By Daniela Migrova
Ahoj! My name is Daniela and I am a designer at Kingston Lafferty Design studio.
I was born in Slovakia but been living in Ireland for the past 11 years. Since childhood, I always had an urge to create and express my ideas creatively. My grandma must have seen something in me, so she signed me up to an art school and a school choir. Since then, I developed a passion towards Art and Music in any kind of form. But only in Ireland, after graduating from college in Interior Architecture in Dublin, my dream to enter a creative world of Interior Design and Interior Architecture has materialised.
It was not an easy road I must say, I was working full time and studying part time, the recession hit the job market, and job opportunities were sparse. Although, I never gave up and continued looking until I spotted an opportunity in Kingston Lafferty Design and landed my first job as a designer!!
This has been my ninth month in KLD but what a ride! Working with a team has taught me a lot about interior design, finishes, layouts, concepts, suppliers and clients. I particularly love the wide scope of KLDs’ involvement from graphic design, furniture and lighting design, branding to a full Interior Architecture work. Not one day is the same.
I suppose every designer has a unique way of developing their ideas and concepts, curiosity and desire to explore. The design process is like a puzzle, you are looking for solutions to obstacles. Well-designed space for me is a space that pleases all human senses and is well considered. In projects that I have been part of, I always wanted to bring elements of fantasy into daily life and turn the reality into a dream.
My inspiration originated by admiring designers and musicians since I was a teenager. As a singer myself, Björk caught my eye due to her artistic expression and experimentation with sound. Not only a musician, Björk is also unique because of her fashion curiosity. Her costumes embody the Haute Couture fashion but also express her artistic visions. During her recent tour with the newest album Vulnicura, she has worn many unique dresses and headpieces that were truly amazing and inspirational.
Below image is one of my favourites due to the combination of neon colours and texture representing a beautiful butterfly-like creature that she has managed to transform herself into. “I loved their pronged fern-like white antennae most, so began embroidering those, and it slowly turned into some sort of techno-Victorian-moth mask,” says the designer James Merry. I am a fan of this colour combination and have used it in projects previously.
The lavender colour dress below and mask that Björk has experimented with can be interpreted in many ways depending on how you visually perceive the outfit. Is it an alien or another butterfly?!
Below, this headpiece is particularly interesting due to its sculptural characteristics. In combination with a simple white dress, it stands out as a feature element of the costume. From a design point of view, I can visualise using a similar structure in a modern installation on a larger or a smaller scale or simply as a central piece. I will leave the artistic interpretation up to you!
Björk wore another contemporary style dress in Barcelona that resembles fabric and detail used on a rug. She combines this outfit with a highly detailed embroidered mask to achieve a quite unique creation.
Below, the idea for Björk’s headpiece originated from a sketch that she has shown to James Merry, the designer. Her vocal cords were the main focal point of the design with lines radiating out from them, resembling her voice. The creative world has no boundaries.
Lastly, one of my favourites… the headpiece. This particular piece was created and inspired by sound waves. In conjunction with the visual effects, I can only assume it was a truly emotional artistic experience for the audience and designer alike.
To round up, Björk is an innovative and experimental artist that teaches us that it’s brave and courageous to be our own self. Personally, I draw inspiration from her in all shapes and forms.
I hope I’ve inspired you, so you’ll bring a bit of Björk to your life or your work. Potentially a new experimental creation might be on the horizon! 🙂 Daniela