Class of 2021: Saule Gradeckaite on Lithuanian cop shows, creative subjectivity and her graduate collection
This is A HOT MINUTE WITH, a quick-fire interview series championing all the rising talent catapulting into fashion, art and music’s fickle stratosphere. From pinch-me moments to bad dates and even worse chat-up lines, think of it as an overindulgent conversation – like the ones you have in sticky club toilets at 4.A.M. Except these guests don’t regret the overshare…
To LCF grad, Saule Gradeckaite, fashion is her way of expressing creative subjectivity towards an objective environment. Inspired by a Lithuanian cop show, her graduate collection challenged the critical gaze towards East European Hooligans (aka ‘gopniks’).
Filter by EMILY JANE SCOTT x CHECK-OUT
NAME SAULE GRADECKAITE
AGE 22
LOCATION London, England and Vilnius, Lithuania
COURSE BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Menswear
UNIVERSITY London College of Fashion
STAR SIGN Leo
DESCRIBE YOUR DEGREE IN THREE WORDS Fast-paced, Demanding, Thorough.
Jeffrey Thomson: Hey Saule, tell us about your final collection. What was the inspiration behind it?
Saule Gradeckaite: It is a menswear collection that challenges the gaze towards the Eastern European hooligans: ‘gopniks’. The concept focuses on the restrictive image of ‘gopniks’, and is formed from their physical style expectations and mental statement, expressed through the pulling and twisting construction of the garments. The inspiration for the collection came from a Lithuanian TV series of daily police work. It is a real-life TV show that offers loads of visual material towards this ‘gopnik’ style.
JT: How did you find studying at the London College of Fashion? What was the experience like - was it what you expected or completely different?
SG: Overall, studying at LCF was at the level where you had to keep pushing your standards higher and higher with every project. I never felt like the expectations were low enough to become one of those chilled and relaxed looking art students. I appreciated the teachers’ courage to challenge every student and help them reach their personal highest results. Speaking about expectations, I was actually surprised at how much technical part of garment production was important here. Meanwhile, talking with friends from other fashion related courses around world, it seems like we are getting the most of what we can learn from a technical point to become real professionals in the fashion industry.
JT: Did you always know you wanted to study here? What was your journey to LCF like?
SG: Speaking honestly, the choice was accidental and spontaneous. Before moving to the UK and starting my fashion degree, my first choice was actually Bunka Fashion University in Tokyo; however, the competition for scholarships was too high to get through at that time. That is why I took off to London to do a year of Fashion Foundation at University of Creative Arts (UCA) before applying to several courses across University of the Arts London (UAL). After all interviews, I was accepted to my desired courses. That is why it was important to stop for a moment and ask myself where would I like to go further? I felt that my rough sketching style and extremely expressive collaging fitted mostly to the Menswear courses at the time. Also, I felt more comfortable working with men’s clothing too. Personally, I felt like I was lacking the professional, technical side since I was a self-taught clothes maker, that is why I chose an LCF degree as they were offering quite comprehensive teaching towards technical parts of a fashion degree.
JT: When looking back on your first project and now to your final collection, what springs to mind?
SG: I remember one of the first projects we made in Menswear was called the ‘White Shirt Project’ and I tried for the first time to use pattern cards and follow all the constructing rules. Throughout my journey at LCF, I realised that I am more of a creative pattern cutter. I am not able stick to regular shapes, which do not seem challenging enough, and yet, lack creative approach for me. I genuinely cannot stand placing objects into expected shapes, I would rather seek that surrealistic 2D layout of the patterns where you are not sure what you are looking at yet but everything makes sense in the end.
JT: What’s the biggest misconception about studying fashion?
SG: In my opinion the biggest misconception is when people are expecting just to draw a garment and bring it straight to life without considering other processes such as sampling, fabric research and detailing.
JT: If you could go back, would you have done anything different?
SG: If I could go back to the start of the whole course, I would have worked more on 3D. Before, I felt quite timid working and testing things on a mannequin; however, during the lockdown, my creative silhouette process shifted which made me to realise that starting from 3D rather than on paper is more effective for me when creating a product.
JT: What advice would you give to those thinking about studying fashion? Is a formal fashion education for everyone?
SG: Two most important things. Firstly, apply bravely to the courses without questioning whether you are good enough or not. Always keep trying because trying is always the way to success and there is no shame in trying a thousands times. Secondly, if you are considering studying fashion, slow down with being influenced by big fashion brands only, instead try to keep your creativity raw and unaffected by fast paced trends. Follow your heart, listed to the inner voice and be fair with your own self, because the next new ‘cool’ thing could be your own invention.
JT: What’s your biggest fashion faux pas?
SG: When people are asked who their favourite brands are and they only name big brands rather than talking about some from the wider spectrum.
JT: The best thing about studying in London?
SG: It is a broad multi-cultural environment. The best place to discover the world in a small grasp.
JT: And the worst?
SG: The fast-paced life of Londoners. They always seem to be running somewhere which still scares me after four years.
JT: When you’re rushing towards a deadline, what keeps you going?
SG: Good ‘80s rock and metal tracks are on my list, quality coffee and finding time for breaks to go for a walk. It is also important to set yourself a strict schedule of work to keep yourself on track.
JT: How are you celebrating post-graduation life?
SG: Proudly quitting my job in a restaurant as floor and bar supervisor and leaving for a month vacation to do nothing back in my country. I have been dreaming about this from last September to wake up and know that nothing is waiting.
JT: And what are you doing after that?
SG: In two words – keep moving. I’ve started to plan a new collection, already doing some research into post-Soviet suburbs around my home city, Vilnius, and the outcomes are going to be showcased to the public this November, so stay tuned! Loads of sick material is coming!
JT: And lastly, what does fashion mean to you?
SG: Fashion for me is the way I express my subjective approach to an objective environment existence. That is what completes me and my existence in the society.
See more from Check-Out’s Class of 2021 here.