Photo Credit: Narita Savoor
Inga Kovalerova is a fashion designer based just west of London in Winsor. Inga grew up in Russia where she was surrounded by a creative family. Her great-granddad was a dressmaker and she remembers how her grandmother used to stitch, crochet and knit all the time. In Russia the older generation looks after the youngest before they start school. Inga never went to pre-school. Instead, her grandmother raised her and passed on all the skills.
“I think this is when I’ve realised I would like to create something myself.”
At the age of 19 Inga came on a two-week holiday to the UK which changed her life completely. “I only came to visit and never thought I will stay for the rest of the life.”
Inga graduated from the University of West London and later completed her master’s degree at the Glasgow School of Art.
“I’ve started university when I was 30. I am actually 40 at the moment”, she says with laughter and adds that she is not a young graduate like many of the designers.
During her studies Inga was working as the cabin crew at the British Airways.
“I remember flying back to Heathrow Airport early in the morning and having a lecture straight afterwards. I used to come to the university in my uniform, rolling my bag through the lecture halls. Everyone used to laugh at this.”
After asking if Inga was ever overwhelmed with everything at that time, she simply replied: “I was so dedicated.”
Flying wasn’t a very creative job for Inga but it allowed her to have a stable income. Inga believes that fashion course helped her to express her creative side.
“I think it’s great to have a job that you love and to see the world. I got lots of inspirations from my travels but at the same time if your passion is another thing you need to move on. I had to step away from that flying environment.”
While talking about the importance of higher education, Inga believes that every designer needs to have certain skills and understand the basic process. It is more behind the design than just a simple sketch. “It is difficult to start your fashion line without knowing ins and outs.”
Inga is a couture womenswear designer. She used to specialise in knitwear but changed it to embroidery during the master’s degree. “It was just a fresh approach. I think as a fashion designer you need to find and reinvent yourself constantly. Keep your interest open and always try something new.”
Inga’s latest collection is inspired by the Faberge Eggs . “I wanted to go back to my Russian roots, back to my heritage.”
The Faberge eggs are the Imperial jewelled Easter Eggs. “There is so much detail into them and I think I translate this in my embroidery. My designs involve a lot of intricate handwork.”
Inga’s collection is also based around the tragic death of the Russian Imperial Romanov Family. The family was horrifically shot by Communists Revolutionaries more than 100 years ago. “The colours in my collection reflect on this, I’ve chosen a dark, dramatic colour pallet.”
“Every designer is different but I think it is quite important to have not just a dress but a story behind it, which can be very personal”, adds Inga.
The collection fully reflects on the Russian culture but it is not the only inspiration for Inga. The designer also likes to listen to classical music or visiting art museums such as V&A in London.
Inga is creating slow fashion garments. “We have this never ending desire for new designs. We are so spoiled for the price and choice!”
Inga wants her designs to be almost like a collectible item. “If you don’t want to keep it you can resale it and then someone else will treasure it as much as you did.”
For the designer fashion is more an art rather than just a piece of clothing. Inga agrees that slow fashion is only a way forward.
It takes Inga a month to create a new garment. “It involves all my experience and education. It is not like I’ve started making this yesterday. I invest so much time, learning about textiles and I think people should appreciate clothes that can last forever.”
Even though the dresses involve a lot of tulle which is not a sustainable material, Inga commented on how she has zero waste production. “When you look at my cloud dress it has lots of texture. It’s made from lots of pom poms so I used every single bit of the material. I also used indigo to dye some of the materials which is a natural organic way.”
As well as zero waste production, Inga doesn’t use heavy machinery. The designer creates all the embroidery by hand, using the mannequin every time.
The COVID-19 affected Inga as a designer. A lot of shows were cancelled and it was difficult to make sales. However, Inga still found a way to develop her brand.
“I am very active on Instagram at the moment. Not Just A Label had a competition where 500 designers were selected to sell on their platform. Luckily I was one of them.”
It was a very busy time for Inga as she had to photoshoot her work for Not Just A Label campaign, work on the new garments as well as collaborating with other photographers.
“I haven’t collaborated with any designers but I would be open for it. I am quite interested to work with the print designer. There is no particular names, just someone who is very passionate about what they are doing.”
At the moment Inga is working on her new collection. “I am stepping out of my comfort zone, stepping out from dark colour pallet. I am going to be slightly brighter this time.”
As well as the new collection, Inga wants to create ready to wear designs, expand into Europe and participate in more fashion shows.
“I am going to keep working and doing what I am doing. Top goal would be to show my collection somewhere like London Fashion Week. I am going to work towards it. Step by step. I think if you ever want to start a career as a fashion designer, just go for it. Life is too short!”
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