Annons
VICE: So, how did you get started making your own clothes?
Natalija Mencej: I’ve loved knitting ever since I was ten, when my aunt helped me make a scarf. I had to work a load of different shitty jobs so I could afford to live and study in London, hone my craft and see if I had a future in it.
You studied BA Fashion Design at Saint Martins. That place is pretty fun, right?
Yeah! But it was also stressful and sometimes heartbreaking. It was great to be with such talented and ambitious students from around the world and tutors that would just let you go for whatever you felt like. Which also meant that there were times when you were just completely left to your own devices, to battle your own obstacles. It takes getting used to, but it also gives you the room and the initiative to express yourself.
What was the reaction to your graduate collection like?
Perfect, people are excited about it. Dazed and i-D did little things on me. It’s still early days, I guess.
How did your designs change over the course of your studies? Did you always do sportswear?
No, I did womenswear for the first couple of years, though it was never very feminine. I only got into menswear in my final year. Who are you designing this stuff for?
I guess my muse is any imaginary guy who's down on his luck, an orphan who wants to be somebody visible and memorable and unique. That’s what the feminine palette is about.
It’s almost an extension of Velvet zoot suits and pimp culture.
Well not quite pimp, but he wants to stand out. I used velour and sparkles, so I guess that’s a nod towards that culture.
Annons
The pugs were super-cute.
Yeah I was really lucky with that. After I decided I wanted pugs, somebody at school whose mum was in the London Pug Society, overheard me talking about it, so I borrowed them through her. They worked well for the show, I think.You've seen this, right? What did you think of it?
The guy that made it is blowing my mind. He's a real poet, like Shakespeare. Might try and ask him to write a song for my MA graduate collection.Boys looking after puppies; there's something tender about that. Do you find tenderness sexy?
Not necessarily, but I definitely prefer a protective man next to me. The world has become too feminine – we are lacking real men.
Hmmkay, but your street cast models were pretty manly and great. How did you find those guys? Are they your friends?
[Larry](http:// http://www.imtheonlyoneonmystreet.blogspot.co.uk/ ), who was one of the models, is also a CSM student so we met there. It was him who did the casting for my show and suggested the music. With the dogs and the street-cast boys, it ended up looking pretty high-concept.
Yep, but it wasn't that big a deal. I traced two hoodies that Harry, the guy who owned the pugs, gave me just before the show. The only thing I did was make them a little more hip-hop.What is it you like so much about hip-hop culture?
I love the positivity of old skool hip-hop. That was my inspiration. All these brilliant ideas stemming from almost nothing, from extreme poverty. Everything was made to rock, to be cool and to be visible.
Have you enjoyed London since you’ve lived here?
When you’re studying fashion all your friends end up being "industry". I love the fashion student community in London but I’m not sure I want to stay here or anywhere else for a long time. To be honest, I’d prefer to keep moving.
