Photos: Martins Cirulis. One Wolf – Tourist collection
Taking a closer look at Latvian fashion industry skies with Riga based designer Agnese Narnicka is far away from anxiously walking in a forest full of wolfs. Even though the designer has chosen the artist name One Wolf, her collections are orientated at young, free – spirit and mind youngsters who feel safe in the jungle of city.
From Fashionclash Festival in Maastricht, Men’s Fashion Week in Paris to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Berlin: full of courage, inspiration, ambitions and creative ideas to show that fashion could be understood as a permanent phenomenon while reflecting the values, features and qualities of a particular period. “The wolf, not only as a symbol but as an animal, also reflects the nature of Latvia,” the born-and-bred Latvian explains with a bright smile and invites to her world full of greenery.
Your biggest childhood dream was…
To become an artist or an architect and to travel the world! In general, I really liked to dream and fantasize. That was probably my favourite childhood activity.
When did you start becoming interested in the fashion industry?
It happened around the age of 9. However, at that time, I didn’t understand what the fashion industry is and what its fashion designers really do. In any case, I enjoyed thinking up clothing, shoes, foods, houses, and that I own a store where I sell all of it. Now you could call it a concept store.
One Wolf – Tourist collection
How did the concept of One Wolf come to your mind?
It happened during the time when I was seriously working in fashion. I had just graduated at the Art Academy of Latvia and had already participated several times in Riga Fashion Week and international competitions as Agnese Narnicka. There came a moment in 2010 when the brand needed a more powerful image, a concept, and clear goals. Upon trying to formulate my design, target audience, future plans, and the overall mood and philosophy of the brand, we arrived at One Wolf. It clearly demonstrates the unisex idea, courage, adventurousness, independence, freethinking, and friendship. The wolf, not only as a symbol but as an animal, also reflects the nature of Latvia. It is rich with forests, fields, marshes, with beautiful summers and long snowy winters.
Photos: onewolf.eu. One Wolf Show – Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin Spring/Summer 2016
What makes One Wolf special? Why is it just one wolf?
One Wolf has always strived to surprise not only with pleasurable and functional design but also with the content of each collection. It is important for us to create stories. We could devote a short film to each collection. For the time being, we devote a T-shirt to each collection, which remains as a product that is available during later seasons. Our T-shirt collection already has 5 different T-shirts in several colour variations. Our unique character, if assessing the brand in general, is definitely simplicity in unisex clothing, functionality, and cleverness not only in details but also in sewing patterns. We enjoy practical and deliberate non-perfectionism, which is never completely constraining, but inspires one to create their own lifestyle.
Why only One Wolf? Because while wolves live in packs, they remain each for themselves, similar to the One Wolf customer. One of many, yet one alone and unique. In reality, like each and every one of us. Yes, also in the unisex concept. “One” successfully explains that it is the human being, that is most important to us, not sexuality or gender. Freedom of choice and not succumbing to society’s stereotypes.
What do you like the most and the least about the process of designing?
I like the first stage of the process the most. The time when there is an idea and the first sketches are being created. I’m drawn to fashion illustrations. A good illustration – I think it is a value in and of itself. The period of creating constructions and prototypes is also captivating. That is the moment when ideas on paper transform into a new stage. They begin to live their own lives.
One Wolf – Tourist collection
You have just come back from Berlin Fashion Week. How was it? Could you compare the Berlin and Riga fashion scenes? What are the differences?
Berlin’s fashion environment and the fashion week itself are larger, more international. Participation in Berlin’s Fashion Week was good experience, an opportunity to show the One Wolf brand at a wider and more international scale. It’s nice that there is a positive and rather extensive interest and reviews by international media. If we compare this to Riga Fashion Week, it progresses with each year. Latvia’s fashion industry is very young but, from my perspective, rapidly progressive. It can be felt that we are interesting to the world because of our unique style, which has developed from our cultural and historical experiences. In the local context, Riga Fashion Week is very popular. One Wolf shows are attended by many people, since we have many true fans and followers as we are a home-grown brand.
Are you testing anything new in the design sphere right now?
Yes, each collection is something new for me, and in each one I try to experiment either with construction, with new materials, or with previously unused printing techniques and fabric processing technologies. Currently, I’m interested in innovative materials for raincoats and parkas. Especially those that are visually effective, light, and fulfil all of the required protective features. It is actually of importance for the next AW 2016/17 collection LANDER. It’s planned to also experiment with footwear design, creating special soles for boots.
One Wolf – Tourist collection
How do you keep yourself inspired?
I don’t specially plan anything in this regard. But of definite benefit are good movies and a few weeks of relaxation outside of the city. I enjoy being away for a while from the presence of large groups of people, which are inevitable in the city.
What do you foresee for One Wolf in the future?
Definitely continuous participation in international fashion shows and showrooms. I think that One Wolf will also continue to gain more and more fans outside of Latvia. I hope that our new website will also help accomplish this – onewolf.eu .
Thank you!
One Wolf – Tourist collection
