Alexander Tverdovski impressed everyone at the Award Gala with his design “Mikro-Kosmos” and was, therefore, elected as the Outstanding Talent 2016. To create something extraordinary, the student from Fahmoda – Akademie für Mode und Design Hannover processed roughly 1000 magazine pages within his design. In the interview, he speaks about his path of becoming the Outstanding Talent 2016.
What motivated you to participate in the FRANKfurtstyleaward?
I was well aware of the FRANKfurtstyleaward since the beginning of my studies and I always felt the impetus to apply for it. There are only very few moments in life that offer the possibility to present your own design to the whole world.
How did you proceed after your decision to participate in the FRANKfurtsstyleaward?
I simply did what I love.
Where did you get your inspiration from?
I got inspired from the Korean artist Yun-Woo Choi, who demonstrated that there is much more to produce out of old magazines than only collagen.
Installation by Yun-Woo Choi
How was the production process arranged?
It was really difficult to begin. At first, I tried to amplify the paper rolls, for example with wood glue. However, this altered the paper rolls in their color and structure. Afterwards, I soldered many meters of wire into the design’s scaffolding. Attaching the paper rolls within the wire was the most time intensive task. I spent up to ten hours per day for almost two weeks with it. Another great effort was to perfectly tailor the dress onto the scaffolding of wire.
What materials and how many materials did you use?
I used approximately 5 meters of wire, 70 magazines with 64 pages each and a huge amount of hot glue.
How much does you dress weigh? Did you fear that it could have become unwearable?
The dress weighs something between 10 and 20kg, but since I never weighed it, I am not aware of the exact weight. Of course I was scared that the dress would become unwearable, but I often tried the dress on, myself, to prevent this from happening. Thereby, I also located possible pressure marks of the wire and protected these with foam bolsters so that it does not become painful for the model.
Did you calculate yourself a chance for victory?
To be honest, I hadn’t planned on that and I still cannot believe it today. Words still fail me, if someone addresses the FRANKfurtstyleaward.
Alexander with his sister and his girlfriend at the FRANKfurtstyleaward Gala.
How has the world been treating you the last weeks after your victory?
I received a few interview inquiries and suddenly gained a lot of attention.
How will things proceed for you? Will you embrace the scholarship?
For now, I will concentrate on a new project that will be just as avant-garde and extraordinary as my design from the collection “Mikro-Kosmos.” Following my bachelor graduation, I will take advantage of the scholarship.