Fashion Designer of the Year
Liběna Rochová
Through her collection presented at Designblok 2016, the widely known and popular fashion designer Liběna Rochová has again clearly demonstrated that, to her, fashion does not merely represent applied art, but also art that does not require any additions, since it is perfectly capable of unfolding its multi-layered beauty and undoubted aesthetic value through its very essence. Liběna Rochová followed a two-fold inspiration this time – first, in the works of her students from the Prague Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design, and second, in art, where part of her collection with its overly-dimensional outlines is a reminder of grandiose sculptures. Other models, on the contrary, work with distinctly slim forms. And yes, diversity presented in various contexts is one of the predominant features of the collection. Take, for example, the materials. The designer accompanied the rather traditional leather, wool and other fabrics with, for example, silicon, applied mainly on shoes and face masks. The latter represent inseparable accessories of the stately models, with coats, dresses, overalls, but also down jackets.
Rochová never disappoints in surprising the fashion public; fortunately, it is not surprises in the form of a one-off shock but instead, a continuous and very pleasant excitement, with a vision and idea as clear and self-contained as it can be in the fashion business with all its inconstancy and unpredictability. Her work purposely and totally ignores all season trends, which is exactly what turns it into the art mentioned above. The current StainSoulSeal collection is the best proof of this.
Andrea Běhounková