Marjan Pejoski

LONDON – Marjan Pejoski takes off his muffler to share a moment. To me, he seems to be an apparition of talent and fashion. This might only be the second time you have read his name in this country. The first time was when he created a stir by draping Bjork at this year’s Oscars in a swan dress. Nevertheless, this Macedonian-born designer did not bother much with all the talk and criticism. He explains how Sarah Bernhardt, wearing trousers by Paul Poiret, caused a scandal, but after two seasons, everybody was into corsets and jerseys. Soon afterwards, Chanel made jerseys. It provided a new direction.

PHILIPPINE STAR: When doing a show or a collection, the personality of the designer shines, are you like that?

Marjan Pejoski: For sure! I sometimes play around with my design. It’s not that I would wear it; it may be something I love, something I have fun with. Sometimes, one way or the other, it comes from my imagination. It’s something I would or maybe wouldn’t wear, but I want to see it on somebody else.

So that’s how I design. I’m saying, it’s natural. I like to feel it and it takes some time to get what you want. I want to always challenge myself. Like my previous collection, I wanted to be exact. I wanted to have all these different things that you combine somehow and easily return to the core. Just make that real balance, to work together somehow in harmony, to create a certain look.

I am a minimalist’s opposite. I just love to add and add things, and play with them. I do not want to answer questions. I do not like anybody asking me why it is like that or why I need to do that. I do not like these things. If somebody asks me about the concept of my show, I wonder what concept he or she is talking about. I cannot draw things for people to understand my collection. I just want people to enjoy the collection and try to get something from their own thoughts. So many times people do not understand and they ask you questions that are so obvious.

So where is Marjan heading now?

I am in a new mood, a new frame of mind, new direction, new collection, new fabric, new colors, and new things. I do not think about who will like and appreciate my design; at the end of the day, it should be fun.

How do you handle the pressure of work?

I enjoy the moment, I enjoy the day. Like this interview, it means something, we enjoy this meeting and conversation. It’s a moment. Enjoy the people you are with. This fashion business is very difficult. It’s very hard and people don’t realize how hard it is. It’s not at all glamour. It’s a very fragile place, very competitive.

It was different in the ’50s when you only had Balenciaga, Christian Dior and a few others. Now, there are so many designers, so what do you do? You have to be ahead. It’s hard to be a designer when people just criticize. To criticize is easy but going through all the work and hardships is not. For me, I appreciate every designer because I know how much s**t it takes to come up with a collection, not to mention the cost to put up one.

How do you define what’s new?

Everybody tries to do something new every season. I can imagine how many seasons and how many designers there are. Fabrics are fabrics, it will depend on how you treat them, mix them. It is interesting, it is challenging.

Can I ask you about the swan dress you made for Bjork?

My clothes are not commercial and it’s my way of expressing myself. People want to see something new but are not ready to take it on board. Same as what happened in Hollywood, it’s a new era. How many people want to see corsets and big skirts? We’ve seen it in the ’40s, ’50s, ’60s etc. When they saw Bjork, it was rebellious.

Everybody’s still talking about it.

It’s good. Sarah Bernhardt, a famous actress, was once wearing trousers made by Paul Poiret. It caused a scandal but after two seasons, everybody went into doing corsets and jerseys. Chanel made some jerseys. It did give a new direction.

Future designers and students are always a reference, people see and look for them, their expressions of freedom serve as inspiration. People don’t say that because we are human and we are scared of everything we don’t know.

You laugh today and seasons after, you do the same, so who am I to judge? My life is my life and I do what I do. We all have the freedom to do what we want to do. Who cares what I’m saying? What I’m thinking? At the end of the day, it’s just fashion. It’s not like I’m a brain surgeon and I’m deciding somebody’s life. It is about people having a bit of enjoyment and appreciation for themselves, a celebration of themselves. It’s freedom, it’s the 21st century, if we do not get it now, when else? Life is too short, we should have fun.

As you said your clothes are not commercial, so which market do you cater to?

It depends. My last collection was completely grownup. It can be from 16 to 86, whoever gets to like it, they can have it. You see it’s not about being crazy and I don’t market myself as a crazy designer – it’s a mood I feel at the moment. Sometimes, I want to have fun and some of the clothes are not for commercial purposes but for a show. My last show, collection-wise, was 99 percent wearable and very labor-intensive, very couture, but you can style it in different ways. I challenge myself in balancing my collection, that it’s not excessive or too much. I try to find the right combination. I believe there’s a kid in everyone of us. We have the freedom.

Do you always want to be independent?

I would also like to work with somebody, of course, while I’m doing my own collection as well, but I would not commit myself to everything.

Aside from designing, what are you thinking of doing now ? I remember you said earlier on that you went through several fashion-related jobs before you decided to create clothes.

I am very interested in exploring more. I kinda like working as a stylist, I’d like to work on a film and then make pictures. I don’t know, for me, visuals are very powerful, they’re a universal language. They provide a meeting point where we can understand each other. Through them, I can speak out my imagination. I’m very open to anything.

You said you wanted to explore. Is that what prompted you to go to London?

When you are like 18, 19 years old, you’re kinda like thinking, you can’t commit yourself completely to something.

It sounds too much for me to live my life or live forever in Macedonia. It’s too much, it is too scary for me. I want to explore, I wanna do something else. Now, I found fashion, it took me sometime though, and I love it. At one point, I was running around wanting to try so many different things at one time – I wanted to be a hairdresser, and then I wanted to do jewelry. It is something I like. I took up a course on shoemaking, I did jewelry making, jewelry design. I did all these things for me to kinda feel myself where I will go and where I want to be.

Then you went to Amsterdam?

When I went to Amsterdam, it opened a new dimension for me – new opening, new places, and new things in my head, imagination, and a celebration of freedom. It’s good for me.

It’s all work in London, I wish everything will just fall on my lap, but nobody will do things for you here but yourself. It’s nice though because I know I’m doing it myself. It’s hard sometimes. If you achieve something , you owe it to yourself because you worked hard for it.

You need to take risks in life. You need to do things; if you just sit down and wait for things to happen, nothing will happen. I’m happy that my life turned into something that I love to do. It took me sometime to find what I wanted to be.

When did you launch your first collection?

Four seasons ago, here in London.

Do you have plans of moving elsewhere?

I’m open to seeing how things would develop. I’m thinking of showing in Paris next season, hopefully. I’m thinking of leaving London.

Why?

The things I do, I think, would be more appreciated in Paris. I don’t know. It’s the fashion capital. It should be good to show a collection there.

Are you romantic?

It depends on what you mean by the word romantic. I’m very emotional and again, I work with my instinct and I care about my relationship with people. If that’s romantic, then I am. I think I am in many ways. You can see it through my work. It’s nice, it’s beautiful but you need to nourish it every day.

I heard you are leaving tomorrow for Amsterdam, is it for work?

Work of course ... I’m planning to go to Manila, too.

Really? How exciting! For business or pleasure?

Both. At the same time, I want to explore the place and do some things and produce some things.

Is there someone you would like to dress up?

I have no ideal figure or icon in mind. What you create in your mind, whoever that personality is, is just a persona that you see on screen and on print but that’s not the real person. I need to know the person, otherwise it’s just a dream.

Definitely, Marjan Pejoski is not dreaming. He is out there to continue his mission to meet the world, as the world keeps an eye on him. Pejoski, as well as Andre Walker, Bernard Willhem, Preen, Olivier Theyskens, and Miguel Adrover Rover, are creating a gigantic transformation because of their personal statements and passion for their work. The silent revolution is on.

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Our special thanks to Michelle Dulce for arranging this interview in London.