About the designer Aline Skarule
Would you like to know who is behind this brand? I’m one of them, Aline. As a designer, in the early stages of our brand, my job is not only to design clothes, but also all other visual elements. I recently turned 29 and I feel better than ever. One of the reasons for this is that I finally realized how much I can achieve and how much more I can achieve. This is the beginning of a new wonderful adventure.
My love for fashion design started in my childhood. When I was little, I lived in a suburb with my family. It was a beautiful Latvian country life with only a few direct neighbors and I spent every free minute drawing. Uninfluenced by fashion magazines and TV programs, I took my inspiration mainly from my feelings, my thoughts and my surroundings – especially from the beautiful Latvian nature, its smells, sounds, textures, colors.
Facts about Latvia
Latvia is known not only for its pristine nature, but also for its songs. Music events are very popular here – concerts, seasonal festivals and much more. One of the most important music events in Latvia is the Latvian Song and Dance Festival, which brings together the country’s best folk dance groups, choirs and musicians.
A significant Latvian tradition is the summer solstice. The Latvian people are still very deeply rooted in paganism. On Midsummer Eve, people gather in the countryside and spend the whole night singing and celebrating. They also jump over a campfire as a sign of pagan worship of nature.
You literally have to look up to the Latvian people. Latvia is home to some of the tallest women in the world, with an average height of an impressive 170 cm.
The capital of Latvia is Riga. Although the city is subject to a fast rhythm, its residents maintain a relaxed lifestyle at the same time. Free Wi-Fi is widespread in Latvia, and Rigensians like to do their work on the terrace of a café over a delicious coffee and a crispy brioche. People work a lot in Latvia, but they also like to party. On a warm summer evening, the day is often ended with good music, good company and a cold drink in a modern bar in the center of Riga.
The challenges of a new brand
It is very difficult to set up your own business in Latvia. The beginning of something new is usually chaotic and confusing. You want to express yourself, but find it difficult. This is mainly due to public pressure. When you consider that our population is just under 2 million people, it’s difficult to take risks and stand out. You have to find a way to show that you are good enough to give people only the best quality. And you have to ask yourself how you can be authentic without being judged by others.
Where do I get my inspiration from?
Despite the above difficulties, Latvia will always be the place where I feel at home and find inner peace. I think this is mainly due to the beautiful Latvian nature. Nevertheless, I like to travel and discover more of the world. A month-long stay in Spain became an unexpected source of inspiration for me for the latest collection and also for the name of the brand.
Production of the collection and the fabrics
During my month-long journey along the Spanish coast and through small towns, I had many opportunities to gather inspiration for my first collection. They came from feelings and experiences during my trip, evoked by the dreamlike nature of Spain with its colorful fields, clear misty mornings in the mountains and stony coasts, and evenings in the company of interesting, happy people. I then incorporated the feelings and experiences of this trip into my designs.
As soon as I started working on my collection I knew I wanted to work mostly with denim. The difficulty was that I had never ordered raw denim in such large quantities before. In order for the jeans to be soft and light, they had to undergo numerous tests and washes. It was a long and time-consuming process before I got close to the desired result.
I chose denim because I had worked with this material before and was therefore familiar with it. I like its robustness and that you can experiment with it in different ways to get many different interesting effects.
In order to make the denim more eye-catching in some designs, it has been embroidered. This makes the fabric appear more playful and colourful. In Spain I took a lot of photos of my surroundings and got engrossed in numerous details. These photos served as the basis for the embroidery. First I created drafts and then later converted them into digital drawings.
Other details that can be seen in the designs such as fringes, stitching, bows, as well as the choice of colors evolved naturally as part of the process to create a coherent whole for the collection.
With the help of my imagination, my wealth of experience and my emotions, my first small collection was ready for production and sale.
conclusion
One thing is now clear to me: an original idea can ultimately result in a completely different result. There are moments of self-doubt, especially given the numerous obstacles along the way that will force you to deviate from the original plan. But if you stay focused and take one step at a time, there is no wrong answer or wrong decision – everything is part of the bigger picture and change is inevitable.