I first saw the work of Romanian artist, Geta Brătescu, in 2017 at the documenta 14 in Athens, Greece and Kassel, Germany. It was the year when she was embraced by the art world outside Eastern Europe like never before. I was amazed by the striking colors, by her love of all kinds of paper and her quiet humor. Her experimental energy and lifelong dedication to creative freedom inspired me to collaborate with her on the Spring/Summer 2019 collection.
In February 2018, Geta invited me to her studio in Bucharest to exchange ideas for the collaboration. I was fascinated by the light in her eyes. At the age of 91, she embodied the spirit and the life force of a young person. I very much relate to her idea of a studio as the place where everything is possible and to how her body is an element of her creative process. She thought of drawing as a dance and called it the backbone of her art.
Geta thought that art should bring joy to our lives. It was about colorful energy, playfulness and joie de vivre. A process of drawing, cutting into pieces and collaging. She was full of life, full of light and full of humor. It immediately attracted me to her work, and I set out to translate her playfulness into a fun wardrobe for the modern woman.
Sadly, Geta passed on September 19th of 2018 at the age of 92, two weeks before the runway show. This collection was one of her last projects and an homage to her and how she made playfulness a serious pursuit in art.
