#009 Patricia Nahorniac

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Hi Patricia! I’m so excited to chat with you about your art, Deadstockbloom and digital tailoring. Could you please introduce yourself to our audience? 

Hello, I’m Patricia Nahorniac or Deadstockbloom and I’m a Digital Fashion Designer and CLO Creator based in Berlin, Germany. My work is generally inspired by workwear, uniforms and utility garments that have a playful and unexpected twist.

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Deadstockbloom is the digital sewing studio that you founded. What was the driving force and philosophy behind starting Deadstockbloom?

Before starting Deadstockbloom I was going through a pretty difficult period in which I felt constantly burnt out. I tried starting my own sustainable clothing business, but this ended up being very challenging for me in many ways. Through this experience I learned a lot about clothes making, patterns and materials since I was creating every garment myself from old and discarded clothes.

I started working in CLO because I wanted to try something new and it’s quite intuitive to learn if you’re already familiar with sewing. 

Deadstockbloom was a fresh start for me. I took this as an opportunity to explore my interest in functional clothing, but it soon evolved into something much more playful. Through deadstockbloom I can explore creating conceptual outfits that don’t have the limitations of physical sewing.

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What made you get into design? Where did you start your creative career, and how has it evolved into the digital sewing projects you create now?

My design journey started when I began studying at Design Academy Eindhoven (NL). One of the textile courses that I had there was really inspiring for me, as it focused not only on textile techniques but also on research and sustainability. 

I studied more about textile and clothing history and this is also where my interest in sustainability, workwear and uniforms comes from. My practice has been shaped by many experiences I’ve had throughout the years. I created new clothes from discarded garments, digitized physical garments for ads and created my own digital fashion practice.  

Today, I use what I’ve learned and the references I’ve gathered to create new concepts for my digital designs. 

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What was your relationship with the fashion industry before you started to work digitally? And how do your old practices inform your current design process?

I’ve always had a close connection to the fashion industry through my mother, who has her own clothing company. Through my studies, I understood the responsibility that comes with making clothes and by trying to create clothes myself, I became much more aware of the craftsmanship that goes into this process, the time and effort that we often take for granted. 

Digital fashion softwares, like CLO, are really powerful as they can save a lot of time and material, especially in the prototyping phases of clothes making. I would like to also explore ways of teaching digital fashion, through tutorials or courses, to help create a more sustainable fashion industry.

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Your designs are often inspired by clothing that was designed to serve a specific function. You really take those references to the next level, until they seem to completely transcend function. Or am I wrong? From your perspective, how does the function of workwear inspire or relate to your art?

Workwear is timeless and clothes that have a specific function are often made from durable materials and last for many years. When I first started sewing, I was researching workwear as a way to learn how to make well constructed garments that didn’t follow fashion trends. As I began designing digital fashion outfits, I used workwear as my starting point. Because this medium allows you to visualize designs very fast, I started adding more and more elements until the outfit became something completely different from my initial starting point. 

Today I use workwear as a way of guiding the creative direction of my work. A part of my process is working with series of outfits that have a common theme (e.g. ‘Sea Creatures’ features outfits inspired by lifeguard uniforms, freedivers & mermaids).

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What exactly about workwear inspires you? And besides workwear, what else in life inspires you?

For me workwear is anti-fashion, it’s clothing that lasts over time and that exists for a specific purpose. This is also what I would like to achieve through Deadstockbloom, to create timeless pieces that last over time in the digital realm. 

I’m also very drawn to color and material exploration. I love embroidery and really hope I can learn how to knit by the end of this year. I spend most of my free time reading and watching movies, it’s the best way for me to recharge. 

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The designs you create are whimsical, cute, eclectic and eccentric. Do you know where you’re going with a design before you start it? How do you plan or prepare a new project?

My favorite part of the process is researching and gathering references. I could do this for hours. As I usually work in series, the general outline of the outfits is planned before going into CLO. The process is a bit different every time. Sometimes the outfits look just like I’ve sketched them in the beginning and other times I do something completely intuitive in the moment. If it’s a self-initiated project then I allow myself more time and freedom. 

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Which of your projects have been a personal favorite of yours?

I created a series of Vests that each have a different concept, inspired by utility wear. It was the first time I added different objects to the garments, such as a watering hose or a picnic basket. The series was showcased by Brawhaus at the Subjective Art Festival in New York, and it was really exciting to see the pieces displayed in this setting. 

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Would you want to see any of your designs to be made physically? Or do you think of your projects as purely digital?

I’m open to the idea, but for now I think they should only exist in the digital space. There’s still a lot I want to try out digitally before getting behind the sewing machine. 

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Lastly, we like to ask everyone if they have any good recommendations to give! Your favorite movies, sights to see, books to read. Recommend anything you’d like 🙂

Some of my favorite books are ‘Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, ‘Ms Ice Sandwich’ by Mieko Kawakami, ’The Bell Jar’ by Sylvia Plath and ‘The Year of Magical Thinking’ by Joan Didion. 

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