Fashion designer and soon to be London College of Fashion Graduate, Adina Nicola previously told me that she only started designing a few months before being accepted into LCF, which is incredible! She really proves you can switch career paths and do anything you put your mind to! Adina, can you tell us more about your journey to discovering your love for fashion design? I have always had a love for fashion but growing up in Romania, where creative pursuits are more frowned upon, I initially decided to study computer science for which I already had an interest in. One day my mom and I went to a university fair and instead of looking at courses for IT, I would always be drawn more to fashion courses. My mom noticed that, and she convinced me to fully pursue going to a fashion uni. The problem was that I had no prior experience with fashion. The next five months were full of doubt and a lot of work where I had to prepare for my final exams as well as making my application portfolio. Four years passed and now I am graduating my fashion design course at London College of Fashion.

That's amazing! What has been your favourite collection so far? And why? My first proper collection I did was last year. I have taken an optional business course and although we were taught a lot about how to run a business I missed the creative part. So I returned to Romania and together with a seamstress we worked day and night to make these seven garments that would be the beginning of me shaping my aesthetic as a fashion designer. This collection was substantial to me because since I started university my most important goal was finding my voice and inspiration that would ultimately lead to my identity as a designer. While I don’t pretend that I have fully formed my own aesthetic, I believe that this is the collection that has shown me the path I am meant to take to achieve that.

You’ve also created a fashion film, what was the concept behind this? After I made the carefully crafted garments I did a short photoshoot in the park but I felt that wasn’t enough. I fully wanted to express myself creatively through a fashion film.

The film has at its core the idea of transformation, following a woman’s path through life as she starts mastering the natural elements around her and grows up into adulthood and eventually old age. In this way, she becomes a Triple Goddess. The action takes place in an ancient forest. The movie is filmed in both a calm manner and in juxtaposition with the chaotic and energetic dances and movements of the characters.

There are three acts in this film, each representing a stage in the Goddess’ life path from being a maid, then a woman, and finally a crone at the end. The Goddess will wander around the forest, lake, and ruins, slowly discovering her powers and learning how to master them. As she matures, she will be introduced to different characters: her other nymph sisters and a man with whom she can explore her sexuality. In the end, she has become a wise woman who will pass her knowledge on to her younger self. This way, the film has a cyclical ending and beginning as well.

The garments used in the film correlate with the story. As you can see, in the beginning, the garments are more flowy and naive, with hues of purple and white. Towards the end, I used tones of dark blue and more structured silhouettes to represent knowledge and maturity.

Link to Adina's film is below

Where do you usually draw inspiration from for your collections? Throughout the years, I have explored different themes and concepts, but what I represent most in my work is an exploration of nature and spirituality. For example, my brand's logo is an eclipse. I first started to think about the brand and what I wanted it to represent at the start of the pandemic. During that time, there were a few eclipses that took place that made me look deeper into the meaning. Eclipses are harbingers of change. This can be a time of leaving behind what is safe and comfortable in order to grow more fully into yourself. Change is something that I wanted in my life, but also what I hoped to see in the world.

Can you tell us a bit about your current collection/final major project? For my final year collection, "Restrictive Liberation," I have been looking at my own heritage by exploring the relationship between modernity and tradition. This was a very personal journey for me. Moving to London from an eastern European country allows you to explore a more liberal and inclusive mentality that makes you question your prior beliefs. It's a complex realisation where you still love your birth country but do not see yourself living there anymore. In this sense, my final year collection explored ideas of eastern European ancient rituals and spirituality, along with new age beliefs and sexuality. The purpose of my work is meant to provoke people's views on taboo topics and open a conversation about the provenience of our core beliefs.

That sounds really cool, I also love that you incorporate different materials into your garments such as crystals, and you told me before that you’ve collaborated with a jeweller. Can you tell us more about this collaboration, and any others you may be doing? In my practice, jewellery is an integral part of my creations, not a separate piece. This is why it was crucial to collaborate with a jewellery designer for my final project.

Tannaz Alizadeh is a MA Jewellery student at CSM. We connected with our ideas from our first conversation, and she immediately grasped the concept of my project. It can be very stressful to look for people to work with and hand them over a big responsibility for your collection, but working with Tan was very easy and all the pieces turned out exactly as I wished they would.Collaboration is a big part of my work. I believe, as creatives, the best art comes from collaborating. For "Eclipse", my fashion film, I worked with almost 20 people, from editors and sound engineers to stylists and make-up artists. It can get very intense, but when you see the final product, you get a very proud but grateful feeling.

You’ve used upcycled materials for your recent collection, can you tell us more about what you used and the inspiration behind it? The materials used are a contrast of fabrics, such as linen, organic cotton, and ethically sourced and dyed leather, as well as Lycra spandex. Restrictive Liberation puts a lot of emphasis on the community aspect of celebrating tradition, using recycled traditional Romanian tablecloths, bedsheets, and head scarves that are more than 60 years old. Most of the materials came from rural households that were willing to donate them.

Traditional loom weaving, embroidery, and leatherwork are kept alive and given a new meaning in the modern world through my work.

You’re graduating soon - congratulations! What are your plans after LCF? I want to start working in the industry. It is one thing to study fashion at university versus working in fashion. That is why I want to get as much experience as possible in the industry, network, and meet creatives with like-minded ideas. On the side, I would like to implement all the knowledge that I have gained from working for different established brands and develop my brand, so maybe in the future I could transform it into a viable business.