Style & Design
Originally published on Friday, 23rd September 2011
UJ LFW S/S'12 Star on the Rise - Fyodor Golan
Israeli-born, Golan Frydman is one half of design duo Fyodor Golan (his partner is Latvian, Fyodor Podgorny), winners of the Fashion Fringe award, a launch pad for cutting edge designers which guarantees them a slot at LFW next season. He introduces the coolest new brand on the block to UJ.
What’s your fashion history?
We met in London when I worked for Alexander McQueen and Fyodor was at Issey Miyake. I studied fashion at Istituto Marangoni in London. Fyodor Podgorny went to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. We showed our first collection at Vauxhall Fashion Scout in February 2011 and got to the semi finals of Fashion Fringe. We applied again and won.
How would you describe your clothes?
Feminine. We were both fine art trained so apply this to our work but still feel it’s important to create elongating shapes that flatter a woman’s body.
What music do you play in your studio?
Fyodor likes classical, I prefer Pink Floyd.
Best fashion moment?
Seeing our clothes on the runway and thinking how close they were to our original idea (models had yellow make-up on their knees to make it look like they had been running through flower fields).
How do you do to start a collection?
Every small thing we see - exhibition, movies - we start talking. Even a walk down the street is a brainstorm that could lead to a new garment.
What were Claudia Schiffer and Roland Mouret (FF judges) like?
Supportive. Roland came to our studio beforehand to do some mentoring. Claudia told us, “keep on doing what you are doing…don’t listen to anyone…be true to yourself.”
Who or what is your fashion inspiration?
Marilyn Monroe. We like her duality. The way she was perceived in public was sexual and yet privately she was a quiet, melancholic woman.
What’s the hardest part about building a fashion brand?
Finding a team who get what you are trying to do or say.
What keeps you sane?
Each other. We always say we are very thankful to have found each other. It would be difficult and lonely to do this alone.
Fashion tip for next summer?
Be expressive.