she's floated off the set of Twilight
We meet in the rococo splendour of a suite at The Ritz, where Roksanda has been presenting her latest collection to Anna 'Nuclear' Wintour, the adamantine editor of replica chanel handbags
American Vogue. An atmosphere of controlled panic hangs in the air; immaculately outfitted female assistants are hurriedly pushing Christian Louboutinrails of bagged-up clothes around while, at the centre of this vortex, Roksanda, 35, appears serene and unruffled. 'It's
amazing to get advice from the queen of fashion,' she says, a Balkan hint to her accent.Christian Louboutin shoes 'Of course it makes you nervous to meet someone as powerful as her, but we're all human. It's not as bad once it happens.'
Roksanda, an ex-model, is all willowy elegance in pale pink Chanel shoes and a silky grey shift. Ageless and exotic, with her dark hair and pale skin offset by bright orange lipstick, she looks as though she's floated off the set of Twilight. It's only when she sits down slightly awkwardly that I realise she's eight months pregnant. 'It's a girl � I can't wait,' she says. Another new venture is a line of swimwear that makes its debut at Harvey Nichols this month. 'I was working with St Tropez on a skin finish for one of my shows and it just seemed like a natural progression to do swimwear.' The costumes are in sophisticated black or nude, with carefully placed cutouts or straps to create a graphic effect. 'The idea was taken from Deborah Turbeville's photo of women in a shower, and also Helmut Newton,' she explains. 'The two looks are complete opposites: one is haunted, the other is powerful and sexy, and I'm blending them both. So it's not about bright colours or wearing as little as possible. It's about an emotion.'
Roksanda describes herself as 'half-Montenegran, half-Serbian', but was born and raised in Belgrade when it was still Yugoslavia. 'Under Tito, we didn't quite belong to the Eastern Bloc. We were the only country that was independent � we were in the middle and open to everything. You could travel to both America and Russia without a visa, which was amazing.' She had a privileged upbringing. Her father Lazar was a successful businessman whose career took him (and sometimes the family) around the world; her mother Ranka worked in public relations. 'She was a really big inspiration to me. She was a big fashion lover and always appreciated great designers � she has a pure, classic taste. I would be taken with her when she had her private fittings, and I'd watch her dressing when she went to big events. She was a fan of Yves Saint Laurent.'
YSL continues to be an influence; Roksanda collects his vintage pieces and her work has been favourably compared to his. The fabric roses that her mother would specially commission to match her outfits are also a recurring theme, and Roksanda says that MBT shoes saleRanka is her sternest critic. 'I had one show that everybody loved and she came up to me and said: "I'm really disappointed, the clothes weren't pressed properly. I can't believe you allowed that to happen.� Sometimes she can be too critical, but that's good � it pushes me to give even more.' Indeed, Roksanda is known as a perfectionist, overseeing every aspect of a collection, down to the flavour of tea that is served at the presentation.
Roksanda's eye for fashion developed early. By the time she was eight, she was drawing her own designs and having them made up. As a teenager she once attempted to customise her mother's wardrobe, with disastrous consequences. 'I started cutting her long Yves Saint Laurent skirts short, which I regret deeply now. I was a bit rebellious and I did it without asking. She was devastated.'
American Vogue. An atmosphere of controlled panic hangs in the air; immaculately outfitted female assistants are hurriedly pushing Christian Louboutinrails of bagged-up clothes around while, at the centre of this vortex, Roksanda, 35, appears serene and unruffled. 'It's
amazing to get advice from the queen of fashion,' she says, a Balkan hint to her accent.Christian Louboutin shoes 'Of course it makes you nervous to meet someone as powerful as her, but we're all human. It's not as bad once it happens.'
Roksanda, an ex-model, is all willowy elegance in pale pink Chanel shoes and a silky grey shift. Ageless and exotic, with her dark hair and pale skin offset by bright orange lipstick, she looks as though she's floated off the set of Twilight. It's only when she sits down slightly awkwardly that I realise she's eight months pregnant. 'It's a girl � I can't wait,' she says. Another new venture is a line of swimwear that makes its debut at Harvey Nichols this month. 'I was working with St Tropez on a skin finish for one of my shows and it just seemed like a natural progression to do swimwear.' The costumes are in sophisticated black or nude, with carefully placed cutouts or straps to create a graphic effect. 'The idea was taken from Deborah Turbeville's photo of women in a shower, and also Helmut Newton,' she explains. 'The two looks are complete opposites: one is haunted, the other is powerful and sexy, and I'm blending them both. So it's not about bright colours or wearing as little as possible. It's about an emotion.'
Roksanda describes herself as 'half-Montenegran, half-Serbian', but was born and raised in Belgrade when it was still Yugoslavia. 'Under Tito, we didn't quite belong to the Eastern Bloc. We were the only country that was independent � we were in the middle and open to everything. You could travel to both America and Russia without a visa, which was amazing.' She had a privileged upbringing. Her father Lazar was a successful businessman whose career took him (and sometimes the family) around the world; her mother Ranka worked in public relations. 'She was a really big inspiration to me. She was a big fashion lover and always appreciated great designers � she has a pure, classic taste. I would be taken with her when she had her private fittings, and I'd watch her dressing when she went to big events. She was a fan of Yves Saint Laurent.'
YSL continues to be an influence; Roksanda collects his vintage pieces and her work has been favourably compared to his. The fabric roses that her mother would specially commission to match her outfits are also a recurring theme, and Roksanda says that MBT shoes saleRanka is her sternest critic. 'I had one show that everybody loved and she came up to me and said: "I'm really disappointed, the clothes weren't pressed properly. I can't believe you allowed that to happen.� Sometimes she can be too critical, but that's good � it pushes me to give even more.' Indeed, Roksanda is known as a perfectionist, overseeing every aspect of a collection, down to the flavour of tea that is served at the presentation.
Roksanda's eye for fashion developed early. By the time she was eight, she was drawing her own designs and having them made up. As a teenager she once attempted to customise her mother's wardrobe, with disastrous consequences. 'I started cutting her long Yves Saint Laurent skirts short, which I regret deeply now. I was a bit rebellious and I did it without asking. She was devastated.'
barid - 26. Jul, 14:04
