Mona Cordes is the multi-hyphenate, kaleidoscopic designer you need to know about
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…
London-based, German designer Mona Cordes is using her kaleidoscopic vision and travel explorations to inspire her new Vival Virtuez collection as part of London Fashion Week.
Courtesy of @mona_cordes_
NAME MONA CORDES
AGE 25
LOCATION London, England
STAR SIGN Leo
May Garland: Hey Mona! What are you up to at the moment?
Mona Cordes: What am I up to? I finished creating my new collection Vival Virtuez a couple of months ago and have been creating imagery since then. I have taken on the roles of being a model and location scout as well as being a creative director, basically arranging big team editorial shoots including my collection. I’ve been itching to get my new work out and share them with you all.
MG: Your designs embrace a lot of textures and colours, what inspires your multi-kaleidoscopic vision?
MC: It comes from within me, I love to show myself as eccentric and colourful when I feel like I want to and I have rooted that ‘more is more’ style in my brand’s aesthetic. I am inspired by my surroundings be it from going to bars, flea markets and looking at what people wear, or travelling, social media, magazines and visiting galleries.
MG: What was Circus Infinity all about??
MC: Circus Infinity was my Bachelor’s final collection. It was my first one and resulted in a whole screen-printed collection around the theme of Brexit and showing rebellion against it. Sadly it didn’t do enough, haha…the UK still left the EU. Apart from the Anti-Brexit statement, Circus Infinity symbolises individuality and sets a bold statement using colour and pattern combined with political activism.
MG: Do you have a favourite piece from that collection?
MC: I really like my patchwork skirt with a few of the padded pieces and the ‘clown passport’ embroidery. It’s a very ‘me’ piece, as well as the three layer print ‘clown passport’ trousers.
MG: How do you want people to feel in your clothes?
MC: I want people to feel themselves: free, comfortable and welcome. I want them to express themselves and feel part of an open community for any race, gender, or body type.
MG: I love your travel photography, it’s got me itching to hop on the next plane outta here. Where would you like to shoot next?
MC: Thank you thank you!!! I would totally like to visit South America and make a visual travel diary from it. My plan was to go stay there for a couple of months after my Masters but Covid happened… Peru is a country that I’m itching to explore. Their textiles are so rich, handmade and extremely beautiful.
MG: Let’s talk about fashion, what’s your biggest fashion faux pas?
MC: I’m not sure, nothing mad embarrassing happened to me I don’t think yet, luckily!
MG: If you could abolish one fashion trend, which would it be?
MC: I would abolish anything fast fashion haha…many people would have to re-think fashion and come to designers like myself for their wardrobe enquiries, or shop vintage and in charity shops. These places have cheap clothes for all and it’s much better for our planet. Since studying fashion textiles, I started being more conscious about the fabrication and sustainability of materials as well as the processes of creating textiles. I wouldn’t buy any fabric I found online - I would source the fabrics carefully and try to find out where they have been produced. It is difficult to know exactly but there are a few shops such as CLOTH HOUSE who have a big selection of sustainable fabrics but these are priced higher. During my Masters, I used sustainable dying methods using indigo, madder, flowers, avocado and weld. For my new collection I sustainably sourced my fabrics through a company called MUZE in Latvia. They use pure cotton and mostly ecologically reworked material coming from thrown away products.
MG: Your shoots are often in a rural setting, how do you select the perfect backdrop for your designs?
MC: This is a nice question! I am naturally drawn to location scouting. I have my eyes open and am always looking for new things to get inspired by. The rural type settings I use…I love creating contrast between my eccentric, colourful and pattern rich garments and brutalist backdrops. It makes my creations pop!
MG: How did you find your time at Kingston? What was it like finishing your studies in lockdown?
MC: I did not enjoy doing my Masters very much, if I’m totally honest! Firstly I didn’t appreciate lockdown and not having a show, it kinda feels like I never went to uni as I only spent a few months going in and I created my collection at home. I did invest in industrial sewing machines which has been ace, especially since I got a year’s studio sponsorship.
MG: Which three people would you most like to dress next?
MC: I’d love to dress JAZZELLE, 070 SHAKE and VIVIENNE WESTWOOD, please.
MG: If you could only wear one fashion item for the rest of your life, which would it be?
MC: My own, of course! Maybe one of my patchwork dresses. It presents myself best and I feel good in my own creations, plus it helps promote my own works.
MG: You walk into a bar, what’s the first drink you order?
MC: I’d get a pint of neck oil - a pale ale beer! In summer, if I feel fancy, maybe an Aperol Spritz.
MG: If you could wish for anything in the world to happen right now (no strings attached), what would you wish for?
MC: I would quite like to win an unlimited travel voucher!
MG: Who are your three favourite designers at the moment?
MC: COLLINA STRADA, CHAPOVA LOWENA, Vivienne Westwood.
MG: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
MC: Not too sure, but a good advice I can give is - stick with what makes you happy and who you are, it will show and eventually you’ll do well with your thing, do not give up even if the way is not as smooth as you wish.
MG: Any last words?
MC: Thank you for your interest in what I do! Let’s keep on rocking and supporting one another!
