Interview with Liza Fredrika Åslund, one of the selected authors by the first creative call of What’s More Alive Than You™ whose shoes are right now realized

Interview with an author What’s More Alive Than You®, graduated at Danish Design School

What’s More Alive Than You™ presented as preview its first PERMANENT COLLECTION: a series of shoes and bags designed thanks to the creativity of 15 young students and professionals unknown to the general public, but with great skills and talent. Among them not only fashion designers but also architects and product designers, who have accepted the multidisciplinary challenge offered by What’s More Alive Than You ™ by creating objects really special, suitable for those who want to stand out, with the spirit of this new Italian brand which offers wearable objects closer to the world of art and design than to the rules of traditional fashion.

This new brand and its ambitious project are recognized by the press about fashion, design and art of 72 countries. Several Universities around the world already involved their students in our creative calls launched several times per year for the design of the collections; among them 15 are already actively working together in partnership. There are already 45 people selected as authors of the artworks, some of them presented in the first PERMANENT COLLECTION and they come from 19 different countries. A project that started just over a year ago but is creating so much interest and curiosity in thousands of people who every day visit the institutional website.

We therefore wanted to ask one of the authors of the Selection ONE, whose artworks are right now part of the first PERMANENT COLLECTION, what she thinks and which idea she has about this new brand, thanks to her experience in this project.

The young fashion designer is Liza Fredrika Åslund, born in Nyköping, Sweden 30 years ago; she is the author of a beautiful collection of women’s shoes, inspired by environment and re-use of materials.

Tell us who you are and what are you looking for.

I´m always looking for interesting things that capture my imagination. I like words and often a collection starts with a sentence. I sometimes have a problem relating to the strive for perfection in fashion when what captures my eye is the mistakes in fashion, the imperfection.

What about your education and your cultural context?

I studied five years at the danish designschool in Copenhagen for MA in fashion design. I did internships for Ann-Sofie Back and Alexander McQueen in London.
I come from a tiny kind of boring and sleepy place at the eastcoast of sweden with about 1000 inhabitats. I grew up with lots of freedom to build stuff, jump off cliffs and hang with my brother.

Which kind of perspective would you give to fashion thanks to your work?

Sometimes the perfection in fashion can become boring and controlling. I like for fashion to explore the ugly and not so perfect part of us. But in the end turn it in to something you still want to wear and want to look at.

What do you think about the chance given by WHAT’S MORE ALIVE THAN YOU, which allows you to turn your background into a career in designing accessories?

I´ve always loved accessories and I think it´s interesting to learn more about the process of turning my idea into something wearable. It´s something I definetley want to work more with.

What about the name of the brand WHAT’S MORE ALIVE THAN YOU? Do you think this brand name could reflect a contemporary idea of fashion?

Today everything is about stageing yourself and fashion is very individual. What brands you like and how you interpret fashion. It can be to show or hide who you are.

What do you expect by the present and by the future?

I just finished my MA at the danish designschool and now I´m looking for a job where I can use the creative tools I learned in school and learn more about the industry. In the future I would like to have a job where I can have more creative freedom and inspire others.

What could you say to anyone who wants to join our creative calls?

It´s interesting to be in the process from the beginning to the end. To work with the adjustments you have to do to take the idea from beeing just an idea to something that works commercial and technical without compromising your vision to much.

THE THIRD CREATIVE CALL IS ON AIR BY NOVEMBER, 23 FOR THE CREATION OF COLLECTIONS OF BAGS, SHOES AND CONTEMPORARY JEWELLERY. YOU COULD SEND TILL FEBRUARY 28, 2011 PROJECTS, DESIGNS, CREATIVE IDEAS TO REVOLUTIONIZE THE CONCEPT OF FASHION.

THE FIRST PERMANENT COLLECTION
SELECTION ONE
IS ONLINE IN THE WEBSITE:
WMATY.COM

YOU CAN ASK OTHER QUESTIONS TO LIZA FREDRIKA ÅSLUND WRITING TO THE PRESS OFFICE WHAT’S MORE ALIVE THAN YOU™:

Contact: pressoffice@wmaty.com

WMATY.COM