DeNada | Blog: Designer, Matija Cop

When people hear "fashion," many tend to think of a world of trends and high heels but fashion is a broad term with many sub-categories. One of those categories that is gaining momentum is Conceptual Fashion. Conceptual fashion is an abstract and artistic approach to fashion. It showcases fashion as an art form where the body becomes the canvas.

Matija Cop, a croatian designer, has introduced a collection of garments that fall into this conceptual design category. His collection, Object 12-1, is a stunning mixture of architecture, art, and fashion. Instead of using glue or stitching, each piece is constructed with interlocking pieces, which means pieces can be deconstructed and also reconstructed into varying forms.

I'm fascinated by how Matija Cop creates art utilizing and combining structural elements with distinct forms. Matija Cop designed the collection with the idea that one piece can be more than one way, creating an entire wardrobe. Each piece has an endless amount of possibilities for what it can transform into. His work inspires me to continue creating versatile pieces that are both visually interesting and that can be worn more than one way.

Matija Cop began as a student of Croatian Philology before starting fashion design at the University of Zagreb. His work is surrounded by the question of identity and is inspired by gothic architecture like the cathedral, St. Jacob's, in Šibenik, Croatia.

His work leads me to question how fashion will evolve in the coming years and how will it effect sewing techniques.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!