As a young designer, I often find myself asking questions that I can’t find the answers to, such as how does one over come a creative block? Is it worth going to design school? How do I organize my thoughts and ideas in the best way possible? I confided in three young and talented designers, looking for answers for myself as well as other young and curious creatives.

What was your experience like, and how necessary do you think it is in terms of becoming a successful designer?
I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately - what makes a successful designer? I guess the school system teaches you to work alone in a competitive environment where the successful designer is that one person who made it. For me this doesn’t really add up since I find collaboration so important, having people around me challenging my way of thinking and having fun while creating. I hope the future of the designer is more collaborative, both inside the fashion scene, but also mixing art, performance, fashion etc., challenging how fashion is presented today.

When did you decide you wanted to be a designer? Have you always wanted to go into a creative field?
I don’t remember, don’t know if it even was an active choice. But I’ve always been interested in how we communicate through clothes. And my baby brother always stole my dresses, so I guess I’ve always had style ;)

What is your favourite city that you’ve been to so far, and how has it impacted your work? I feel most inspired by places and people that I am surrounded by. Travelling to different countries and experiencing new cultures always gives me new ideas and a fresh perspective on life.
I don’t have a favorite city, but I’ve always found freedom in moving around. What I’m dealing with right now in my work is how clothes shape our perspective on the female sex, and how this changes from city to city, culture to culture. There are so many rules in our subconsciousness and I’m asking myself, why??? It’s also very personal and I’m trying to challenge some of my own preconceptions as well.

If you could choose one thing you would want to improve on in your field the most, what would it be? It is important for creatives to understand that there will always be something you can improve on, no artist is or will ever be perfect at everything.
Aah I don’t know since it’s so much :S but the industry clearly needs to get more aware of environmental and social issues. I think it’s common for people in fashion to be ambivalent about the whole concept. Wanting to be a part of the fashion scene is also seeing what you want to change about it.

How does your work affect your mental health? Mental health is slowly being destigmatized, and I think it is important for people to have an open dialogue about their experiences, (if they’re comfortable). What are some of the positive and negative ways that this line of work has impacted the way you think about yourself and the world around you?
As a fashion design student you’re constantly under time pressure and I’ve always had a lot of performance anxiety, with my goals not always matching the time I’m given. I find the romantic image of the artist working all night, drinking wine etc, very problematic, probably because I’ve been idolizing this to some degree myself, thinking my work would be better if I just stayed a little longer, did a little more. But in the end it just results in anxiety and not being able to work at all.