to offer a glimpse into the atmosphere of my country. So I cut down the stump in my mother’s garden and that became the heel of the shoe, just like that. On it I have created a favourable habitat of the living: I grew moss, mushrooms and various other life forms.  I still keep the stump-shoes like a living organism to which I owe care and attention.

What’s to come for you and your brand?

Well, things have advanced quite rapidly somehow by themselves lately. We want to participate in international design fairs with a new collection and introduce more accessories. For me, I wish to always be able to do what I love, to keep my spirit young and alive and to have the inspiration to create even more fascinating items.

Full article: Ego Magazine