The classic silhouette will endure
Zuzana Kubíčková graduated from the Secondary School of Arts and Crafts in Uherské Hradiště and the University of Applied Arts in Prague. She completed internships in Paris, Reykjavik and Milan and won the Fashion Designer of the Year 2012 award from the Czech Design Academy.
In 2012 she opened a showroom and since the same year she has been creating regular seasonal collections (spring/summer, autumn/winter). Since 2015, her studio and showroom have been located in Prague's Vinohrady district on Mánesova Street.
Zuzana's work is largely custom made - her customers most often come for wedding or formal dresses. The designer works with silhouettes that flatter women's curves, elaborates details, decorates fabrics with beads, pearls, feathers or embroidery. Her portfolio also includes accessories: handbags, purses and underwear, which Zuzana treats as an integral part of the garment, forming a whole with all the layers. That is why she also designs a line of limited edition luxury lingerie to accompany her collections, which are complemented by elegant pyjamas, dressing gowns and sensual accessories such as gloves.
She regularly presents her work at fashion weeks, where her shows are extraordinary dramatic and scenic events. She also creates costumes for the burlesque dancer Miss Cool Cat and the modern movement theatre Pulsar. In March 2018, alongside her core brand, ZUZANA KUBÍČKOVÁ launched her sister brand POP, which offers a timeless wardrobe for three generations of women.
Have you always wanted to design wedding dresses? I've been tempted to do it since high school, actually. But it wasn't so much about the wedding itself, but more about the aesthetic of classic beauty that materializes in a wedding dress. A woman, no matter how she dresses in her everyday life, no matter what her approach to fashion or things, she just wants to look pretty at her wedding, and that's the main criteria.
Did you know right from the start that you wanted to design both collections and wedding dresses? When I was studying, I was more concerned with the concept of the garment, I wasn't even very interested in wearability, I wanted to develop my imagination without limits, because I was aware that after school there would be a whole different world. After graduating I knew that the customer is the most important thing, I create clothes for specific women who have their own requirements, but at the same time it is not necessary that they go against my ideals. One of my first ever commissions was a wedding dress and I find it beautifully symbolic. I love the symbolism of a wedding day - and if a woman is going to have something tailored, for example for the first time in her life, she should choose a wedding dress.
Do you remember your first customer for whom you made a wedding dress? I was in my third year at university, just doing an internship in Paris, and I was making it for a friend of a friend. She gave me a lot of trust and a pretty free hand. The bride was thrilled, so the experience was very enjoyable.
How did brides find their way to you? Right out of school I started actively participating in Designblok, different events and shows, which then started to be featured in the media. I knew from the beginning that part of my job was necessarily PR and marketing. But I started to actively address the fact that I was designing wedding dresses about four years ago, because to this day brides often ask if I even make wedding dresses, because my salon is not oriented as a purely bridal salon.
How much time do you spend making one wedding dress, how far in advance should brides call? Of course it depends on the requirement, say from two months to six months and ideally a bride should get in touch six months in advance. A year in advance is great and there is plenty of time for everything. A lot depends on the bride's attitude, her capabilities and what she wants to put into the dress. We can work with materials that are ready made and available, or materials that are custom made specifically for them, such as embroidery.
Could you describe the whole design process for us? Brides come to me with a more or less clear idea of their wedding dress. At the first meeting, I'm interested in the details of the wedding. It's a different approach to a wedding in the woods, a different approach to a wedding in a castle. I need to get to know the fiancés' idea of their day, because a wedding, it's not just the dress. Then I will create two or three designs for the bride with material samples and a price quote. In the beginning it's all about the silhouette and fit, fine-tuning the details can be done later. We take measurements and create a fit, which we try on once or twice from the canvas until the silhouette fits perfectly. And only then is it cut from the final material. There are six fittings in all, and we deal with the veil or the undergarment, for example.
We're talking about brides, what about the groom? I also ask the brides about this, and if the brides ask me about it, I give them my opinion. We also recommend salons that make men's suits.
Do brides come to you with requests to have their dress altered for casual wear after the wedding? Yes, this is also one of the criteria I ask brides about right at the beginning. For me, of course, it's ideal to make the dress directly for the wedding, but if it matters to someone, I suggest, for example, a variant that looks like a dress but is composed of several parts - for example, a top, a skirt, a body. Shortening isn't a problem either, but we haven't actually done it once because brides end up regretting it.
What about accessories and jewellery? We talk about everything from lingerie to shoes. It's the whole package that's important, and I'm able to offer the bride a complete service - I'll help her choose shoes, jewelry... we can even do her hair and makeup before the ceremony.
How much do you reflect bridal trends in your work? I've been seeing a lot of meadow and woodland weddings lately, which I like. But my dresses definitely suit all settings. Tastes generally change, but I think the classic silhouette with an accentuated waist will always remain.
Last year you launched your second brand, Pop, which is closer to ready-to-wear... Yes, and that has generated a few wedding dresses by the way, because there are brides who just don't have the time or don't want to deal with a bespoke dress but want something special. I admit, when I was designing the dress for the Pop collection, I was kind of hoping someone would think of using it as a wedding dress. I can then add different accessories to these more civilian dresses from Pop, or the length, the neckline can be adjusted for brides. And I had that in mind for the next Pop collection, which I'll be introducing in the second half of March.
Where will customers be able to see the new Pop collection? As the name suggests, Pop is presented in the form of pop-ups, and now we are planning two spring pop-ups from March 21 to April 5 at the Luciela Taschen showroom in Petrská Street, at Deelive on Smetana Embankment, both in Prague, and then at the Object concept store in Brno. We will also present the new Pop at fashion week, where I am following up the first black and white line. Customers can also look forward to colours, but we are sticking to neutrals.
Do you see any limits in the wedding world? Actually no, I only have one regret: wedding dress rentals. It's everyone's business of course, but in my opinion you can have a nice dress, even a bespoke one, for the price of a rental. A wedding dress from Pop can be had for 12 000 - 24 000 Czk and can be worn after the wedding. A tailored dress starts at 40k for me. Rental dresses are killing the craft in my opinion.
Text: Adéla Lipár Kudrnová | Photo: Zuzana Kubíčková Achive
