DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT

From Yuliya Oleynykova

It’s not every day that you accidentally stumble upon a fashion designer’s private viewing, on your way home. Well luck was looking my way the other day, and that was exactly what happened when I walked into the Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts, Free Range exhibition. This resulted in me meeting the delightful designer, Yuliya Oleynykova.

As a recent graduate from Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts, Yuliya has come a long way – literally! Originally from Ukraine, she moved to the UK with a keen desire to further her skills and knowledge as a designer.

Yuliya has been grafting for many years now and I can certainly say she’s been one busy bee. Not only has she completed her degree in fashion, but she has also obtained her masters degree in marketing, as well as completing various short courses in styling, make up and dressmaking, before leaving Ukraine.

Yuliya is a super ambitious, stylish, career-oriented individual. She has an extremely bubbly yet modest personality, which you can’t help but to be absorbed by. But don’t be fooled – there is much more to her than just her lovely witty charm – she also has a few tricks up her sleeve. As we got chatting, we spoke about her earliest fashion memory and how it led her to peruse a career in fashion.

Fairy Tern Collection

WORDS BY NATASHA FOSTER

As soon as the question slipped off the end of my tongue, she beamed a huge pearly smile and passionately went on to tell me that ever since she was a child, she could remember her mother making clothes. She smiled at how she remembered herself taking scraps of fabric and sitting at her a small red sewing machine, for days creating miniature size clothes for her toys. Yuliya laughed when telling me: “all I wanted to do was to be like my family”. Yuliya’s love of fashion grew firm from a young age as she witnessed family members working together in partnership, turning cloth into sought-after garments. Proudly grinning, she said, that her grandmother was the best seamstress in the village, and every woman wanted to have a dress made by her. So there’s no doubt, that dressmaking runs through Yuliya veins!

“All I wanted to do was to be

like my family”

Yuliya has been inspired by designers “that love women’s femininity and shape” such as Christian Dior, Alexander Mcqueen and Elie Saab and you can see this in the way she designs. When asking Yuliya about her inspirations, she explained to me that she lives her life noticing and being crucially aware of everything that occurs around her. Only from this can she be truly inspired. Yuliya explained how her outlook has certainly become wider since becoming a designer, making her appreciate the smaller and more precious things in life. Whilst creating her S/S collection, Yuliya become fond of the beauty of birds, mountains, trees and berries; but in general the whole fauna and flora of our planet. “I’ve learnt to notice the uniqueness in absolutely the simplest things and I love it!” Yuliya says.

Whilst we munched on some delicious pink, fluffy macaroons the waiter urged us to try, (which I’ve got to say were absolutely divine), I asked Yuliya about her S/S 2013 ‘Fairy Tern’ collection, which was immaculately presented behind us.

Yuliya eagerly expressed her inspiration behind the collection, which evidently was inspired by a particular bird, to be more exact the ‘Fairy Tern’. The ’Fairy Tern’ is typically found round tropical oceans but it was in 2011 in the Seychelles, when Yuliya discovered and fell in love with the bird. Yuliya was captivated by the bird’s transformation, as it turned from a young chick to a grown adult. She wanted to document the development of the bird’s lifecycle through her designs, so she took into account the bird’s feathers, texture, shape and colour. These were the key elements that Yuliya wanted to express through her luxury evening wear collection. I can truly say that she has done a fantastic job at interpreting the bird’s feathers through her raw cocoon-like chiffon dress, which caught my attention as soon as I walked in through the door.

After closely observing her collection, I immediately grew intrigued to know who her muse was and whom she was targeting with her uniquely alluring designs. Raising the champagne flute, she took a quick sip and placed the flute beside her and proceeded to tell me about her ideal women. “ I design for the 25-35 year old sophisticated, successful women” Yuliya said, “but if I had to pick a women that signifies my style, it would be Renata Litvinova, a Russian actress, director and screenwriter; as she’s a successful, woman who’s simply a talented and beautiful individual”. Continuing, she went on to paint a vivid picture of this‘character’ that she had created for her brand. Yuliya described an angelically-poised women strolling down the Champs-Élysées on a sunny afternoon and as the evening approaches, she evolves into a seductive goddess. She envisions her character’s life to be filled by attending impressive prestigious events and art galleries, sipping the finest champagnes, wearing the most luxurious dresses and dining at the most exquisite restaurants. Yuliya laughed: “I wouldn’t mind living this lifestyle myself !” And I totally agree! Who wouldn’t want to morph into Yuliya’s imagined character!?

“I design for the 25-35 year old sophisticated,

successful women”

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT

Yuliya Oleynykova with one of her designs

Currently in the process of creating her A/W 2013-2014, which is inspired by her travels to the Scottish Highlands, Yuliya’s second collection focuses on the soil, rocks, and different types of sand found in the Highlands. Her palette will include and focus on rich dark-hued tones, such as blue and grey.

With her business-like personality, together with her amazing ability to completely plunge into an idea and devote every ounce of energy to it, she will no doubt overcome every new challenge and take advantage of every opportunity that comes her way. I very much expect that included in her future achievements will be to realise her dream to open a boutique back home in the Ukraine.

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT

Fairy Tern S/S 2013