BRIDGET &amp; OLIVIA

Timea Staub and Dóra Kovács just graduated from KREA Contemporary Arts School

a year and a half ago but they have already opened their own showroom and launched their label, Bridget & Olivia, on Ó utca in the 6 th district in Budapest. I had a nice chat with the two ladies about fashion and Hungarian designers and it was a pleasure to be welcomed to their lovely space. Check out this video of their showroom:

Where does the name come from? Who are Bridget and Olivia?

Timea's grey 'regular' cat (who was at home) is Bridget and Dóra's dog, a very curious and friendly cockerspaniel, is Olivia. Their love for their pets was a great way of joining both of their passions and creativity to form the label.

What was the inspiration behind your SS/15 collection?

"The current spring/summer 2015 collection is named 'Thelma and Louise', after the famous American movie, which brought a lot of inspiration for us. You can see the maps of Arizona on t-shirts, dresses and skirts in our Bridge & Olivia logo. We had a friend help us with changing the font from the maps into our font, so it is a combination of our inspiration and who we are essentially. We want each collection to say something about the journey people take and it can be a physical or emotional connection." - Dóra

What does the typical Bridget & Olivia woman wear?

"The Bridget & Olivia woman is a comfortable, sporty, casual yet dressed up, mix and match modern woman. The a-line skirt is an essential Bridget & Olivia staple as are the epsilons on the clothing. You can see it on the back of this dress (look below for the mustard yellow dress and black dress photos) and it is common on the shirts and dresses and is also seen within the decor of the store. I absolutely love this mustard yellow colour, it is my favourite." - Dóra

How has it been starting out in the city of Budapest? Who do you go to for advice/help with starting up a new label? Are Hungarian designers interested in helping each other out?

"The start has been busy! Finding a place can be difficult because you want to be in the centre but we wanted to start out with a smaller space. It can be difficult to accommodate people for openings and parties however, as the showroom is not that big. When we had our opening party, we had the space packed and there were so many people outside!" - Timea

"Hungarian designers typically do help each other out and answer questions newcomers to the fashion scene might have. Of course, like in every industry, there are some designers who are a bit more reserved than others as they don't want to reveal too much information; but there are many others who are willing to help out if we have questions. We have met many people who have become our good friends and we meet up to discuss fashion, our ideas and just generally to talk." - Dóra

What materials do you gravitate towards?

"We use cotton for the shirts, dresses and coats as well as 'scuba diving' shell material as they are lightweight and easy to wear." - Dóra

Do you find that Hungarian designer clothing is accessible and affordable to the Hungarian population?

"Generally speaking no, as it can be difficult to compete with big international brands such as Zara or Bershka for example, where customers are more willing to buy something that is trendy at the moment rather than spend a bit more on clothes that are well made with good fabrics and will last longer. However, we do have growing international and local customers who are interested in the brand and understand that they are getting a truly unique and well made designer garment." - Timea

Do you feel that Hungarian designers are well represented/well known in the fashion industry?

"I think that some are, but we are still emerging in the fashion world and trying to make an imprint on the fashion scene. Most people have difficultly pinpointing exactly what Hungarian designers represent and what they have to offer, so we are still on the verge of discovery. Some Hungarian designers have broken through and made their mark, while others are still trying to get there." - Dóra

Now that the fashion show events have settled down in Budapest, are you planning on showing your designs at any other fashion shows/events in the near future?

"Yes, of course, we would love to be invited and show our collections around the world, anywhere! It would be a huge accomplishment. For now, we are focusing on our Christmas collection and the next Fall & Winter 2015/16 collections which will be shown next year." - Dóra

Stay tuned for the Christmas collection from Bridget & Olivia...

but for now, check out the photos of their beautiful space and photos of their clothing.