FAULT: How would you define today’s use of the word avant garde?

Malgorzata Dudek: Interacting with culture to advance our experience in a direction opposite the synthesized commercialization.

FAULT: Where do you call home?

Malgorzata Dudek: I was born and live in Poland.

FAULT: When did you realize you wanted to become a designer? Tell us a bit about your background.

Malgorzata Dudek: I knew that I wanted to be in fashion for as long as I can remember. As a child and teen, I was creative in many areas and I always explored things that interested me. I’m who I am because of this. Successively I made steps towards my goals and I know that I can achieve much more.  There was never an exact moment or time that I decided that I wanted to become a fashion designer, it was always with me.

When I was in primary school, a local designer fascinated me. Everyone used to point their finger at her and think that she was weird, but I loved her. She wore strange and colorful clothes that I had never seen before, and staged happenings around town. One such happening was outside my church on a Sunday, when she arranged bare mannequins in the courtyard—it shocked and repulsed the churchgoers as they left mass. Later that spring, I made a crowd of effigies and dressed them in clothes that I had altered. After gathering a group of schoolmates, I burned the effigies and drowned them in the stream behind my house. It was inspired by her and you can say that it was my first fashion show.

FAULT: What are some things (outside of fashion) that inspire you?

Malgorzata Dudek: I’ve always felt a close bond to nature and I think that it inspires me the most.

FAULT: Being a creative, how do you handle the day-to-day stress of the business side of the industry?

Malgorzata Dudek: I handle stress by staying busy and staying active. After work, I always go for a run in the forest.

FAULT: Your latest collection if full of fantasy and drama, what was the idea behind these pieces?

I’ve always wanted to do a collection inspired by the Biomechanical Vision of H.R. Giger. I sent sketches to H.R. Giger through his agent and to my surprise, I heard back almost immediately and was given creative freedom to incorporate a jointly agreed upon selection of Giger’s art! It’s such an honor to work with H.R. Giger because he’s so influential. I was aware of and appreciated his work, long before I even knew his name.

FAULT: What are you working on these days?

Malgorzata Dudek: I am working on a new collection, but I don’t want to reveal many details about it.

FAULT: What is your FAULT?

Malgorzata Dudek: Mostly everything, because I fall into extremes and find it hard to find balance.

Interview by Rachel Eleanor Sutton