CONVERSATION

N'5

DAMIR

DOMA
— A conversation with Damir Doma on the world he creates with his garments.

A designer from the soul, Damir Doma’s embrace of the human form alludes
to a beautiful fragility as his vision translates into a form reminiscent of
aesthetic poetry. His exploration through fabric experimentations show
through the progressive ideals of discovery and diversity, leading to organic
silhouettes of fluidity, in turn creating his own universe for us all to reside in.

Text by Samuel Willet

Photographs courtesy of Damir Doma

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We heard that you are currently working on
the upcoming season which involves some
traveling. Where are you headed to and how
is everything working out so far?
I’m in the middle of the womens collec-
tion! We just started the development of
shoes and bags and for the moment I’m
in Paris preparing the next womens
show, checking locations and meeting
with the production team. By the end of
the week I’ll have to go to Italy to check
on the collection samples. It’s a very
hectic period right now and I’m trying to
take some days off to relax.
Your vision is extremely directional, do you
design a world within your garments or an
experience to be interpreted by the wearer?
I’m basically designing my own world
and I try to turn my vision into reality. I
believe it’s up to the wearer to create his
own individual style once he or she has
my products. I’m trying to inspire
people, show them alternative ways to
approach clothing and personal style,
but at the end of the day I don’t really
believe in people wearing whole looks
from one designer.
Texture and material are an integral basis to
each garment, why is this so important to you
and how would you describe the relationship
of these elements to the wearer?
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The material is the base of each garment
and I create my materials from scratch.
Most of the materials we use are exclu-
sive developments and depending on the
material, the style of a garment can be
very different. It’s a process we go
through that enables us to change the
whole look of the wearer. I also believe
clothes and especially materials are
something very intimate and personal.
The materials are in direct and close
contact with your skin and I find most
people don’t really spend enough time
to think about this fact and select the
right garment.
How would you describe the quintessential
Damir Doma female and male and how does
this affect the way you design each collection?
They are both proud, elegant and strong
individuals. My clothes give them the
chance to live and show their character. I
always create with this image in my mind.
Your aesthetic influences seem to stem from a
diverse range of sub-cultures, what is your
constant source of inspiration?
There are a few different roots and
characteristics in me. I wouldn’t just
reduce it to my Croatian roots but I
believe it’s really important to see my
whole background including my Croa-
tian origin but also my German, Belgium
and Parisian background. I believe that
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the mix of these cultural influences make
my work so special. It’s also important to
see that through the mix of different
cultures there is no clear reference left! I
can’t really identify with one of these
cultures and say: “this is 100% me!”. I’m
trying not to give a clear reference.
You are surrounded by a strong group of
talented avant-garde designers showing each
season. How do you remain focused on your
own direction?
I’m trying not to look to much left and
right, I protect myself and my personal
individual vision by focusing on my own
work and creation.
Brands are now driven largely by online
media with a plethora of information readily
available within minutes of any runway
show. Do you see the current transparent
nature of fashion as a positive or negative
impact on your vision?
Online media has no impact on my
creation or my inspiration. In general I
believe that it’s a great thing for the
consumer and the press but the major
problem is that there is no quality
control anymore! At the end of the day
I’m not the biggest fan of online infor-
mation. We’ll have to find a way of
structuring the information we find on
the web.
We have to refine our understanding of
what information exactly is—at the
moment I find it really hard to under-
stand which online information is based
on a quality research by a professional
and which one is just bullshit by a bored
fashion student!
The interior of your flagship store in Paris
goes hand-in-hand with that of your gar-
ments, can you tell us a little bit about the
development of the store and how integral
your own working environment is to its
creative process?
I believe it’s important to create an
individual universe, not just one made
up of clothes. People who enter the store
have to feel surrounded by the aura of
Damir Doma. It’s also very important for
myself to be surrounded by the right
music in the right light and really feel
the creation.
With the release of SILENT and your
women’s collection all in the same season,
what can we expect from you in the future,
particularly from FW 2011?
I’m working a lot on the refinements and
positioning of the collections now, each
of them should portray it’s own charac-
ter. For end 2010 there will be some new
collaborations and there will definitely
be some great surprises!
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