Happy Birthday Masha Reva
My first “face to face” with Masha Reva was on the catwalk in between of shows, when I took the last picture of the post.
She just turned 23, on the 30th of October, and the last year covered her with events: after graduating at University of Technology in Kiev -where she moved after highschool from Odessa, on the sea- she won two competitions with her graduate collection and had the chance to go to NY for an internship @Thakoon and was shooted for Harper’s Bazaar Ukraine by young photographer Cate Underwood.
Two weeks internship in Thakoon fashion house from masha on Vimeo.
She’s a strong personality, an artist, specially in drawing and painting as well as in fashion design, and she enchains these talents printing playfull yet mysterious patterns. I was inspired also by the precise and determined attitude I could see in the making of Top10’s cover.
I interviewed her a few hours ago via skype:
j: so happy you received my sms! I will write about many designers of KFD days but today I decided I wanted to start with you.
I liked your videos on the website also!
mr: ))) thanks
j: did you grow up in Kiev? when did you move there?
mr: No, I’m from Odessa and 5 years ago I`ve moved to Kiev for studying.
j: I know you attended Arts & Technology(?) University in Kiev, from about 18 to 22?
mr: I’m 23 , my birthday was on the 30th of October.
j:YEAH! happy Birthday!
do they teach drawing, pattern making, sewing? or did you have to do some on your own?
mr: They usually teach drawing a lot , fashion history, art history and not so much sewing and constructing. Students used to do many things on their own.
j: is Odessa a big city? something going on in fashion there? do you feel connected also to that city?
mr: About fashion not a lot, we have about 1000000 of people there and it`s like a resort city; I love Odessa very much. And of course my family lives there.
and I love to watch the sea.
j: so you graduated – you won the HBazaar fashion competition – did the internship at thakoon – a capsule collection for pure shop in Kiev – and had an exhibition hosted at Kiev Fashion Days- what are you going to do now? did I miss some steps? right order?
mr: first was the collection for Pure, it was in last february, past winter
When I did my diploma collection I won another competition – the prize was two weeks in St.Martins school , so I’ll go there in december
Now I’m preparing a project for Atelier 1, concept store in Kiev http://www .atelier1. co.uk/
The Project there is about a team of 8 ukrainian designers, each one doing his own little capsule collection (about 10 outfits)
j: what competition was it for st martins college prize? did you present your graduate collection?
mr: Yes, it was a competition offered by Ukrainian Fashion Week, named Look At The Future
j: what will you do now? have you already thought about staying in Kiev or having an experience abroad?
mr: Now I’m preparing a capsule collection, thinking about to have more studies, in fashion marketing, and if it will be possible to have more interships abroad, in Europe.
j: What is interesting, for u as a designer, in meeting other designers and their work? (for example at Thakoon)
mr: I think it’s good to receive an experience abroad. Of course here not many people know how to create a business, a global process of organization, a structure.
j: Is it difficult in Ukraine to work in the fashion system? Did you find some help? do you have to do big economical efforts to go on with your collections?
mr: For me it is difficult: of course I am at the begining, my friends helps me so much for everything, usually I ask advises how to do this or that, but it was wery fast winning this two competitions, than KFD, collections: with this rhythm I have to effort the economical and strategical part.. That is why I decided to take a marketing course in London. But my friend also says that I need to find a manager, but it`s difficult.
At first I think I have to know all parts of the processon my own.
j: how is your relation to the shops-and retail in general? is it easy for you to think that people will wear your creations?
mr: When I made the capsule for Pure we saw how things were going – what was popular , what was not – it was my first experience with retail. Of course ‘m watching what is going around me, what people may like, what they might need. It’s about an intuition.
j: do you think there’s really a big difference in fashion from different countries?
mr: Every country has it’s own vision, but rules of fashion are in their biggest part the same. I mean fashion industry , business.
j: also your shoes are wonderfull-where did you make them? did you print on leather? do you sell online?
mr: when l was putting shoes look book I even didn`t expect what will fall on me great!
I make them here in Kiev, in small factory specialized in personal sewing, I use cotton, there is not the technology to do it on leather in Kiev, and of course it’s better for spring-summer times.
j: this is all thanks a lot and tell me your favoured ukrainian dish/food; I’ll try it next time I come to Kiev 
)
mr: The best food is in Odessa! We have wonderfull cafes and restourants there. The name of dish is “Forshmak” – it’s a fish pate with toasts ond jung onion – it’s light and very tasty.
j: sounds good!
thank you so much for your time!!! I also know you’re a friend of Fedor (vozianov)
I loved the puppets in his studio!
mr: )))))) It was nice to practise english and to speak to you ))))thanks ))))
j: Grazie and good luck!
julikafrombudapest
