CLOTHES WITHOUT BUTTONS

Saltanat Baymukhamedova is the founder of the SALTA brand, one of the most familiar in Kazakhstan's fashion segment. This is a fashionable, state-of-the-art label which could be described as a European brand with oriental touches. Saltanat is not only an artist who is able to generate ideas and talk endlessly about them; she knows all the technical intricacies of production. The fashion designer came to Baku recently and during her short visit to the Azerbaijani capital, R+ was able to have a word with her.

- Saltanat, tell us how you came to be in the fashion industry.

- I graduated from the Almaty Technological Institute of the Light and Food Industry as a fashion designer, creator and production manager of garments. I began as a pupil of a craftsman in an experimental shop at a garment factory. I went through all the stages and took part in all the competitions and festivals of young designers that I could. Then I decided to open my own workshop, and some time later a shop and the SALTA label. I always wanted to create my own label and the starting point came in 2008 when, with the help of the Trend & Tendance agency, I achieved my dream with a showing of my first collection in Paris. Some months later I opened my first boutique in Almaty. Since then the SALTA label has been taking part in Kazakhstan Fashion Week and attended capsule collections in partnership with promising young designers, and of course, we produce new collections for each new season.

- Many well-known designers admit that they began creating their first masterpieces for dolls. Was it the same with you?

- [laughs] Yes, it was. When I was a child I would make dresses for my dolls. I thought up new styles of dresses and gave my dolls unusual hair-dos. As I grew up, I started to make things for myself. At that time everyone wore the same clothes, but I wanted to stand out from the rest. Then I began to make things for all my friends and acquaintances. It seems to me that most designers travel the same path in establishing their own label.

- Was it difficult to start producing your own line in a post-Soviet country where the light industry had stopped developing?

- Very difficult. Initially, there were problems with logistics, customs clearance and other important stages in the process of producing one's own fashion line. But I managed to pull through. You know, when you love your job you can overcome any boundaries and obstacles. I guess it's the same in any undertaking - love and have faith…

- What made you come to Baku? What do you think interests Baku's women of fashion?

- I came to Baku at the invitation of Elnara Bakir. I brought one of my series of latest fashions and small extracts of my favourite designs to show the women of Baku. In the few days I was in Baku I was able to get an idea of what fashions and styles people here like. It was the same as in my home town of Almaty. They like comfortable, sensible clothes which don't restrict their movement and stress their individuality. Interestingly, almost all eastern women who plan on buying something new and want "something bright and unusual in their wardrobe" end up getting yet another black dress or black outfit. I like the colour black because it is, arguably, the most stylish and ultra-fashionable colour. Black is always classical.

- Who is the SALTA fashion line aimed at?

- Our clients are varied, but mainly women between 35 and 40. Basically, my clothes are for all ages. The same dress can look quite different depending on one's complexion and height. In our collection you can find evening dresses, clothes for everyday wear and also for the office. The modern fashion line for women in the casual style offers a broad range of the most varied things for the home and for walking about town. In my spring-summer collection there are bright summer shades and a special sophistication. They are made of natural materials and are amazingly comfortable and practical. There is also room in my collection for businesswear that enables you to look at the grey day-to-day office dress code in a different way. Incidentally, the great advantages of our clothes are their supreme quality, the use of new technologies in their manufacture and also their practicality and comfort.

- There are no spots or prints in your fashions. Are you a fan of monochrome?

- I don't like prints, dots or flowery designs, very bright colours, flounces or too many trimmings. It seems to me that all this is superfluous and is just distracting. I like pure monochrome colours, precise lines and a perfect cut. My main ethos when it comes to style is European minimalism, multiplied by an ideal cut and classical oriental patterns.

- What are your favourite colour combinations?

- I personally like a simple cut and a combination of basic colours - white, black and beige. These are the three basic mainstays of my collection. I usually blend it with a bright shade of some kind. When it comes to shoes, then top of my agenda is comfort, because I rarely wear high heels.

- What importance do you place on accessories? Do you use them in your collections?

- Where possible I try always to use accessories in my collections because they give an overall style and individuality. I think that accessories can say more about a person than their clothes. As for me, I used to use too many accessories, but now I try to wear fewer.

- Which item in the collection that you are showing in Baku took the longest to make?

- A black and white coat of artificial fur with an oriental colour. In other words, if you turn the coat inside out, it could be black or white: two colours in one, as it were. It's a very stylish item and warm even in the coldest winter. A real oriental tulupchik…

- You don't use buttons in your fashions. Are you deliberately bucking the trend?

- I don't like buttons. They remind me of uniforms in the Soviet Union when everyone wore the same clothes and shoes. I use various fasteners and strings which give the outfit an element of novelty, making it special, different from others.

- Where do you order the textiles for your collections from?

- I get my textiles and accessories from Istanbul. You can get very high quality fabrics there.

- How important is it for the SALTA label to get on to the world market?

- It's very important for us. Because the brand is still rather young, it is still little known from the point of view of the world fashion industry and it needs huge advertising campaigns and proper marketing. I am looking forward to further collaboration with well-known fashion houses and designers…I believe that if we try hard, work on a strategy and come up with something unusual, then very soon we can reach out to the world market.

- Who do you look up to in the world of fashion?

- I love following Kenzo's collections. They were particularly good at the time of the former creative director Antonio Marras, who created real masterpieces of design, combining aspects of art, ancient culture, retro style and unique work in textiles. I also have special regard for the work of John Galliano and Vivienne Westwood. They are simply geniuses! Among my list of favourites are also a number of little known Chinese fashion designers whose works are interesting and unusual.

- What do you think the clothes of the 21st century should be like?

- First of all, they should be comfortable, suitable and practical. And, of course, they should reveal and emphasize the individuality of the wearer.

- What would you never wear? Skimpy shorts, tight-fitting trousers, or perhaps an open top?

- I'd never wear clothes with a grease stain. As for shorts, tight trousers and all the rest of it…When it comes to clothes I don't have any taboos. It all depends on the situation, the event and how I feel.

- What should every woman have in her wardrobe?

- Generally speaking, the wardrobe should be a base consisting of things which never go out of fashion. They can never be called classical but what really matters is their limitless potential to go with one another. If you choose your things properly should be able to look different every day. That means jeans, a white top, a jacket, cardigan, a pencil skirt and a small black dress which will rescue you in any situation. A dress like that is the basis for all kinds of situations and it will always fit the bill.

- What would your advice be to young fashion designers just starting out who dream of creating their own dress label?

- The most important thing is professionalism. Professionals are gold everywhere. You must also love your work. When a person doesn't work for the money and when they have passion - that's very important. One must also study and develop one's talent. An important thing in our business is experience. In my case experience has played an important part in my professional career.