"The intention is trendy pieces that are sustainable," says Mikuláš, owner of the queer fashion brand. He's also inspired by the Greek god Eros
You're only 22 years old and you're already starting your own queer brand. That's a huge accomplishment. How did that happen?
I spent a lot of time at home during the coronacrisis and I got tired of always thinking about whether I was going to wear sweatpants or sweatpants shorts. (laughs) So I started creating. I got a sewing machine, I started sewing, I started dealing with suppliers...
What led you to start your own brand?
I couldn't find anything in the Czech Republic that I thought was acceptable in terms of fit, materials and sustainability. So my friend and I started working on a brand for which we created a mini collection of T-shirts. Over time, I realized I wanted to create on my own, so this summer I did a rebrand. Since I'm part of the LGBT community myself, I decided to make it more targeted to that audience.
Can you be more specific about what you mean by not finding anything acceptable in the market? What were you missing?
When you look at the offerings of the big e-stores, the stuff is fine in terms of fit, but you run into the issue of sustainability. The stuff is trendy, yes, but the material is often not so fine. I wanted people to have a "trendy thing", but not to have to throw it away after one season if they still like it. I believe that if a person uses, for example, organic cotton instead of some cotton/elastane blend, they can put together an outfit not only well, but sustainably and not have to spend a lot of money on things they don't really need.
Are you very interested in sustainability and ecology?
Of course we try to sort at home and stuff like that. I don't eat meat. My boyfriend was vegan, although he is gradually switching to a "just" vegetarian diet as well. I sometimes sew things myself. I also try to support local suppliers and makers. For example, I like the work of Honza Černý, who makes great trendy stuff.
I try to think about sustainability, but I'm not so radical that I would never wear something made of polyester. I do have things from fast fashion chains in my wardrobe, but I try to eliminate that. For example, I try not to buy such things in the first wave, but only maybe in discounts, so that I don't support such retailers too much.
Your brand's motto on the website is "There is no art without eros". Why?
It was created on holiday in Greece. Eros is the Greek god of love. I don't have it confirmed, but supposedly he was the first gay man on the planet to identify himself as one who loves men. Being in Greece was an eye-opener - my inner coming out took place there.
You're adding studying to this creative business of your own... How do you manage?
During the coronacrisis, I had quite a bit more time. I was always at home. Logically, I didn't go to any bars or attractions like that. Now I'm working on my bachelor's thesis, which also gives me plenty of room to flourish. Of course, it's impossible for me to spend ten hours a day on the mark. I can't have a collection ready in a few months. To create a couple of products that I can present, I need maybe six months. But I enjoy it and I can do it.
Does your partner help you in your creative process?
Absolutely. My partner is a tattoo artist, so he does a lot of detail checking. I'm the kind of person who sees the whole picture. I have a big vision, I have a need to get into everything quickly, I don't really care how much the plan costs, as long as it's worth it. But then there's Philip, who tells me, " Hey, but if you wait two months for this and order it from somewhere else, maybe it'll be easier or cheaper." He's the person who can pull me back down to earth and show me the reality.
Can we touch on the subject of coming out?
Absolutely. Philip is my first friend. Before that, I was in a relationship with a girl. Still, I think my parents saw it coming. I'm interested in things that "normal" guys aren't that interested in. Plus, I'm a dance conservatory graduate, which is a place where the LGBT community is very much on the rise. In hindsight, I realize a lot of things that maybe I didn't want to admit for a while. However, I don't completely identify as gay. I guess I would say queer. And my parents were totally cool with it. They were a little worried about who I was going to bring in, but in the end they're happy. My boyfriend and my mom are slowly getting along better than I am.
Your boyfriend came to the coming out with you?
It's complicated because my boyfriend is not from Prague and we were originally 400 km apart before he moved. We were both coming out to our parents while we had Club House open on our phones next to each other. And it was completely natural on both sides.
So how long have you been together now? And everything's going well?
We celebrated a year in February. We're similar in that Filip was with a girl before, so we understand each other, for example, with soap operas - that we don't just look at guys, but we can both admit that maybe an actress is pretty. I think it works for us. I try to have self-reflection, so I know that I'm the more jealous one in our relationship. But I'm trying to break the toxic habit. (laughs)
