Text: Lucie KrůčkováPhoto: Ilja Hubálek, Lucie Robinson
I walk through the new Blažek collection and feel the incredible energy radiating from it. I delight in the clean lines of the formal suits and shirts, the sophisticated fabrics and the colourful blend of pieces designed for less formal outfits. All I can do is quietly admire the creative spirit of the design team, which every six months manages to come up with a new collection that unites the needs of the modern man, fashion trends, and beautiful — and above all, quality — fabrics. My fingers stroke the fine filo di scozia yarn, I admire the asymmetrical jacquard pattern of a polo shirt, and a thousand questions run through my head for the team's head designer, Jana Veselá Kuťková.
The main theme of the spring/summer 2020 collection is Greece and its untamed southern atmosphere, full of sun, ancient architecture, but also ripe fruit and splendid Greek wine. Why Greece in particular? What fascinates and inspires you about Greece?
Several impulses led me to the idea of Greece. One of them was the cult film Zorba the Greek, where I love the main character and his free mind. He is untamed, natural, with an almost primal approach to life. With southern directness, he is not afraid to give full rein to his emotions. That is also reflected in our collection. It is full of colours and patterns. It invites one to have the courage to combine an outfit freely, but with sensitivity to one's own nature and in proportion to the occasion.
I have been to Greece many times and I love the diversity it offers. Every corner, every island is different. I love going back. I had the theme of the collection in my head, but I only confirmed it definitively when I was at the trade fair in Milan in February 2019. At that moment, the patterns on the fabrics for shirts and swimwear gave me the idea to develop this theme in the new collection.
The collection is full of garments made of fabrics that are beautiful to behold and beautiful to touch. Yet I also noticed a few pieces whose fabrics cross the line of purely elegant fashion. How did the idea of combining formal fashion with natural materials enhanced by functional membranes come about?
When creating a new collection, we do not listen only to intuition and our creative selves. The reactions of Blažek's regular customers are extremely important to us. We talk to them; we want to know their everyday needs when it comes to dressing; we ask our colleagues in the Blažek stores about what customers most often come to them with. In our own design work and in the search for ideal fabrics, we then bring it all together. That is exactly how our formal coats made from luxurious fabrics by Ing. Loro Piana & C. came into being — made from wool of the highest quality, but equipped with a membrane that guarantees even greater comfort in rainy and windy weather.
What gave you the most trouble in the collection? Is there a model you changed several times before you fine-tuned it?
Without a doubt, it was the washable suit. The great thing was that the fabric manufacturers supplied us with washable wool, but it was up to us to develop the cut and construction so that the entire suit would really be washable. We spent a lot of time working on the inner construction that helps the jacket keep its shape. The next phase was developing a washing bag that would work and be easy to use. And then there was the constant, repeated testing of everything. We could not forget that we were working with a very high-quality fabric and the construction had to match it. Part of the solution lay in eliminating the lining. But eliminating the lining means that every seam has to be perfectly finished — in a way that not only looks good, but also works well.
A washable men's suit is a bold idea. What was the line of thinking behind its creation?
Again, there were several impulses. The primary one was the arrival of a new generation who expect functionality from their clothing; they are used to a suit being water-repellent and a jacket being waterproof. They demand added value. This washable jersey suit is undoubtedly intended for a demanding wearer, but one with a young spirit; one must not expect from it what one expects from a standard suit. It is unlined, lightweight; the knitted trousers are extremely comfortable. Support also came from the fabric manufacturers — without washable 100% wool, this suit could not have come into being. It was a challenge.
What was the greatest pitfall when designing and creating the washable suit?
We had the basis of the fabric, but I was not immediately certain about the design at the outset. We tried several trouser variants and not all of them were ideal. Thanks to the comfortable fabric, some cuts looked too casual, which would have reduced the suit's elegance and representational value. We therefore had to proceed very carefully.
We also took great care with the development of the washing bag. We knew it had to be user-friendly and at the same time had to prevent the jacket from becoming deformed during washing. We complemented the bag with luxurious woven labels that explain to the wearer how to wash the suit and highlight its added values.
Last but not least, we put a great deal of effort into the aforementioned construction of the suit. The suit is made of a high-quality jersey fabric with specific properties. The machines have to be perfectly calibrated so that the fabric's elasticity works as it should. We had to carefully verify that truly every visible and invisible part would be washable.
Blažek collections are renowned for the magnificent patterns of their informal shirts. How do you select them? I can imagine that at the beginning you sit in front of a huge quantity of current shirting samples. What guides you in your choice? Is it intuition, feeling, or do you rely more on reason?
I first let feeling into the selection. I give my emotions free rein and think about the current concept. In my mind I have the theme of the collection, which this time is Greece. And, with some exaggeration, I say to myself that I want them all. Unfortunately that is not possible, so in the end I pull myself together and make a first rough selection.
The next round of selecting fabrics for informal shirts is preceded by choosing the material and pattern for separate jackets. In the second round, therefore, I try laying the preselected fabrics against jackets and look for combinations that might work together. I bid farewell to unsuitable patterns and colours. In the final phase, I let reason into the selection. I examine the fabric's composition, the yarn's fineness and the surface finish, and I reconsider some of the fabrics. But these are no longer major changes, because I can rely on our fabric manufacturers to offer us nothing but the best.
There are swimming trunks in the collection for the first time. Which ones would you pick for your husband, and why?
I must admit that my husband is the first one already testing them, and he cannot stop praising them. We have tested that the fabric works perfectly, dries well and does not fade, and the inner mesh does everything it should. It amuses me that he cannot hide his delight at the interest of those around him. I can certainly say that the imaginative print has caught the eye both by the pool and at the sea. He has even already received personal compliments from a gentleman who asked where he had got the swimming trunks. So I said to myself that they will sell themselves.
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