With reality television making the years of struggle easier and faster for musicians, artists, designers to arise to stardom, there are still others out there doing it the old fashion way – through hard work and determination. Alessia Prekop is one of the few. Italian born, Prekop has merged her Italian roots with her life in London creating bold silhouettes and vibrant hues, all on a base of leather, suede or silk. With pieces so daring and styles most likely to be seen on people like Daphne Guinness it’s no surprise Prekop is our New Designer on the Block.
StyleCartel – Do you have to be in the zone to start creating designs or is it something that comes naturally?
Alessia Prekop – It’s something that starts naturally and very casually, no matter where I am or with whom, it just happens.
SC – Did you start out with your own line, or did you work with other houses to learn to hone your skills?
AP – I did start with an internship after school, but my final goal has always been to have my own label and do my own thing, no matter how much people would or would not like it.
SC – A lot of designers copy each others ideas and styles today, how do you set yourself apart from the rest?
AP – To be honest, I think that the least ‘attractive’ and ‘inspiring’ thing for a designer to do is to have someone else’s designs in front of them while they are in the design process. It’s something that I just find very limiting and definitely thoughtless.
(L to R): Alessia Prekop SS 2013; Alessia’s work space in London.
SC – Where do you see your brand in the next 10 years?
AP – In the next 10 years I see my brand selling worldwide, and I see it hopefully continuing to push the boundaries under which it was originally born.
SC – There are lots of reality shows allowing for people to gain press and the proper funding to achieve what many work decades to accomplish… How do you feel about that?
AP – I don’t really understand the importance and the fundamentals of reality shows, in the sense that, I am very distant from any kind of mechanism that would ever make my life public. And regarding the fame that these people get, well, I think that they are here today and then gone tomorrow, therefore the timing is too short to even be called ‘fame’.
SC – If you were offered that opportunity, would you take it?
AP – I wouldn’t take it.