Come Dine With Me... Masha Popova
In her own words, Masha Popova describes the ingredients which make up her eponymous brand as ‘freshly cooked and served hot’. The Ukrainian designer’s pieces are certainly coming in extremely hot after the success of her expressive SS23 show; and unsurprisingly, this rising star has been flat out since her runway debut. During a rare moment of downtime, we got better acquainted with Masha over a well-deserved glass of Georgian wine.
Hi Masha! Where are you today and what are you eating / drinking?
I’m at Little Georgia in Hackney. I’m drinking Saperavi, and eating borscht, khachapuri and khinkali.
Why did you choose this spot?
It’s the first place that came to my mind. I know that I’m not from Georgia but it really reminds me of home. There’s lots of things that remind me of my childhood. It feels like you’ve just got to your friend’s house, they’re cooking dinner and you bring your own bottle of wine.
Let’s talk about the ingredients that make up your career. What are they? How did you get started?
My career is a very long and complicated recipe that requires a lot of work! First of all, it’s a mix of a little bit of my Eastern European background, influenced by my degree in architecture. All seasoned well with a suburban childhood when I had a railway depot as a playground. Then seared by the hot Ukranian sun until slightly brown, and slow-cooked for over six years in Central Saint Martins. The end result is served freshly cooked and hot!
When did you begin the Masha Popova brand and why?
I studied architecture before and then I decided I wanted to do something more hands-on and more personal. I applied to Central Saint Martins and that’s how I ended up here. We graduated into the lockdown straight away, then when we came out of lockdown, things just started happening. I didn’t decide to start a brand and I can’t pinpoint the beginning - it sort of naturally happened.
Your work is a mixture of off-kilter denim and irreverent elegance: how do you find the balance between the flavours?
I was growing up in the ‘90s in Ukraine when we didn’t have any mainstream shops or anything (I didn’t know what Zara or H&M was!). We would go second-hand shopping where obviously there’s no collections or trends, everything’s just a mess. You had to mix and match.
So that’s the way I used to think of clothes - everything just mis-matched. For me, combining opposite, unrelated ideas into one mix is the way of making my work more exciting. Different flavours counteract each other to achieve a harmonious taste.
How do you cook up an idea? Talk us through your creative process.
First, I figure out the mood and the story. Generally the way I work is very chaotic and hands-on. I do a lot of samples first and then I start draping with them, building the key garments. I don’t work well with tech drawings, I like to work in 3D - I like seeing the idea of the garment in real life from all angles, and feel it with my hands.
In your opinion, who has excellent taste?
I think Kate Moss is an icon of careless chic. Imagery wise, Elaine Constantine has the most excellent taste.
Now for the fun questions…. Favourite thing to eat?
I love trying new things so that’s a hard question for me. I love home cooking and cooking for my friends. There isn’t one specific dish I love the most.
Least favourite thing to eat?
Porridge with milk. In kindergarten, teachers forced me to eat it and I wasn’t allowed to leave the table until I finished. I remember sitting there for hours and crying!
If Masha Popova was a dish, what dish would it be?
Ukrainian dumplings, it’s one of my favourite dishes. When I was a little kid my grandma would wake up at 4am and make hundreds of them, and I’d always ask her to wake me up so I could help.
What one food / drink can’t you live without?
Lime, tomatoes and coffee.
What would your last meal be?
Freshly caught seafood which still tastes like the ocean.
If you could only eat one cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Probably Mexican. It’s so fresh and flavourful - and if I could choose one drink, it would be a margarita.
What's your favourite restaurant in the whole world?
I don’t think I’ve found my number one yet.
What three people (living or passed) are at your dream dinner table?
David Cronenberg, Madame Grès and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
In life, what’s the best recipe for success?
The people that surround you, friends and family. For my [SS23] show, it was just so great having people around me like Celestine Cooney. Ahead of the show, every time I got stressed out she was always there for me. Then my boyfriend was sewing up pieces every night beforehand.
It’s the people that experience happiness the same way you do and share it with you. That’s what helps it work. I feel like I can only experience success with people who are truly there for me and are truly happy for me. Otherwise it’s all just pointless.
They say that success smells sweet. What does it smell like to you?
Blood, sweat and tears…
Photography: Jonathan Middleton
Video: Steve Turvey
Words: Sophy Davis Russell
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