An interview with haute couture designer Gustavo Lins

two weeks agone I already introduced you lot to haute coutourier Gustavo Lins, one of only 12 exclusive members to The chambre syndicale de la haute couture in Paris. I had the bang-up pleasance to both interview him and see his presentation at French Couture week in Singapore this calendar week, where he showed a total of 34 outfits, 23 for women and 11 for men. The house of Gustavo Lins currently makes 2 haute couture collections, 2 fix-to-wear collections for women and two ready-to-article of clothing collections for men each year.

I had a delightful conversation with him. Find out more than about Gustavo Lins' vision for haute couture, his blueprint method, his definition of style and clothing for women over 40 and the future of haute couture. Enjoy!

You only started doing mode blueprint after your study in architecture. How did that come nearly?

It's very curious the way I came into mode desgin. I come up from a very traditional family unit in Brazil and I was supposed to study medicine, engineering science or economics. While studying I became very fascinated past the way tailors contruct clothes. I used to get to the tailor as a child to have clothes altered, but I was never satisfied with the results. Then I complained to my female parent and she told me that I should exercise it myself then. The idea of that ever stayed in my mind. So while studying I decided to design my own shirts and trousers and other students wanted to purchase them. When I finally decided to accept up mode design every bit a profession I went to Europe and enrolled in a tailoring school. I felt that as a manner designer I should know as much about technical details, structure, anatomy as about creativity. Otherwise nosotros cannot design clothes for a human being.

It seems that quite a few designers have an architectural groundwork. Is that a coincidence?

Yes, it'southward true. There is Maurizio Galante, Ferre, Pacco Rabanne, Courreges. I think it's considering architects have a very proficient vision and perspective. For me a skilful way designer should know nearly painting, fine art history, economy, politics, social movements and pattern making. You should understand the human body and how the pieces of the garments are integrated around it.

Is that also the secret to why your clothes curtain then nicely around the trunk?

Yeah, I endeavor to design things that are very soft and very low-cal and perfectly assembled. Sometimes in haute couture, yous tin can blueprint very complex things, but in a very simple way. Some of our dresses are fabricated in 35 minutes with a sewing automobile. Just all the genius is in the way the pieces are cut and designed.

Why did you choose to practise haute couture?

I was elected past the Chambre. I did non really cull. I think I was invited because of the fashion I think about couture. I worked with a porcelain company and draped some pieces into clay and when people in Paris saw this work they felt information technology was a new way to look at haute couture.

That'due south quite a huge honour though since there are merely 12 official members

Yes, it is!

What ways haute couture to you?

For me Haute Couture is very articulate and very clean. I loved Maurizio Galante'due south show yesterday. His vision was very clear.

I don't demand too many artefacts on the garment. Haute Couture is a way of thinking, a manner of working. The ground is a stiff know-how.

How practice y'all see the place of haute couture in this world where fast manner dominates?

I think haute couture has a place of inventing, innovating and creating new possibilities, because everything that you accept in your heed, you tin can produce in 5 days time. In haute couture there is a very short cycle between creation and production. Prepare-to-wear is longer, because with ready-to-wear you have to piece of work with factories, who develop your pattern and prototype, which yous receive only 1 or two months later.

But the actual creation of the garments takes more fourth dimension, no?

Yeah, you need the best workers, the all-time craftsmen as well as a adept studio structure, because you must have everything around y'all. Drawing, pattern making, seamstresses, embroidery, etc. So it depends on your collection on how fast information technology tin be done.

What is your design process?

I constantly sketch. When I have an idea I draw it in my notebook. I describe all the time. This is my way of writing. After that, I await at my drawings, put them together and and then begin with the raw materials. I collect the silks, linen, wool, cotton, leather, depending on what I had in mind.

And you merely piece of work with natural materials?

Mainly, because I try not to work with petrol fibres. I'chiliad very environmentally conscious. It's not a question of beingness classic because I'm actually passionate well-nigh the environment.

Whilst I select the fabrics I take a slice of cloth, I drape information technology and await for the move. And after that, I design. I just stretch the structure of the garment. I accept the geometry in my mind of how information technology will be built. I also create my own prints and depict them myself with paint. They are then sent to the factory in Italy who translate my painting into print. I like to send it to a manufacturing plant because I similar the quality of industrially produced prints and prefer it to handmade finishes.

