16+

People

Friday, 14 October 2016

New Name: Nikita Gruzovik

© instagram.com/nikitagruzovik

“The earlier you start — the more you archive” — says the wise Evelina Khromtchenko advice, that helped to more than one generation of students to assert their right to choose their future career. However future fashion designer Nikita Gruzovik graduated the university with degree in food engineer for the love of his parents, but immediately after graduation got back to design without working a day in specialty. Microbiology and biochemistry were not useful in a real life but a long way even more convinced a young creator of accessories in the correctness of the choice.

How did you start making backpacks and waistpacks?
From early childhood, I had a craving to create. I always collected, crafted, sawed and cut something. I always liked to work with my hands and I did it well. One way or another I’ve always been in design.
I’m a food engineer by education. Metrology, standartisation and sertification. I haven’t worked a day in my specialty. I completed my studies at the university only not to upset my parents and to finish the started work. Anyway, higher education is education.
Oneday my mother taught me to use the sewing machine and I couldn’t stop. It was in 2011. I just wanted to sew, I just liked it. I like the process of creation, the process of searching, I like the opportunity and immensity of self-realization.

What fabrics are more interesting to work with?
I like to work with heavy fabrics. I like genuine leather very much, it’s a good material. It’s easy, common and more interesting for me to work this kind of fabric. When it comes to textile, I prefer heavy linen or polyester.

Waistpacks perfectly fit the 90-s trend on all world catwalks. When and how did you choose them?
I made the first waistpack in 2013. If I’m not mistaken, they weren’t so trendy, but they have always been very comfortable. Backpack needs an alternative. Waistpack is a nice alternative to a backpack.

You have a great number of dinosaur illustrations in your instagram page and a dino-print on your designs. Are they the echo of the 1990-s too?
I was born and raised in the 1990-s, that’s why this way or another they are the bits and pieces of those times. At least, our fridge was covered with dinosaur stickers. Huge prehistoric pangolins with the size of a house or a lorry. How can’t one love them?

A van is one more integral part of your instargam stories. Could you tell us about it?
I like old cars and vans very much, I like angles, round headlights. I thought about buying a car long ago, but to tell the truth, I didn’t need it at all. All free cash was and is invested in to the production. My team, all fabrics and ready made designs can be placed into my car. Shops are different story. We needed a bigger car. Any way, I can’t say what was the main thing in the idea with a van. It just turned that way: spontaneously and quickly. I found several advertisements and took my friends to buy it. I bought it from an old man in Moscow region. The old man was sad when he had sold it, but was happy to get rid off a useless van. Now it’s our company transport and main assistant.
We have just returned from our trip over Europe. Moscow – Minsk – Warsaw – Berlin – Prague – Bratislava – Vienna – Budapest – Brest – Moscow. It was our team tour by our van.

What is your team like? Do you have a work division?
I have a great team. Me and my two assistants: Pavel and Kristina. Pavel has been working with me for one year, Kristina has joined us since June, bus she has already become an essential part of our team.
I do almost everything myself, when I’m short of time, they help me. I’m often short of time, that’s why I can’t do without my team. In terms of production process, Pavel can replace me in most things. Kristina doesn’t sew, but she is responsible for all preparation steps – she does little but very important things including telephone calls and messages. The only thing I’m responsiple for is Instagram.

What do you think which part of your work is the most important? What do you like most of all?
I think, all steps of our work are important: from advertisement and promotion up to the workflow and its planning. It’s equally difficult and important to produce a quality highly sought product and sell it. Most of all I like to sew. it’s a kind of meditation for me, you can tune out of reality.

Without what thing you can’t imagine your creative day?
Coffee, lots of coffee. Coffee and a nice music. I used to work in the silence, now I can’t do that. I need either funk or soul, or even “Friends” as a a background.

Do you plan to make new models except waistpacks and backpacks?
We have seas of ideas and mountains of plans. I think, the main thing is to take time and make everything gradually. Now we are thinking over new models of backpacks and new fabrics, we are looking for garment accessories of the best quality. We have new machines, thanks to it we can make more, better and more interesting designs. We will have lots of things. it’ll be great!

How did such memorable instagram nick “Nikita Gruzovik” come to your mind?
I’m not good at inventing names, so I took my surname and name for my own brand: Gruzovik Nikita is not a nickname, check my passport!

Text: Yaroslav Fashchevskiy
Translated into English: Rimma Ismagilova

X

Subscribe to newsletter:

Photo: Timur Artamonov for Elle-Russia

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial