KOSTAS MURKUDIS
KOSTAS MURKUDIS'S
LEADING CULTURE DESTINATIONS:
Kostas Murkudis is a senior designer born in Germany, from Greek parents. He began his career as first assistant to Helmut Lang, and subsequently founded his own label, showing men’s and women’s collections in Paris from 1996 until 2001. He then was appointed as Creative Director of New York Industrie, Closed, Ter et Bantine and Hache more recently. He also consulted high-end and luxury brands such as Balenciaga and Pringle of Scotland. Furthermore, he has collaborated with brands such as Johnston Cashmere, Mykita or Isaac Reina. in 2015, his fashion designs were shown in the Museum of Modern Art (MMK), Frankfurt for a solo exhibition – celebrating his work of the past 20 years. Since the beginning of 2016 he has focused on his own label, developing clothes that are more wearable and take the challenges of everyday life into account. Wearability and textile innovation are currently the cornerstones of Kostas Murkudis’s collections.
If there was one piece of art you could feature in, which one would it be and why?
THERE ISN'T ANY PARTICULAR PIECE, BUT I’M VERY MUCH INTO THE RENAISSANCE PAINTINGS OF LUCAS CRANACH, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PIECES HE DID THAT I ADMIRE. THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE COMPOSITION, THE WAY THAT HE’S SHOWING SHEER FABRICS AND HUMAN BODIES, AND THE LAYERS HE CREATES ARE SOMETHING I’M INTERESTED IN A LOT. THE WAY HE WAS SHOWING THE DELICACY OF SKIN IS SOMETHING I DEEPLY ADMIRE AND TRY TO REFER TO, ESPECIALLY WHEN TAKING MY CHOICE OF FABRICS.
How do you believe museums will impact future cities?
WHEN I WAS IN LONDON A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO I SPENT LITERALLY FOUR DAYS IN THE TATE. I WAS SO TOUCHED BY THE CONCEPT OF THE TATE, WHICH IS LIKE GOING BACK TO ANCIENT GREECE. THE MUSEUM IN ANCIENT GREECE WAS NOT JUST ONE PLACE WITH ONE BUILDING, IT WAS A CITY WITHIN A CITY, SHOWING DIFFERENT CULTURAL MOVEMENTS. THIS IS SOMETHING I RECOGNIZED IN THE TATE–YOU CAN GO INTO THE EXHIBITION, YOU CAN SPEND TIME IN THE LIBRARY, YOU CAN GO FOR A COFFEE. IT IS A CITY WITHIN A CITY, AND A PLACE TO MEET PEOPLE, TO COMMUNICATE. NOT ONLY IN THE CLASSICAL SENSE OF TALKING, BUT ALSO BY LOOKING AND WATCHING AROUND. HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE MORE LIKE THAT IN THE FUTURE.
How has social media changed the way we view art and fashion?
IT HAS CLEARLY CHANGED ALMOST EVERYTHING IN MY OPINION. I USED TO GO TO SHOWS IN THE 80’S IN PARIS, WHERE PEOPLE WERE CONCENTRATED ON WHAT THEY WILL SEE ON THE RUNWAY. NOWADAYS, WHEN YOU GO TO SHOWS, MOST OF THE AUDIENCE IS NOT EVEN LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THE MODELS, THEY’RE ALL LOOKING AT THEIR IPHONES AND TRY TO CAPTURE THE MOMENT IN A VERY SIMPLE WAY. IT LOST IT’S DIRECT SENSE–PEOPLE ARE DESPERATE TO CAPTURE SOMETHING FAST, AND THEN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT MOMENT.
Who do you think are the cultural innovators of tomorrow?
IN MY OPINION THE ONLY ONE IN FASHION IS RICK OWENS. HE'S TRULY WORKING WITH MATERIALS IN A SCULPTURAL WAY. HE'S NOT FOCUSING ON CREATING CLASSIC WARDROBES. CLASSIC LOOKS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. HE’S MORE INTERESTED IN WORKING AS AN ARTIST AND THAT MAKES HIM QUITE AUTHENTIC AND OUTSTANDING. THERE ISN’T ANYBODY ELSE IN THE INDUSTRY COMPARABLE TO THAT. CELINE IS ALSO WORKING WITH THIS KIND OF MASCULINE CODE ON THE FEMALE SIDE, WHICH IS INTERESTING, BUT IT’S NOT THAT RADICAL.
WHAT ARE YOU UP TO AT THE MOMENT AND WHERE CAN WE FIND IT?
I’M WORKING ON A PROJECT WITH THE ARTIST CARSTEN NICOLAI, WHO IS A LONG-TIME COLLABORATOR THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN JAPAN NEXT YEAR, BESIDES I’M WORKING ON A MUSEUM PROJECT FOR A NEW MUSEUM. I HAD THE CHANCE TO SHOW MY WORK AT THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART IN FRANKFURT AND THE CURATOR HAS ASKED ME TO DO SOMETHING FOR A NEW MUSEUM IN DUSSELDORF, SO I’M WORKING ON A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS BUT MAINLY ART PROJECTS.