Every young student looks to the future with the hope that their hard work during their college years will finally pay off after graduation. Young people in Romania are known for choosing specializations with a high share of business, administration, and law, along with health and social assistance. The report on the state of higher education made by the Ministry of Education in 2022 shows that 165,401 Romanian students chose the specializations mentioned above. Unfortunately, Romanian students skip specializations related to the artistic side. The same report shows that students who choose arts and humanities number 35,079. And when it comes to fashion specializations, faculties allocate a maximum of 40 places. In Romania, three faculties are registered in the field of fashion: the National University of Arts Bucharest, the University of Arts and Design Cluj Napoca, and the West University of Timisoara. Along with the fashion events in the country, fashion design studies host some of the most talented young people who should be promoted and valued. We spoke with four of the most diligent students at UAD Cluj to find out what is behind the choice to continue their studies in the field of fashion in Romania. Ghenghiz Beghim, Răzvan Dîrle, Carla Forrai and Diana Grigorescu, all third-year students at UAD Cluj answered the questions asked, presented their hopes for the future and the secrets behind the works at the faculty.
Where did it all start? When did you decide that fashion is what you want to study further?
Ghenghiz Beghim: I think that since I was little I have had an affinity for everything that means fashion. I had my parents buy me countless special notebooks that already had the model drawn so that I could create only the outfits starting from kindergarten, and when Next Top Model started on Antena 1 I didn’t miss a single episode! However, I can say that I stopped considering this whole inclination for the world of fashion as a simple “hobby”. To be exact, in high school at the end of the 10th grade. The irony is that I was also looking for drawing classes as a hobby to learn how to draw the fashion croquis, that is, the model wearing the outfit in the drawing, and on this occasion I met 2 teachers from my city who together founded a workshop specialized in preparing high school students for admission to any faculty in the field of design in the country or abroad. After only two classes, they convinced me that I had to capitalize on this passion of mine, in university education in the field of art, so together with them I created a portfolio for admission to the University of Arts and Design Cluj-Napoca that represented me 100%.
Răzvan Dîrle: It all started in childhood, from my grandmother who was a seamstress and had a workshop at home. When I would go to her, I would help her, or I would make various things myself. But also from my mother, and other relatives who work in clothing. The reason why I chose the Textiles department in high school and the Fashion specialization in college was my inclination towards the arts. Especially towards decorative arts, but also the desire to make “walking art” that can be worn in everyday life and admired.
Carla Forrai: In the 10th grade, as a student at an art college, I had to choose one of the three profiles made available by high school. My options were ceramics, textile/fashion design and graphics. I opted for textile/fashion design at the last second, because it best suited what I liked to do (I really liked painting and creating elaborate compositions, which was very close to what I was going to do in textile design).
Diana Grigorescu: I think I have always been passionate and curious about everything art means, and the moment when I chose the fashion field was not necessarily a clearly defined one, but rather a whole process to which a certain maturation on my part also contributed. At first, I had a love-hate relationship, an insecurity related to the status that fashion has in society and the impact it has on it, often a very negative one (and here of course we are talking about pollution, the fast-forward industry, etc.). During all this time that I gave myself to decide that fashion is what I want to do in the future, I experimented on the practical side with different techniques, and the passion for textiles and drawing was always there. Many times I wanted to make certain clothes because I couldn’t find them in stores exactly the way I wanted them. At the beginning of high school, I can say that I had my first contact with conceptual fashion and fashion as art, and since then I understood that fashion has different valences and is not “done” in just one way. Then I can say that I found myself more in this field, learning that fashion can also be done in a personal way, not just being influenced by trends.
Can you list some of your favorite college projects that you participated in and that you consider helped you in your experience as a fashion design student?
Ghenghiz Beghim: Fashion-week festivals are some projects that I am glad to have participated in with the help of the faculty. Last year I participated as a volunteer at the Transilvania Fashion Festival, a festival that I will participate in again this year in September, because it is an opportunity for young people who aspire to a career as a fashion designer to see exactly what such an event entails, to experience all the adrenaline from backstage, to meet influential people in the field, but also experienced people to learn from, being there as helpers! Also, being part of an art university, we also happen to participate in projects such as art exhibitions with our own works!
Răzvan Dîrle: Most of the college projects that I participated in I consider helped me by getting to know people in the fashion industry. Other projects aimed at the dialogue between visual arts and music, the objective of the project being a future collaboration with musicians, but also a presentation of what we do, culminating in an exhibition.
