ilja press kit

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AMSTERDAM-BASED FASHION DESIGNER, ILJA VISSER, DESIGNS WEARABLE

PIECES OF ART, TO ENCOURAGE SELF-EXPRESSION, FOR MODERN, SOPHISTI-

CATED WOMEN WITH A STRONG POINT-OF-VIEW.

ILJA EMBARKED ON HER CAREER IN FASHION BY ATTENDING THE SCHOOL

OF ARTS IN ARNHEM, THE NETHERLANDS. STUDYING FASHION DESIGN

LED HER TO NEW YORK FOR INTERNSHIPS AT DONNA KARAN AND MARIA

CORNEJO WHERE SHE ACQUIRED HER FINE SKILLS OF TAILORING. UPON

GRADUATION IN 2001, SHE MOVED TO MILAN TO FURTHER DISCOVER THE

FOUNDATION OF FASHION, TEXTILES, AND DESIGN.

HER NAMESAKE LINE, ILJA, FOUNDED IN 2005, AROSE FROM HER DREAM TO

EXPRESS HER INDIVIDUAL CONCEPTUAL VISION AND ARTISTIC APPROACH

TO FASHION. WITH HIGH REGARD TO IMPECCABLE CRAFTSMANSHIP IN

TAILORING, FABRIC MANIPULATION AND INFLUENCE OF MODERN INNO-

VATIONS, THE COLLECTION EXHIBITS AN ORGANIC AND SCULPTURAL

DISTINCTION. HONORING THIS INNOVATION AND TALENT, ILJA BECAME

THE FIRST DUTCH FASHION DESIGNER TO RECEIVE THE CULTUUR MODE

STIPENDIUM AWARD FROM THE PRINS BERNHARD CULTUURFONDS (PRINCE

BERNHARD CULTURAL FOUNDATION) IN 2011.

ILJA COMBINES INSPIRATIONS OF THE ARTS AND THE DUALITY OF STRENGTH

AND FEMININITY IN WOMEN INTO OUTSPOKEN GARMENT AND SHOE

DESIGNS. THE CONTRADICTORY ELEMENTS OF HARD/SOFT AND STRONG/

FRAGILE ARE CONCEPTUALIZED THROUGH THE USE OF ORGANIC SHAPES BY

INCORPORATING TRADITIONAL DESIGN TECHNIQUES WITH CONTEMPO-

RARY AND INNOVATIONAL APPROACHES. THE SKILLFUL CONTROL OF MA-

TERIALS PRODUCES DYNAMIC MOVEMENTS ESTABLISHED BY A STRUCTURED

FLUIDITY OF THE GARMENTS. THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF THESE TECH-

NIQUES IN FLATTERING, FEMININE SILHOUETTES, ILJA’S VISION, TO CREATE

A WARDROBE THAT ALLOWS WOMEN TO EXPRESS BOTH THEIR STRENGTH

AND SENSITIVITY IS FULFILLED.

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POWERFUL, EMOTIONAL, ARTISTIC, CHARACTERIZES THE ILJA AESTHETIC.

LAUNCHED IN 2005, ILJA VISSER INTRODUCED HER LINE, EXPRESSING HER

CONCEPTUAL VISION AND ARTISTIC APPROACH ON FASHION. COMBINING

HER INSPIRATIONS, THE ARTS AND THE DUALITY OF STRENGTH AND

FEMININITY IN WOMEN, SHE CREATES OUTSPOKEN DESIGNS.

THE SOPHISTICATED ARTISTRY OF ILJA IS BROUGHT TO LIFE THROUGH

IMPECCABLE CRAFTSMANSHIP, FABRIC MANIPULATION AND

CONTEMPORARY INNOVATIONS. HER COLLECTIONS EXHIBIT AN ORGANIC

AND SCULPTURAL DISTINCTION IN FLATTERING, FEMININE SILHOUETTES.

IT IS THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF THESE CORE VALUES THAT ILJA’S

VISION, TO CREATE WEARABLE ART IN ORDER TO ALLOW WOMEN TO

EXPRESS FRAGILITY AND COMPASSION, REVEALING HER SENSITIVE SIDE,

WHILE REMAINING AUTHORITATIVE AND RESPECTED FOR BOTH HER BEAUTY

AND STRENGTH, IS ACHIEVED.

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A DANCE IS ABOUT PURE EXPRESSION AND GRACE. IT IS ONE OF THE MOST

EMOTIONAL MOVEMENTS A HUMAN BEING CAN CREATE WITH HIS BODY.

THE ILJA COLLECTION OF THIS SEASON IS ENTIRELY STANDING IN THE NAME

OF BEAUTY AND MOVEMENT. IT REPRESENTS A BLEND OF MODERN

EXPRESSIONAL DANCE WITH CLASSICAL BALLET INFLUENCES. BOTH STYLES

FIND ITS BALANCE IN SYMMETRICAL, ORGANIC SHAPES UNDERLINED WITH

VOLUMINOUS SKIRTS AND DRESSES PRODUCING AN EDGY BUT INNOCENT

LOOK.

LIGHTWEIGHT VISCOSE BATIST IS PAIRED WITH HEAVY WEIGHT WASHED

SILKS. PALE SKIN TONES ARE COMBINED WITH RAW STONE COLOURS, SUCH

AS CONCRETE GREY AND BLACK MELANGE. A POETRY OF CONTRASTS FIND

A BALANCE.

SKIN\\\FONIE IS THE FUSION OF INSTINCTIVE MOVEMENT, SOUND AND THE

ART OF DANCE. FOR THIS COLLECTION HANDCRAFTED GRAPHICS WERE

DIGITALLY PRINTED ON FABRIC, CREATING THE ILLUSION OF SOUND

FREQUENCIES MOVING ALONG THE LINES OF THE ELABORATE

SILHOUETTES. EACH SILHOUETTE REPRESENTS A SOUND THAT STANDS FOR

ITSELF, TOGETHER THEY ASSEMBLE A SYMPHONY.

EACH SEASON ILJA VISSER REPRESENTS A STRONG CONCEPT WHICH IS

EXPRESSED IN A BLEND OF WEARABLE EVENING GARMENTS, EXTRAVAGANT

SHOWPIECES AND AN OUTSPOKEN SHOE DESIGN.

THE GARMENTS ARE HAND-CRAFTED IN THE ATELIER HEADQUARTER OF

THE ILJA VISSER GROUP IN AMSTERDAM.

LUXURIOUS FABRICS COME TO LIFE IN MODERN AND TIMELESS DESIGNS

CREATING A UNIQUE AURA AROUND EACH ILJA GARMENT.

ILJA VISSER GROUP

ATELIER \\ SHOWROOMPRINSENGRACHT 581-583

1016 HT AMSTERDAM+31 (0)20 625 7466

INFO@ILJA.NL \\ WWW.ILJA.NLFACEBOOK.COM/ILJACOUTURE

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