After making a splash with her first showcase in London including being interviewd on London Live TV, Marina Willms returns for another season with Fashions Finest during London Fashion Week.
German fashion designer Marina Willms is based in Düsseldorf, Germany. She studied economics and graduated from Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg with a bachelor’s in business administration. She completed her second undergraduate degree – a bachelor’s in fashion design, with womenswear and menswear as her main subjects – from Mediadesign Hochschule in Düsseldorf in March 2016.
Marina spent six months at Central Saint Martins (part of the University of the Arts London), where she became specialised in fashion printing. During the creative process she experiments with various printing techniques and fabrics to create interesting and colourful patterns.
She produces her garments in the spirit of “Spread love and stay colourful!”
Q. What three traits define you?
Creative, cosmopolite and artistic.
Q. How did you get into being a fashion designer?
My interest in art goes back to my childhood. I always liked and adored the beauty of it. My particular interest in fashion started when I was 21 and was inspired by using fashion as a communication tool.
Q. What motivates you?
Creating art.
Q. How has your personal life influenced your career?
There is no difference between my personal life and my career. I love and live what I’m doing.
Q. What was your greatest success in the past few years?
For me, the biggest success in the past was, when I presented my collection MARGRET here in London last season because it means a lot to me. The designs are inspired by my grandma Margret who passed away during the design process. It’s a reflection of my memories with her.
Q. Do you have a Muse you wish you could see wearing your designs?
I don’t have a particular muse. One of my favourite drawings is ‘The morning walk’ from Tomas Gainsborough. I find his art very inspiring and therefore would have loved to see him wearing my designs.
Q. What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future are to create more story telling collections and to popularise my brand.
Q. How is the fashion industry evolving?
The fashion industry is evolving more into political, social and economic factors. Fashion is also used nowadays as a way of communication. The digital platforms can positively contribute to making the industry more democratic. As I my craft is visual instagram is and has been a fantastic platform to connect with people and grow contacts and an audience.
Q. What are the biggest challenges in your career?
The key to a good collection is laying in the harmony of colour, shape, design and the presentation. Everything needs to tell a story and lets the customer drift into another world. My intention is to take everybody on a journey. The most difficult part is to create this illusion.
Q. What can we expect from you/your brand throughout the rest of 2017?
You can expect an amazing and romantic collection for the upcoming season. Born and raised in Germany, most of my ancestors are also from my home country. After looking into my family history, I came to realise how other cultures – and therefore traditions, habits and even styles – influenced my life. After discovering my Dutch and Hungarian roots, I decided to showcase my heritage in ROSE.Inspired by the heavily decorated Hungarian garbs with wide sleeves and trousers as well as the traditional German Dirndl and the Dutch costumes, I created an elegant and highly unique collection with a hint of classic romance.The colours of my latest collection -dusky pink, light grey and blue-grey – are an homage to my grandma Erna Willms, as they were the colours she liked the most and wore every day.
Q. Where does your inspiration come from?
I find my inspiration in everything and everyone around me, including family, friends, and nature. Mostly personal, environmental or social topics and emotions that come with it, are the start of a new collection. My focus is on authenticity and I always put all of my heart in every piece.
Follow and connect with Marina Willms:
https://instagram.com/marinawillms_fashion/
https://twitter.com/willmsfashion
https://www.facebook.com/Marina-Willms-Fashion-519456461518977/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE
