Filep Motwary’s name as a blogger will probably not be unfamiliar to you, especially if you’re a reader of A Shaded View on Fashion where he sometimes contributes. Certainly, his interviews with people like Jean Charles de Castelbajac, Rick Owens and Charles Anastase and his general ability to discover fresh designers and unique fashion findings makes his blog uN NOUvEAU iDEAL an essential daily read for me. I’m ashamed though that I wasn’t familiar with Filep’s own design work until a few months ago and reading his biography, perhaps it illustrates that success for a designer does not necessarily mean succeeding on an international fashion platform like Paris or New York but working within your own city and pushing the limits there.
After a spell in Paris interning with Phoebe Philo and John Galliano, Filep is now based in Athens in Greece where he has been presenting his own collection together with jewellery collaborator Maria Mastori since April 2006 at Hellenic Fashion Week. Filep’s work as a designer also points out something that is very relevant in the 21st century and that is that fashion is not resigned to just the four ‘official’ fashion cities and it makes me feel a little bit ashamed that my knowledge is very much limited and reliant upon fashion press and what ‘the powers that be’ choose to feature (though Filep has garnered plenty of high-profile press too) when really, designers with talent exist everywhere and it’s just that they don’t have access to PR pushing powers or perhaps they don’t want to be promoted that way.
Some of Filep’s past work – I can really see why Filep so desperately wanted to work for Alber Elbaz at Lanvin….
See more of Filep’s showcases here. The middle dress is even more entrancing when you see the accompanying photoshoot.
A model fitting for his spring summer 2008 which won’t be officially presented until October at Hellenic Fashion Week so it’s a little bit of a sneak preview…
His love of volume mixed with interesting fabric usages has evolved into something a little tougher I think, and I love how it’s been pared down to a stunning effect. So adding to Susie’s list of 2007-8 Euro destinations; Budapest, Prague and Moscow, is the city of Athens where I’ll be sure to stop by at the boutique Bettina to perhaps procure some of Filep’s work
Susie,
I have been a regular reader of your blog for awhile now. I noticed you mentioned you will be going to Budapest sometime in 2007-2008. I am leaving this august to study abroad in Budapest at Central European University; I was wondering if you had any advice or knowledge about the shopping scene. Maybe tips on good stores/designers/places to go. If you have time (or if anyone else who reads this blog notices my comment and has some valuable information) I would love some of your wisdom.
Thanks,
Kate (kk345@bard.edu)
wow.. the pant with the sheer shirt, the jumpsuit and the top middle smock amaze me with their gorgeous simplicity..
Thankyou susie for showing us things we would never have seen…. 🙂
His site is nice too. Thankyou.
xo marie
I’m going to be in Budapest for a week this summer and was, like Kate, wondering if you had heard any tips about where to go in budapest – all i know is the shops in the budapest navigator! Thanks.