This is also how I piece of work with embroidery. I create a design and take it to the embroidery house who will give me feedback and and so turn it into a finished piece. That'due south why information technology's so of import to work with actually talented people around you. You present them with your work and they give yous important feedback about that and make certain that the terminal products are true to the Atelier Gustavolins style and are commercially viable. It'due south my stance that everything I create, I need to be able to sell. Haute couture is a commercial activity and not fine art. Nosotros must be a skilful artist to design dresses, only a dress is not a piece of art.

Garments are like compages: information technology must accept a door, windows, roof, ventilation. It needs to be functional. I similar the quote of Yves Saint Laurent who said: An elegant person forgets what he or she wears.

I videotaped the whole interview but the audio quality is non peachy. Still, here you will hear Gustavo Lins talking near the above.

Fashion should be comfortable..

The world has changed and then much and fashion must change as well. Yous must design comfortable pieces!

Coming back to your own collection. Ane of your signatures is the upside T. How did that signature come up about?

When I created my visitor ten years ago I really wanted to take a signature. I was looking for a sign, but not a logo. So many of the big brands were obsessed past logos. And I was looking for something that could be a structure. I was working on the back of a jacket at the fourth dimension and suddenly I put a dart on the back of it and saw this upside down T. I immediately thought almost the T of my outset name and within 3 seconds I had this insight on how I could integrate it into the collections and could make it work with the dorsum, shoulders, sleeves etc.

What inspires your collections?

I like to create garments that can hands be combined amongst themselves. Even from unlike collections as I'thousand doing in the option of garments I'm showing tonight. Pieces from v years ago tin can still be mixed with today'south pieces. I similar to compare information technology to organic architecture, where you create the kickoff cake, then the second, the 3rd etc. I like my collections to be timeless. Of grade I follow fashion movements simply I don't want to exist a center of the road designer. I try to exist very gratuitous and comfy and follow my intuition. That's why I vest in haute couture. I must be original and I must be fair to my personal convictions.

What kind of woman do you design for?

Someone like you could be a perfect customer for me!

I like to design for everyone. Many of my clothes tin can be worn both by a 17 year old woman and a lxx yr woman. It's important to me to create clothes that look good on all kinds of people and not just models. I'k really very tempted by the idea to testify my clothes in future shows on real people (not models).

I think a lot of women would love that!

I would really like to compose something similar this. Withal with very good makeup of form and a very adept production. A lady similar you, I'm sure, would exist perfect to show our clothing. I very much like your mental attitude, because I feel that you understand the way I piece of work. Because sometimes when I give interviews information technology's just most the manner and the new trends. Although I tin can do that as well, I think that in order to remain in the fashion concern, you must be someone like Karl Lagerfeld. He has the women that purchase Chanel in his listen when he creates his designs and that is why Chanel is such a huge success.

How practice yous define style?

Be yourself!

If y'all see a collection and something really appeals to you, and then maybe you can encounter a connectedness. Maybe information technology's a good bridge. That'southward why fashion week is very of import, considering information technology shows people several ways of expressing themselves.

Do yous feel that women should change the fashion they wearing apparel as they go older?

I believe it changes naturally. If I look at myself, I besides changed when transitioning from my 40s to my 50s. Before 40 I was still looking for myself. Subsequently 40, I knew more nearly myself, my way, what fitted me. At present, I but stay very true to myself. I call up it's very difficult to advise someone on fashion. As designers though nosotros tin make a suggestion…

What do you believe is the hereafter of haute couture?

I recollect it will remain stiff.

I believe haute couture is the eye of a style house. It's important to take the ready-to-vesture collections also, but only with haute couture tin you exercise the near advanced designs. I'k sure that the chambre syndicale de la haute couture volition abound and become more open to more international designers.

What are your plans for the future?

I have 3 principal projects:

Develop my business in Brazil and share my acquired knowlegde of the mode manufacture with Brazil.
Design jewellery. The first collection will be launched in 2014.
Together with the manufacture nationale de Sèvres I volition design a very important dress in porcelain for the next haute couture collection.

I loved many of Gustavo Lins' responses and information technology volition be interesting to come across if his plans for using a diverseness of women for one of his shows volition materialize. I was also very pleased to receive an invitation to visit his studio in Paris if I'm ever in the city. Allow's hope I e'er become the chance!

Here is a video I made of the consummate show which shows all the outfits in their full celebrity.

I saw 2 other fashion shows and met many interesting and fashionable people during French couture week. I volition show you lot some more highlights and impressions on Th!