By Mandi Pimental
Lenka Laskoradova is an artist driven by intense passion and a desire to illustrate stories in uniquely imaginative ways. Her artful fashion collages marry boldness, color and vibrancy in a way not often seen in this medium. BASIC Magazine’s editor Mandi Pimental spoke with Laskoradova on the creative path she’s carved and what keeps the inspiration flame burning.
Your collages are innovative and colorful, what inspires your design aesthetic?
I can find an inspiration in every simple day of my life – advertisements or a ticket from a bus.
Is your art self-taught or was this path something you studied and pursued professionally through schooling?
I studied at university but in a completely different specialization, so my experience in art & collages is spontaneous movement from my mind.
The spontaneity and creativity is definitely felt in your works. How much of a piece is about the integrated fashion? Versus being purely an art piece? What inspires your featured fashion piece choices?
They are all about fashion, because the biggest inspiration for me is new collections, photo shoots and ads from the magazines. For me, it is more important to work with how I can transform a piece (bags, shoes, accessories) into something new and unusual.
Having a large following is a coveted thing for designers, or any professional in today’s business landscape. How do you define power in today’s social media driven society?
We are all fond of social media, just look around the street or a cafe and you will see how many people use their gadgets instead of participate in conversations in real time. Today you are a popular fashion designer if you have many followers on social media. For me it doesn’t matter – I think it is more important to concentrate on clothing and my designs, not popularity.
We respect artists who work for the love of their passion projects. Lastly, what is next for you creatively?
I have a number of projects in the works and soon I’m debuting my own exhibition of my handmade collages in an Art Gallery in Saint Petersburg.
