Subtle Lithuanian elegance

02 November 2006

Josef Statkus – with the tongue-twisting real name of Juozas Statkevičius - may be little known amongst the general public but he is nonetheless the most prominent Lithuanian designer around. His designs are worn by Björk and Naomi Watts to name but two celebrities and have been featured on the front pages of countless international fashion magazines. He has been represented by Greg Mills Ltd in New York for three consecutive years and is said to be the design darling of influential Anna Wintour of American Vogue. He boasts two LVHM awards (Möet Hennesy & Louis Vuitton) amongst a long list of other awards and he is one of the few artists to have his work exhibited pre-mortem at the Vilnius National Gallery.

Last month he visited Kopenhagen Studio to study new techniques and get fur inspiration for future collections.

- When it comes to fur and fur techniques, this house is simply the best in the world, says Josef Statkus.

Born and brought up in Lithuania, Josef Statkus studied fashion design at the Vilnius Academy of Arts from 1988 to 1993 before moving to the Netherlands, Sweden and later France to further his career and open his eyes to new aspects of fashion. And the Western European experience was an eye-opener indeed.

- Growing up behind the iron curtain in Lithuania, you were never exposed to fashion. In the Soviet Union there was no such thing as fashion. It didn’t exist. Not even as a concept.

Things have changed since then but Josef Statkus still thinks he stands apart from the general Lithuanian notions of smart and fashionable, not least so when it comes to fur.

- In Lithuania fur is still very much a status symbol and women tend to wear it to show off. It is a sign of wealth and it is worn in a rather vulgar fashion. I like to play down the element of boastfulness and express elegance and delicate, subtle luxury. Not luxury-in-your-face but luxury through elegance and small, intricate details and ornaments, says Josef Statkus.

And the elegance, the subtle ornaments and intricate details are not to be denied in his apparel, neither in his Haute Couture nor Pret a Porter collections. Designing costumes for theatre, ballet and opera, Josef Statkus walks a fine line between the spectacular and the subtly elegant.

For a peak at this elegance, check out his collections at www.josefstatkus.com