24 Hours With PASKAL

This is a snapshot into the life of PASKAL's Julie Paskal. Literally.

Why are you a fashion designer?
I trained as an architect and it gave me a very comprehensive understanding of the creative process. It taught me how to develop an idea from a simple sketch to the finished product. After university, I knew deep down that it wasn’t the right career path for me and fate brought me to fashion design. I love the creative freedom that having my own brand gives me and I think you can still see a strong architectural influence in my designs today.

Who or what drives your creativity?
My creativity is driven by my emotions; how I’m feeling at any given time can have a huge impact on what I feel like designing. I love that lightning bolt moment when creativity strikes.

What's the most exciting thing about the fashion industry today?
Hands down, it’s the people who make this industry what it is. I’ve met so many cool, professional, intelligent, fun and wise people on my way to where I am today, in particular Selene Collins who was my sales agent for three years and has become my one of my closest friends and champions. Participating in the LVMH Prize was a pivotal moment in my career - the opportunity to show my collection to key industry figures was a very proud moment.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I’ve always had a passion for art and architecture.

How has your background influenced who you are today?
For almost all my life I’ve lived in Odessa which is on the shores of the Black Sea in Southern Ukraine. There is something so romantic about living that close to the sea that it fills me with a real sense of freedom.

How would you describe your designs?
A soft, dreamlike alternative to the modern definition of the femininity.

Who do you consider to be the true creatives in the world?
Passionate people who are dedicated to their business. Those who aren’t afraid to take risks and always challenge themselves. Those who actually create and not just rethink or reinterpret. I’ve always been inspired by Archimedes, Le Corbusier, Eiffel, Picasso, Steve Jobs, Bjork and many more.

Why is creativity important now more than ever?
Without creativity, there are no new ideas. It plays such an important part in where we are today within the fields of fashion, music, art, architecture and design.

Your favourite place in the world and why?
I don’t have a favourite place, I have favourite people who I love next to me and make me feel happy anywhere I am with them. In saying that, I really can’t imagine not living by the sea. When I’m away, I always miss Odessa so much, so my ideal location would be on the beach with my family and friends.

How do you waste time, when your schedule is clear?
I can’t remember a time when my schedule was last clear. I’m a mother of three now and when I’m not working I dedicate all my time to the kids.

What's your greatest ambition?
To grow my business.

Who do you most admire and why?
David Lynch - he is a living genius.

What would you like to do that you currently can’t?
To travel more and explore different cultures and countries. To return to my studies as I’d love to do another degree in fashion or art. To start new projects, which are not connected with fashion. To make music. The list goes on…

What would you most like to change about the world?
We all need to care more about our planet, our bodies and our minds.

What would you most like to change about yourself?
I’d like to have more courage in transforming my ideas into reality.

If you could ask anyone a question (living or dead, who would you ask, and what would you ask?
I’d love to get an insight into the minds of the designers I admire most, I’d love to know more about Raf Simons’ creative method and tell Rei Kawakubo how much I adore her.

Who is someone (living or dead) that you would like to meet? And why?
John Lennon - he is one of my heroes.

Who’s the coolest person you know and why?
My yoga teacher as he is the real rock star and the most motivating person I know.

The best advice you've ever been given?
What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create – Buddha.

Laser forms a sort of DNA through your designs, what made you choose this method?
One of my grandfathers is a biologist and my other grandfather is a physicist. My parents are physicists as well, so since early childhood I have been in this scientific atmosphere. From the beginning I knew I was looking for a special approach to my designs, something as a point of difference for PASKAL and laser cutting seemed like an almost scientific way to create clothing. PASKAL was the first brand in the Ukraine to use a laser-cutting machine to create garments, now we have three machines and use them for cutting the patterns, but it’s very difficult process. Some details and laser-cut patterns take a lot of time, that’s why the production time for some pieces can take up to five days.

What is it that draws you to create pieces with a more minimalistic aesthetic?
I guess my architectural background has influenced this, I don’t try to make a statement.