Working on the cutting edge of contemporary fashion, not to mention unafraid of dealing with some difficult questions that sit at the very heart of his practice (fashion is, after all not just about the clothes), young fashion designerMatija Čop is definitely going to prove to be a name to remember in the coming years. Born and raised inCroatia, before turning to the world of fashion, he was a national champion in athletics and a student of Croatian language and literature. Currently a graduate student of fashion design of the Faculty of Textile Technology in Zagreb, Čop combines a conceptual approach with a more intuitive hands-on working method, depending on the nature of each project and what he wants to achieve each time. Less focused on how groundbreaking or provocative his garments could be, instead, he turns his attention to the role fashion (including fashion makers) plays in its wider socio-cultural context.
Today, after spending a few months in Sweden researching an approach to fashion design that seeks to create ''fashion without clothing,'' Čop is presently involved in a new project leading him in new directions. Though reluctant to reveal any more detail about his current undertakings, the 27-year-old designer was very generous in answering the following questions for us, thereby offering us a broader look into his work and design philosophy.
