ilja press kit
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Ilja Media kitTRANSCRIPT
SKIN\\\FONIE F\W12\13
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AMSTERDAM-BASED FASHION DESIGNER, ILJA VISSER, DESIGNS WEARABLE
PIECES OF ART, TO ENCOURAGE SELF-EXPRESSION, FOR MODERN, SOPHISTI-
CATED WOMEN WITH A STRONG POINT-OF-VIEW.
ILJA EMBARKED ON HER CAREER IN FASHION BY ATTENDING THE SCHOOL
OF ARTS IN ARNHEM, THE NETHERLANDS. STUDYING FASHION DESIGN
LED HER TO NEW YORK FOR INTERNSHIPS AT DONNA KARAN AND MARIA
CORNEJO WHERE SHE ACQUIRED HER FINE SKILLS OF TAILORING. UPON
GRADUATION IN 2001, SHE MOVED TO MILAN TO FURTHER DISCOVER THE
FOUNDATION OF FASHION, TEXTILES, AND DESIGN.
HER NAMESAKE LINE, ILJA, FOUNDED IN 2005, AROSE FROM HER DREAM TO
EXPRESS HER INDIVIDUAL CONCEPTUAL VISION AND ARTISTIC APPROACH
TO FASHION. WITH HIGH REGARD TO IMPECCABLE CRAFTSMANSHIP IN
TAILORING, FABRIC MANIPULATION AND INFLUENCE OF MODERN INNO-
VATIONS, THE COLLECTION EXHIBITS AN ORGANIC AND SCULPTURAL
DISTINCTION. HONORING THIS INNOVATION AND TALENT, ILJA BECAME
THE FIRST DUTCH FASHION DESIGNER TO RECEIVE THE CULTUUR MODE
STIPENDIUM AWARD FROM THE PRINS BERNHARD CULTUURFONDS (PRINCE
BERNHARD CULTURAL FOUNDATION) IN 2011.
ILJA COMBINES INSPIRATIONS OF THE ARTS AND THE DUALITY OF STRENGTH
AND FEMININITY IN WOMEN INTO OUTSPOKEN GARMENT AND SHOE
DESIGNS. THE CONTRADICTORY ELEMENTS OF HARD/SOFT AND STRONG/
FRAGILE ARE CONCEPTUALIZED THROUGH THE USE OF ORGANIC SHAPES BY
INCORPORATING TRADITIONAL DESIGN TECHNIQUES WITH CONTEMPO-
RARY AND INNOVATIONAL APPROACHES. THE SKILLFUL CONTROL OF MA-
TERIALS PRODUCES DYNAMIC MOVEMENTS ESTABLISHED BY A STRUCTURED
FLUIDITY OF THE GARMENTS. THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF THESE TECH-
NIQUES IN FLATTERING, FEMININE SILHOUETTES, ILJA’S VISION, TO CREATE
A WARDROBE THAT ALLOWS WOMEN TO EXPRESS BOTH THEIR STRENGTH
AND SENSITIVITY IS FULFILLED.
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POWERFUL, EMOTIONAL, ARTISTIC, CHARACTERIZES THE ILJA AESTHETIC.
LAUNCHED IN 2005, ILJA VISSER INTRODUCED HER LINE, EXPRESSING HER
CONCEPTUAL VISION AND ARTISTIC APPROACH ON FASHION. COMBINING
HER INSPIRATIONS, THE ARTS AND THE DUALITY OF STRENGTH AND
FEMININITY IN WOMEN, SHE CREATES OUTSPOKEN DESIGNS.
THE SOPHISTICATED ARTISTRY OF ILJA IS BROUGHT TO LIFE THROUGH
IMPECCABLE CRAFTSMANSHIP, FABRIC MANIPULATION AND
CONTEMPORARY INNOVATIONS. HER COLLECTIONS EXHIBIT AN ORGANIC
AND SCULPTURAL DISTINCTION IN FLATTERING, FEMININE SILHOUETTES.
IT IS THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF THESE CORE VALUES THAT ILJA’S
VISION, TO CREATE WEARABLE ART IN ORDER TO ALLOW WOMEN TO
EXPRESS FRAGILITY AND COMPASSION, REVEALING HER SENSITIVE SIDE,
WHILE REMAINING AUTHORITATIVE AND RESPECTED FOR BOTH HER BEAUTY
AND STRENGTH, IS ACHIEVED.
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A DANCE IS ABOUT PURE EXPRESSION AND GRACE. IT IS ONE OF THE MOST
EMOTIONAL MOVEMENTS A HUMAN BEING CAN CREATE WITH HIS BODY.
THE ILJA COLLECTION OF THIS SEASON IS ENTIRELY STANDING IN THE NAME
OF BEAUTY AND MOVEMENT. IT REPRESENTS A BLEND OF MODERN
EXPRESSIONAL DANCE WITH CLASSICAL BALLET INFLUENCES. BOTH STYLES
FIND ITS BALANCE IN SYMMETRICAL, ORGANIC SHAPES UNDERLINED WITH
VOLUMINOUS SKIRTS AND DRESSES PRODUCING AN EDGY BUT INNOCENT
LOOK.
LIGHTWEIGHT VISCOSE BATIST IS PAIRED WITH HEAVY WEIGHT WASHED
SILKS. PALE SKIN TONES ARE COMBINED WITH RAW STONE COLOURS, SUCH
AS CONCRETE GREY AND BLACK MELANGE. A POETRY OF CONTRASTS FIND
A BALANCE.
SKIN\\\FONIE IS THE FUSION OF INSTINCTIVE MOVEMENT, SOUND AND THE
ART OF DANCE. FOR THIS COLLECTION HANDCRAFTED GRAPHICS WERE
DIGITALLY PRINTED ON FABRIC, CREATING THE ILLUSION OF SOUND
FREQUENCIES MOVING ALONG THE LINES OF THE ELABORATE
SILHOUETTES. EACH SILHOUETTE REPRESENTS A SOUND THAT STANDS FOR
ITSELF, TOGETHER THEY ASSEMBLE A SYMPHONY.
EACH SEASON ILJA VISSER REPRESENTS A STRONG CONCEPT WHICH IS
EXPRESSED IN A BLEND OF WEARABLE EVENING GARMENTS, EXTRAVAGANT
SHOWPIECES AND AN OUTSPOKEN SHOE DESIGN.
THE GARMENTS ARE HAND-CRAFTED IN THE ATELIER HEADQUARTER OF
THE ILJA VISSER GROUP IN AMSTERDAM.
LUXURIOUS FABRICS COME TO LIFE IN MODERN AND TIMELESS DESIGNS
CREATING A UNIQUE AURA AROUND EACH ILJA GARMENT.
ILJA VISSER GROUP
ATELIER \\ SHOWROOMPRINSENGRACHT 581-583
1016 HT AMSTERDAM+31 (0)20 625 7466
[email protected] \\ WWW.ILJA.NLFACEBOOK.COM/ILJACOUTURE
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