Katya Maluavanga - AMD Akademie Mode & Design
Elrêverée – AMD Akademie Mode & Design
My name is Katya Maluavanga, and I am German-born to Congolese parents who immigrated to Germany in the 90s. I have always been fascinated by many things for as long as I can remember, and to be honest, when I was growing up, I wanted to become many things too. There were so many creative opportunities that I was just overwhelmed. After I finished high school, fashion first came to mind as a possible future career. Sewing was a hobby for me at that time, but when I saw my sister starting her educational training to become a garment technical assistant, I got curious. I started the same education, even though I thought something purely creative would not be my thing. To be honest, I doubted my creative abilities a lot. In my opinion, a degree in fashion & design management would suit me better, so I started my journey in this direction. During this time, I realised that I would love nothing more than part of the creative process. The subjects I encountered were very diverse, but subjects like trend research, production technology, and design methodology captured my attention. Today I am 26 years old and a fashion design graduate. If you had told me a few years earlier that I would be here today, I wouldn’t have believed a word you said. But here I am now and I love it. Starting my educational training made me realize what path I wanted to take, but time and my personal development have really made me decide where I want to be in the future. Every time I sit down to start a new creation, a new design, I get excited. There are so many possibilities, so many things I want to try, so many things I want to show and I want to be seen. Things don’t always go as planned, it’s hard, it takes a lot out of me, but I firmly believe it’s worth every sweat and tear I shed. The collection „Elrêverée“ represents a fusion of the two opposing worlds of dream and reality. The different characteristics of those worlds were translated into materials, shapes and colours. The goal was to incorporate these characteristics into men’s and women’s collection, which also includes casual and sporty elements. A mix of experimental and timeless designs, influenced by generally popular casual wear products. The development of a collection for a generation that loves minimalism, but is also willing to be new and daring. It symbolises a merge of complexity and simplicity, of the known and the unknown. The aspects of the dream world were specially translated into the patterns and colourfulness of the fabrics. It is precisely the kind of fashion I want to create now that I have graduated.