Russians in London: Zoya Smirnova, illustrator
Over the past week, Wonderzine talked about the key moments of London Fashion Week, which is traditionally famous for its avant-garde and young fashion designers. What is not surprising - in the development of youth culture with the city can be compared except New York. In London, always come the guys who want to get the best education in art or fashion and / or join the teams that form the taste of an entire generation, be it Dazed & Confused, Love and i-D magazines or KTZ or Palace clothing brands.
We gathered 6 girls who are currently building a career in the London fashion industry, and asked them whether it is difficult to survive in one of the most expensive cities, how to get a job in a place where almost the biggest competition in the world is, and whether return to Russia.
I was born and raised in Taganrog, in a wonderful southern town on the shores of the Gulf of the Sea of Azov, which is also the birthplace of the beloved writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov! In childhood, as indeed now, I had many hobbies. I loved the lessons from, sang in the choir, played in the theater, engaged in needlework, composed stories about time travel and dreamed of becoming a ninja. After graduation, I wanted to go to a sewing school, but my parents insisted that I enter a more "prestigious" specialty and try my luck in the capital. As a result, I moved to Moscow when I was 18, and entered the engineering and economics department, which I was not destined to finish in the end - as it turned out, fortunately.
I had the opportunity Enroll in the British Higher School of Design at the Fashion Design course and eventually complete their studies at the University of Hertfordshire in England. These four years were one of the happiest, I received indescribable pleasure from training! Especially you start to appreciate this carefree time right after graduation, in the first couple of years, when you come face to face with the harsh reality of finding a job and yourself. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to find a job in the specialty obtained at the university, so it is simply necessary to be prepared for such a turn of events, to have a couple of trump cards up your sleeve and look for an alternative, as happened in my case. For three years after graduating from university, I tried myself in different professions: I opened the ZDDZ brand with Dasha, completed an internship at Savile Row, developed a capsule collection for Ozwald Boateng, did illustrations for exhibitions and magazines, worked as a fashion editor at Slashstroke and finally got the opportunity become a lecturer at Middlesex University for students of the Fashion Communication and Styling department - that's what I'm doing at the moment.
Besides work directly in the industry, I have to earn extra money in sales, because, unfortunately, only a few manage to provide my living in London by working in a creative and fashionable field. Therefore, many have to have a day job, often not related to a profession, but helping to pay bills, and at the same time to make their way in the fashion industry in their spare time.
Life abroad - very useful experience. You have to constantly be alert, prepare for difficulties and disappointments, learn to instantly adapt to difficult life situations. Despite this, the atmosphere of London, its multinational, cultural and historical context give strength to continue the struggle for a place under the London sun! It's no secret how difficult it is to stay in England because of the tough visa regime, so I appreciate every day and try to make the most of all the opportunities that this contrasting city gives. I can safely say that London has become my second, or rather, third home. I advise no one to be afraid of uncertainty. In life, there is no constancy in principle, so feel free to try, search and find yourself and do not drive yourself into any social framework, but on the contrary, push and test them for strength and usefulness in relation to yourself and your activity.
I do not exclude the possibility of my return to Moscow sooner or later, and, frankly speaking, I am not at all afraid of such a turn of events. On the contrary, I now have a very valuable experience of studying and working in London, which I can and want to use. I met a lot of wonderful people, including those from the fashion industry. I can not boast of big names, but I can say for sure that there is an incredibly large number of very talented guys here! This creates greater competition in the creative market and at the same time sets the bar and stimulates continuous self-improvement. So there is not particularly gaping, and, as they say, you can’t fix it. I would like to develop further in the field of education. I get great pleasure from the process itself. I love to observe the results and progress of students. It is simply amazing how different and individual work is obtained by applying the same information, technique or skill.