Carla Forrai: I was and am very attracted to the fashion illustration side, so my favorite projects that I participated in during college were mostly connected to the fine arts and illustration. Although I didn’t catch many projects in progress (due to the pandemic) within the drawing/coloring workshops at the college, professor Ioana Antoniu tried to create opportunities for us to exhibit, connections in the world of arts through a series of activities that we carried out in partnership with the Art Museum or the Ethnographic Museum in Cluj, as well as with students from the Academy of Music. It seems to me that these projects were very valuable and welcome, since the presence in the museum and the discussions with students from another art academy in the city certainly broadened our horizons, offered us new sources of inspiration, helped us connect with the city in which we live and work.
Diana Grigorescu: For this question, I will choose two projects: one related to the study of drawing, from the first year, which was very influential for me and within which I felt that I managed to develop myself most effectively in the drawing and fashion illustration part. In this project, I used as references personal photos with stylings and scenography created by us through photographs, then transposed into different drawing and color techniques. These projects changed my perception and the way in which I approach even the design part, not just the artistic side. And another project, from the second year, was the creation of some volumes exclusively from geometric shapes, a project that I was personally very excited about. Being interested in alternative design methods, I found it an essential exercise in using the zero-waste method and developing new ways of doing design.
What is your opinion about fashion in Romania? Do you think there is a culture when it comes to Romanian fashion? If you had to change something in the Romanian fashion industry, what would you change?
Ghenghiz Beghim: I believe that the fashion industry in Romania is in continuous development, with incredibly talented and unique people, with ideas as original and innovative as other designers from countries better known for art and fashion. The only problem is that Romania has not capitalized on the value of this field in the past, not representing a major importance in terms of art and culture. On the other hand, the new generation is coming from behind alert, with a very great interest in everything related to fashion and fashion as art, with many events being set up specifically dedicated to this type of culture, where more and more young designers can debut and make their name known, more easily than in the past. If I could change something in the fashion world in Romania, I would like experienced and well-known designers to be much more open to teaching the new generation and becoming their mentors. Somehow I felt this blockage, seeking to learn from people who have already succeeded, many unwilling to reveal the “secrets” behind a successful brand. I understand that this would be a bit utopian, considering that it is a competitive field, especially because of the difficulty of building a reputation in fashion, but also in art, in today’s Romania.
Răzvan Dîrle: I had the opportunity, being a volunteer at fashion shows, to see outfits by Romanian designers that I liked, I think that naturally fashion in Romania is heading for the better as long as it emerges from a documentation, study of the field, but also of what a designer wants to convey. And when it comes to what I would change in the Romanian fashion industry, I don’t think that change should necessarily come.
Who is your favorite designer in the Romanian fashion world?
Ghenghiz Beghim: Ever since I was admitted to university, I can say that I have the same answer to this question: Alexandru Floarea (Alexander Flowers). I have been amazed since I discovered him by what he creates and by the way he takes abstract ideas and materializes them through his own vision into true masterpieces! The atmosphere he creates is imposing, giving a somewhat bizarre sensation at first, but incredible once you try to understand the creative and artistic intention. Not to mention the unusual way in which he uses and associates materialities, overcoming any barrier through fashion, reaching true art. Ever since 2021, when I saw the editorial in Elle magazine, I have become a fan of the Pygmalion collection and I still regret that I was unable to make it to Romanian Creative Week 2023 in Iași, to be able to physically see the incredible piece he exhibited.
Răzvan Dîrle: I don’t have a favorite designer, but several, I try not to have a specific preference, not to limit myself to certain styles, and on the contrary, to educate my eye with a broader palette.
Carla Forrai: I can’t really choose just one designer… As I was saying, it seems to me that there are many very talented Romanian designers. In addition to the artists I’ve already mentioned, I would also add the Ruxandra brand, one of my first loves when it comes to Romanian design, a designer who plays a lot with the textiles she uses in her creations and who aligns very well with my principles regarding sustainability in fashion. Also, some of my greatest sources of inspiration are close to me, in Cluj, in my friends and classmates, future designers, who inspire me every day with their creations and ideas, and of whom some will certainly be added to the list of favorite designers in the future.
Diana Grigorescu: It is very difficult to choose a single favorite designer, so I will list a few designers and brands that have had an influence on me in terms of fashion design (not all of them work in Romania): Borbala Ferencz, Alexandra Șipa, Ancuța Sarca, Dinu Bodiciu, Andrei Dinu (Prosper Center).
What are some of your own creations? What is behind these creations?
