In March this year the KARA brand introduced their new creative director – designer Jan Černý, one of the greatest talents on the Czech scene. In this short interview, you will find out what he is planning as creative director, or where, according to him, fashion is currently going.
What does fashion mean to you?
The liveliest part of our culture. The fastest way to express your opinions. Before you speak, what you’re wearing has already spoken for you.
How do you remember your internship with Virgil Abloh in Louis Vuitton?
Even after a year and quarter I still see it as something unbelievable. I was already aware of that in Paris. It was and is like a dream, it seems almost unreal. Luckily, I still have pictures in my phone as proof.
It was Virgil who said at the beginning of the year that streetwear would officially die in 2020. What direction do you think fashion is heading in right now? What will it look like in 5 years?
Did it die? I don’t think so. It just calmed down and became more in balance with other styles. The right mix of all the elements of fashion – streetwear, tailoring, workwear – is now crucial. In 5 years? I don’t know, everything will probably be flourishing again after the crisis we are currently experiencing. That will probably reflect in the way we dress.
Jan Černý FW20 SS21 @ MBPFW | Source: Mercedes-Benz Prague Fashion Week
In March, you became the new creative director of KARA. What led to this?
I can’t speak for Kara or Michal Mička, why he chose me. My comprehensive view of the matter definitely helped, along with my already mentioned internship, because LV is very much about leather, which I’m also working with now in KARA.
What were the first things you did in your new position?
As you know, Najbrt and I created a logo. Work has begun on rebranding, how we will speak to people, visuals and most importantly my first collection, part of which is also sold now by Footshop.
Where did you find inspiration for the premiere collection you designed for KARA?
This time, inspiration is not just about one collection, but about setting up new DNA for the whole brand. It’s way more complex than it might seem. With KARA, I want to focus on the topic of nature, which I will gradually explore and discover in my collections. The first collection is themed around stone, as an element of strength, resilience and indestructibility – just like leather. So, poetically, I build the new chapter of the brand on a foundation of stone.
The collection is made of genuine leather. Where do you source it from and how is it processed?
All our leather always comes from animals that are processed whole, including meat and other products, so it’s not the way some people imagine animals getting killed for just their hides. That’s only true about exotic hides and skins, like alligators, which I do not use.
Going back to the beginning, when did you realize you wanted to be a designer?
About a month before the deadline for college applications, haha.
What was your first fashion show like?
It was in Bratislava at the Fashion LIVE under the direction of Olo Křížová. It was our studio’s student show. My models spat gum and ate burgers on stage.
If you could go back to whatever time, what time would it be and why?
I would have loved to experience the nineties, when antifashion emerged. To experience the live shows of Margiela, Helmut Lang and others, and to understand all the context of the period.
About KARA
The beginnings of the KARA brand date back to 1948, when the Czech brand was founded. The brand took the name KARA from the karakul sheep, which provided a valuable and luxurious fur called Persian or Astrakhan. Today, they focus on producing premium leather and fur products, which are created exclusively locally. The brand has gained recognition not only in the country, but also abroad.
