Her brand is named after her Italian grandfather, her first collection – Bisalta, after a mountain in Italy’s Piedmont, where her father grew up. Yet her designs are made in and with Thailand in mind. Meet Stefania Kim Gardini right before she takes the world of fashion by storm.
Maciek Klimowicz: Hello Stefania, congratulations on the launch of your first collection. But before we talk about it, please tell me how your adventure with fashion begun?
Stefania Kim Gardini : I’ve always been bit of a weirdo with the way I dressed, which was kind of a hit and miss – that’s what comes with taking risks and exploring your own taste. I’ve also always made my own stuff and have been very particular about the things I wear. Here in Thailand there are a lot of tailors so I used to bring my own designs to have them made for me. But I had been working in fashion even before, for a couple of years, after college. I did fashion and luxury management in Milan where I got my degree, after that I moved to Shanghai where I worked for a branding agency and then I relocated to Bangkok and started working in-house for a fashion brand.
And when did the decision come to change this passion into a career?
Well, at a certain point I asked myself: “Am I going to be really the best circuit conductors seller in the word?” Probably not. And then I thought what is it that actually interests me? And as I had many interests in art and design, and fashion was one of them, I thought I’d stick to what I know and what I think is fun.
Also, we have a family business here in Thailand, so I’m currently still helping up with that, which gave me this great opportunity to figure out my own schedule and do something next to that, something that I actually like doing. And because I have already been working in fashion for a while, I had all the connections in terms of fabrics sourcing, production facilities etc. So it all naturally came together.
Were the very beginnings difficult?
The problem young designers run into is quantity. A lot of fabric suppliers won’t take small orders, if you want to start small it’s difficult with just about any product. But I happened to find a supplier who was willing to take smaller orders and I knew someone who was willing to produce in smaller, boutique quantities. It required some digging, some negotiating, finding the right quality for some products but I was actually having a lot of fun with it.
Eventually I came up with this small collection, it’s only 10 designs. Industry standards require that you come up four times a year with 30 different looks and for a starting entrepreneur that’s too much. But it seems that the industry’s paradigm is shifting from brick and mortar stores to online, to smaller quantities, higher customization. It’s all because the consumer is becoming more and more educated. And in all that change I saw an opportunity to do what I’m passionate about.
Still, isn’t being passionate about fashion and actually designing pieces, two completely different things?
Initially I would just see things that I liked and things that I didn’t. But then a moment of introspection comes when you ask yourself “Why do I like that so much? Is it the fabric? Is it the shape? Is it the way the zipper is aligned?” And I got very curious about how things are constructed. I didn’t study design and I’m still learning a lot in terms of technical drawings and such, but that’s also what makes this so exciting. I worked on the business side of things and it’s always easy to comment on somebody else’s work, but how about doing it yourself? It’s a whole different challenge.
They say that the best way to learn something is by doing it.
Exactly! And especially now, with this first collection, I learned so many things and I can’t wait to see what the second one is going to bring.
Do you remember your first design?
I actually started by trying to sew myself. I got myself a machine and some fabric to see how that works. I used cheap fabric because I was still practicing and I made a navy blue halter dress, just because it seemed easy, two pieces of fabric sewn together. I think I made this same dress three or four times before I got it right. And when I felt I knew how to do it, I got some better fabric and made it again, this time in a mint-green silky fabric. I remember wearing it out the first time, it was quite nerve wrecking to think that something that I’ve made could just fall apart.
How did the collection come about?
I continued to change this first design around, adding on to it, and before I knew it, I had all these sketches and ideas. It was almost like making up my own closet at that point. And eventually I got some professional opinion, let go of some designs that didn’t really work, got some more ideas and the collection started taking shape.
So the collection happened naturally?
Coming from the business side of things I know how important is to have a consistent concept, so I started out with a couple few basic things – a short dress, a long dress, shorts, a top. I also wanted to keep it all very pragmatic, I wasn’t going to try and reinvent the wheel. A lot of designers start as creative artists and then they have to learn how to apply this creativity onto realistic and pragmatic set of ideas to turn it into a business, whereas for me it was the other way round – I know what certain stores and clients expect from a brand, I know what matters for a strong marketing message when building a recognisable brand. And because I had this set vision, I didn’t play too much with different styles. This is what I wanted it to be like and it naturally became a consistent whole. But by naturally I mean I had the concept in the back on my mind and I know how important it is to be consistent.
How would you describe your style?
I’d say sophisticated and straightforward. Elegant and intimate but still fierce. I think there is a certain laissez faire about my clothing but it’s also very non-nonsense. There is very little thrills, I don’t have a lot of little bowties or polka dots, none of that. There is high functionality in a lot of my pieces. Certain dresses you can wear in three different ways, according to your own body type. And because you can wear it in your way and you can also accessorize it in your own way, you can personalize it.
Also all of the pieces are loose fitting so they are comfortable. There is a certain amount of nonchalance that comes with it, an ease of wearing it. But it’s all also sophisticated.
That’s why you prefer silk?
Living in South East Asia, you want to dress stylishly but appropriate for work, and with all the traffic in Bangkok you don’t have the luxury to just walk 5 minutes home after work and change for dinner. You also have the heat and the air conditioning… it’s pretty difficult to figure out your style in those conditions! When I moved to Thailand I had to reinvent my entire closet! The great thing about silk is that it airs through a lot, it feels fresh and is very comfortable, so it is perfect for this combination of a pragmatic approach to what you’re wearing while still maintaining a certain level of sophistication.
How did you learn about fabrics?
What I like to do is go to Bangkok’s China Town and India Town and I see what’s out there and talk to people. I learned a lot there. I’d pull out different fabrics, ask questions “Where is this made, what is this made of?” and they might not always tell me the truth, but that’s how I trained my eye. Though what I like to do is actually close my eyes and run my hand through a bunch of fabrics and stop where it feels good.
Feels good?
I think that one of the most important things about clothing is that it feels good on your skin. In Thailand it’s sometimes very hard to find quality fabrics, a lot of it is polyester which makes one very hot and itchy, and in search of better quality fabrics people often go for higher-end brands. But those brands are often international, meaning that the clothes weren’t made for the local climate or body shape. My designs are made with Thailand in mind, they have a resort feel and they are made of silk, which is great in hot weather. Plus Thai consumers are getting very educated and demanding, they like to try new things as taste levels are evolving quickly.
And are you aware of what’s happening in the fashion scene in Thailand?
I think Thailand as a whole and especially Bangkok is very forward thinking, I like that the scene here is very experimental, there is a lot of people who are trying to do their own thing, it’s amazing to be a witness of it all.
Just a witness or a part of it?
Because of my international background I don’t fully claim to be a part of the Thai scene. I still feel very European, for example a lot of my clothing don’t require bras, whereas Thai style would tend to be a little bit more done up, a little bit prudish. But in terms of mental attitude I think we are very similar, everybody is trying to do something cool, people are very curious and open-minded. The expression of my Thai friends might be different from mine but in terms of mentality we are all trying to push things forward.
So what await there, forward? What’s next for you?
My first collection is available on my website, I’m also thinking of organising a pop-up event and eventually, I hope it will be available in stores. Also I already have the next collection in my head and I have to start on it soon. But I’m first waiting to hear the feedback from this one. And then I’ll stick to my values but hopefully also get to experiment a little bit more with my creativity, explore certain avenues and make something bigger.
To find out more, visit: http://www.domenicogardini.com
Stefania Kim Gardini’s designs are featured in NAA Magazine’s “Wonders of Phuket” video. See it now at naamagazine.com