Ghenghiz Beghim: Most of my creations involve proposals for collections made in a digital manner. Some of them are the Fingerprints collection, a mini-collection of 5 proposals made almost entirely from hemp, a material with incredible sustainable properties. This collection was created through a one-month Erasmus+ placement mobility in Perugia, Italy, where I also carried out a research paper on the use of hemp in the fashion field as a sustainable alternative, as well as different unconventional ways of processing hemp material, such as bio-coloring and bio-printing. I also developed another personal project in Italy during my Erasmus+ study mobility in the 2nd semester. This project involves making digital prints starting from photos taken exclusively on film by me during this experience. Thus, I wanted to use all the errors that a film camera reproduces to suggest the idea of imperfection and ambiguity, a parallel for the human mind that recalls the past, in a sometimes vague and unclear way, natural for human nature. To also talk about physical creations, in my first year of study, in collaboration with the Jolidon team through a university teacher, I realized the transposition of a swimsuit prototype with which I participated in a “The Link” competition organized by Mare di Moda and with which I qualified to the semi-finals. This swimsuit is part of the collection of proposals called “Lost signal” through which I wanted to capitalize on the y2k atmosphere with the idea of error, lack of signal, suggesting freedom and escapism from monotony. I have posted several creations on my personal Instagram account and behance page.
Răzvan Dîrle: The projects I carry out involve documentation, work and creativity, one of them includes a collection of 12 outfits developed on thought process plans that follows the evolution of the female character Nina from A. Chekhov’s “The Seagull”, but especially her degradation throughout the four acts.
Carla Forrai: As I was saying, I am interested in the fashion illustration part, therefore to be honest, the dearest things I have done lately have been such works of art. Usually, behind my illustrations is the simple desire to intertwine fashion with art, but also the fascination I have for fashion photography and for the idea of clothes as a second skin, capable of changing moods, attitudes for the wearer. I usually choose to illustrate outfits presented by my favorite designers, such as Dries van Noten or Jil Sander, but over time I have also illustrated the creations of other young designers, such as Laura Rose Collins or Gregory Ojakpe.
Diana Grigorescu: The projects I have been working on lately are closely related to everyday life, its actions and automatism. In these projects I also integrate objects, recontextualized elements and use second-hand textiles as much as possible. My artistic practice is multidisciplinary, although the emphasis is on fashion, I experiment with other techniques such as drawing, collage, mixed media, and photography. What I am really passionate about is the connection between contemporary art and fashion, which means the relationship between the body and clothing, and the themes I tend to approach are related to everyday life, society and consumerism, while also observing the affective character.
Could you tell me some of your future goals regarding your career as a Fashion Designer?
Ghenghiz Beghim: At the moment I am also a young man at the beginning of my journey! The closest goal is to create my bachelor’s collection, considering that I start my 3rd year in October, and the bachelor’s collection will represent my debut on the podium. I want to give my best to create it in a timely manner and to look exactly as I imagine it. Looking to the more distant future, I want to continue my education in the field, both through a master’s program and through related courses in any branch of fashion. I would like to do everything honestly, to work as a stylist and offer clothing advice, to create creative directions that involve the image of a person or an artist, to have my own business in which to create clothing collections or even to work for a company as a designer! The future is still unknown and I must admit that I am a little afraid of its uncertainty, but I am ready to pursue any opportunity that will arise!
Răzvan Dîrle: One of the goals would be for everything I do to convey a message, for the message to be seen in the smallest details, and to have a tendency towards activism. But above all, to get involved in the field.
Carla Forrai: I like to think mainly from close up, so my first and only goal at the moment is to manage to produce a good bachelor’s thesis and to get through the next year well. In addition, I want to take care of the illustration part and create as much as possible, even if it will be a difficult and full year.
Diana Grigorescu: I want to have a multidisciplinary practice and to manage to combine the functional side of fashion design with the artistic one as best as possible, but also to stay connected to contemporary art and to the creation of various artistic products, not just clothing.
Finally, I asked the four students to give advice to young people who would like to study fashion design at universities in Romania and beyond.
Ghenghiz Beghim: One piece of advice I would like to give to a future fashion design student is to invest in this direction, both time and resources. It is a real plus to enter college already with a set of knowledge, in tailoring, technical data, art or digital editing and drawing programs. Even before admission, I recommend that a future student learn to work in any Photoshop or Procreate type software because, there will be many requirements that will require digital image drawing and editing programs, and the Internet is full of tutorials from which you can learn a base. I also want to be realistic and in addition to traditional drawing tools, you will definitely need a laptop and a graphics tablet, or a classic tablet that allows the installation of various digital work programs, and purchasing them in advance and knowing at least a little about these programs will be a great advantage. Of course, not the most expensive alternatives, but the smartest and most convenient, but from my own experience I say that when it comes to RAM memory of either the laptop or the tablet, you need as much as possible! And as for the physical component of the clothing creation process, no information or skill in tailoring, pattern making or sewing will be in vain, in fact it will be a colossal advantage, again there are many explicit videos in this direction on the Internet or books. Allocate a little time to learn something from a technical point of view, I didn’t and I admit that I regret not starting to learn a little about translating an idea into material myself.
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