Julian Zigerli is 29 years old and hails from Switzerland. She studied fashion design and applied arts at the Berlin School of Arts and currently works and lives in Zurich where she has already presented seven menswear collections, all of which have garnered highly favorable reviews.
When did you decide to get involved with fashion design?
I took arts classes after school, so I always knew I wanted to work on something creative, I just didn’t know what at the time. Fashion had always intrigued me, I’d just never zeroed in on its true meaning. After my first internship with a small company in Zurich, I realized what my true calling was, what I was really passionate about, where I could express my true self.
What inspires you?
The world. I don’t really have a definite source of inspiration, I can’t really control where it comes from. Whatever is around me affects me.
Do you follow the work of other designers? Is there someone that stands out for you?
I don’t really follow trends or other designers, though I obviously keep an eye on their work. It would be stupid do say that you’re never influenced. The mind takes in every piece of information. You take it all in like a sponge and create new data.
What makes you different from other designers do you think?
I have a very special dialect I feel, that I communicate through my use of colors, shapes, prints and functionality. The aforementioned all play a part in the brand and how they combine makes it standout. I try and create unique prints that stand out and change from season to season. I think that gives my collection a very interesting look. The image of my brand as well as its designs is quite simple and happy, something that you don’t come across very often in the fashion world.
This season, the male standard as projected by many designers was quite feminine. Do you feel that is something we come across in your collection?
I don’t think I create feminine pieces. There are no feminine elements in my collections. The styles and lines of my pieces are quite masculine and sporty. There is nothing feminine or androgynous to be found. The only things that one could find somewhat feminine in my collections would be my choice of bright colors and printed fabrics. That of course also has to do with the male stereotype. It’s not as if a man is no longer a man if he wears pink or purple, or bright and vibrant colors in general. Some of our pieces are unisex, though we never focused on that. I make men’s clothes and that’s it. I like it when limits are stretched or broken and I see women wearing Julian Zigerli pieces. When people don’t think in stereotypes the result is a lot more interesting.
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