Denisa Dovalová - Philosophical Ideas Reflected in Fashion
36 ǀ POSITIV WOMAN
ŽENY
Denisa, you founded your brand DENISA DOVALA
in 2016, and since then, you reached many
milestones. Which milestone was the largest
challenge for you personally and why?
I think that my biggest success was my perseverance.
I was told often enough that I should quit and find
a normal job, and I am glad I did not listen. Something
else I consider to be a personal success is that I did
not shift towards commercial designs and have
the space and finances to truly express myself through
a collection that reflects my inner self.
Your brand prides itself in hand-made products
made of natural/interesting materials. What inspired
you to take this approach towards production?
While creating collections, which I consider to
be intricate pieces of art, I approach each piece
as a sculpture which has to be shaped, and this is
something that requires a lot of sewing to be done by
hand. In terms of materials I gravitate to either ones
that are unique and can be shaped or transformed,
or, for the ready-to-wear collection, ones that are
comfortable, functional and practical.
What inspires you in your creation of new
collections?
I am often inspired by philosophical ideas. I am
fascinated by philosophy, it leads me to ponder about
human existence, the reincarnation of souls or, for
example, the history of the universe.
You had the opportunity to work at a studio with
the world famous Iris van Herpen. How did this
experience influence you?
It was unbelievable, I had to step far out of my comfort
zone. Everything was new to me. At the same time, it
was tough as I usually had only one day off every week
and so I worked from Monday to Saturday from nine to
seven. That was something. I sewed dresses for people
like Beyoncé, Björk and others. I realised eventually,
that it would bother me if all that effort I put in never
led to anything in terms of my own creative work, and
so my path became clear. That is when I decided to
build my own creative brand.
You became an ambassador for the “The ŽENY”
(The WOMEN) project. What parts of the project’s
philosophy do you relate with the most?
I am a very traditional woman, yet at the same time,
deep inside I am also a feminist. This is why I believe
“
This is why I believe that projects like
this one, that focus on women, their
strengths, successes and complicated
life stories, are something that should
become more common in our society.
”
“
I think that my biggest success
was my perseverance.
”
She comes from a loving family that fell into nancial
hardship and faced foreclosure due to business
struggles. As a young, promising and creave
individual, she had to help support her family while
juggling mulple jobs and school at the same me.
The dicult situaon took a toll on her mother's
health, who later passed away. Although she had to
put her dreams on hold for a while, she eventually
managed to achieve great success.
Philosophical Ideas
Reected in Fashion
She went through a tough course at the Parisian Haute
Couture school and she made the best of what she
learned - she started o with very lile and built her own
successful brand.