Gloria Urech, founder and creative @Gukuuki, interviewed Cristina Bartl at her Studio. This is the work of this talented Spanish designer.
Cristina is a fashion and print designer based in Majorca, Spain. She has worked for companies such as Loewe, Pepe Jeans London and Zara among others. In 2014 she launched her personal collection for home textiles and stationery under her brand, The BartlStudio.
Cristina is a fashion and print designer based in Majorca, Spain. She has worked for companies such as Loewe, Pepe Jeans London and Zara among others. In 2014 she launched her personal collection for home textiles and stationery under her brand, The BartlStudio.
Gukuuki: What made
you become a designer?
Cristina: In my family, Art has always held an important position. My grandfather
used to paint murals and my grandmother used to make beautiful garments for all
the family. My aunt is an interior designer and my dad does creative writing…
So I guess I did inherit the artistic gene somehow.
Gukuuki: Why fashion?
Cristina: I don’t really have
a good explanation for that… I just followed my heart. Since I was little I
have always known that I wanted to become a fashion designer. I would sketch
little girls wearing all kind of clothes. A while ago I found one of these
sketches and my mom had written down the date. I was four years old when I drew
it!
Gukuuki: You are a fashion designer, however an important part of your career is about print design. What do you like so much about it?
Cristina: The versatility and possibilities in creating your own
prints becomes the key to make your garment collections really unique. In
Fashion, most of the times, you have to adjust your creations to the fabrics
available for that season. So, when you design your own prints, you give that
extra special to your collections to become really exclusive.
Gukuuki:
How would you describe your work?
Cristina: I
would say that I have an eclectic style. I like many different shapes and color
palettes, but I would say that I am usually not afraid of colors, my personal
work is a little Dadaist and I am very fond of the handmade style. Because of
that I usually sketch and draw using watercolors and pencils and then scan it.
That gives a certain uniqueness to your work that’s impossible to achieve
otherwise.
Gukuuki: What inspires you?
Gukuuki: Could you mention three people that really inspire you and tell us why?
Cristina: I
love Modern Style, so I have quite a fond for Gaudí. His crazy, infinite
imagination, use of colors and passion for details drive me kooky.
I am also a
huge fan of Alfons Mucha. Probably because of his style and because I love
illustrations and paintings of women.
I have quite an attraction with the pre-raphaelite style too. Those color combinations mixed with the realistic portraits fascinates me. I would say artist John Everett Millais is one of my favorites, if not my favorite, and his masterpiece Ofelia is just breathtaking.
Gukuuki: I
have found that your work has been published in TEXITURA pattern books. Could you tell me more about this experience?
Cristina: Of course! Publishing in Texitura has always been a
great experience. It is quite a challenge too because you have to design for
trends a year and a half ahead of you. They send you a selection of trends in
which they are interested in and you work with that, not knowing if your work
is going to be published until they receive it and go trough it, and they have
quite a few technical requirements too.
Gukuuki: What would you
recommend to a recent graduate that wants to make it into the fashion business?
Cristina: I would advice to be patience, work hard and to create
their signature style, to compile a strong portfolio. At the beginning, it can
be very hard to get inside the industry, especially when you don’t have any
experience at all, although once you make it, you have to show your best.
Fashion is a very dynamic industry, hard still though with amazing
opportunities that will come by. Make sure you are ready to grab them!