Designers: Ani Tsintskiladze and Anka Odishelidze
What is the history behind Blikvanger? How did your collaboration start?
We took part in a designer’s competition in the same year with independent collections. Luckily we were awarded first prize and as a result of that had our study in Milan financed. That’s where we got to know each other better. We had similar vision and so decided to try and collaborate upon returning to Georgia. The collaboration was so interesting and dynamic that we ended up creating the brand and opening a store. Blikvanger has now been on the market for two years.
How did you come up with the name Blikvanger for the brand?
We had lots of different ideas, but decided on Blikvanger as the most relevant one. It’s a Dutch word that means eye-catching or noticeable. We also wanted the name to be easy to pronounce internationally and to correspond well to the concept of the brand.
How has your line developed over these past two years?
Two months after its foundation, we were invited to Madrid Fashion Week. We had our first debut there. It was a large-scale Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Madrid. Buyers were interested in our clothes from the very start. We were one of the first brands to put a focus on joyful, youthful, colourful, and bold collections, especially outerwear, which is proving to be the most popular with our customers.
How does Blikvanger differ from other Georgian brands?
Our clothes, especially our outerwear, have the ability to transform – you can wear them in many different ways. We have also added a line of skiing rompers, and as far as I know we are the first Georgian designers to produce rompers. We are also trying to make our own prints, thus bringing in artistic elements and making our clothes more varied. The Blikvanger man or woman is bold, expressive, free, and without hang-ups!
Where do you draw your inspiration from while working on your collections?
We have collections inspired by perceptions of life: music, emotions, and everyday life. Many times we have thought of taking one specific source of inspiration, but in the end we do not succeed.
What are the main problems in Georgia’s fashion market especially as a beginner?
We need more finances. There are lots of ideas that are unrealizable because of money. We have had lots of offers from showrooms and fashion weeks, but you need to pay to participate. Another problem is a shortage of woven knits. So we are always having to make a choice on whether to participate in creating our own weaving, or buy it.
What are the main trends of autumn 2018?
For several years already unlimited style and colourful clothes have been worldwide trends: very feminine shapes or just unisex – there is big diversity. In our 2018 collection we have put accents on blue, beige, orange and phosphorescent colours that you can find across different designers’ collections.
Q.Where can one shop for Blikvanger?
A. Our showroom is located at # 78. Barnovi St.