Art of fashion: a talk with the designer of Lenca Stories

I heard her name in one conversation about #RomanianDesigners two years ago (or so) and at that time I didn’t know anything about the brand or the designer. But everything in life is happening for a reason, so that was no surprise for me when, a couple of months later, I came upon Lenca Stories name on a list with Romanian Design Week 2023 participants at Fashion chapter (read here the interview). That was the moment when I said that I want to talk longer with Elena Vanghelici, the designer behind Lenca Stories. I was very happy to see her multifunctional items on Romanian Creative Week podium and, in her new and loveliest showroom we talked about fashion, art and architecture. Of course, I had to try on some clothes. Art of fashion: a talk with the designer of Lenca Stories. 

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Lenca Stories – @lencastories. Website – https://lencastories.com/shop/ 

Your love story with fashion has started with…

I think my story starts the same way as almost every fashion designer’s story, with making clothes for dolls from any rag found at home, or from any unconventional material such as flowers, leaves or plastic bags. That was my favourite childhood game, but the real love for fashion came along with discovering the British designers in the 2000s, Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano and Stella McCartney. I still remember McQueen’s hologram of Kate Moss at the end of his show in 2006 as a cathartic moment.

The moodboard for your 2024 (or 2023) collection includes…

Lots of surrealist art and jewellery, mystical symbols, botanical prints from the 1900s and Op art.

Old school items that will always inspire you are…

Paradoxically, I will say the feminine corset and every element of an undergarment of a dress that comes along with it and the masculine suit.

Your dream collection would look like (the shapes, the materials, the city… 

My dream collection would be a symbiosis between art and functionality. With this I mean clothes and accessories that can be worn in different ways for different dress codes, but with statement elements that would make a look memorable. I always liked clean and sharp cuts of rigid fabrics combined with flowing details made of silks. Also, my dream collection would have a lot of handmade 3D embellishments inspired by natural structures. One of my biggest wishes is to be able to design bags and shoes to complete my surreal fantasy. I don’t think I have a city in mind, but I can name some places like the Mies van der Rohe pavilion, La Muralla Roja or the Bubble Palace that are iconic for modern architecture and inspiring structures in my design process.

If you would have infinite powers, what period would you erase from the fashion history?

I don’t think I would like to erase something from any period, because every era brought us what we have today. But to give an answer, let’s say any deadly garments made in the Victorian era, like the arsenic green dyed dresses or hats made with mercury.

The most extravagant thing you wish to design is… 

I would love to make full looks of personalised print and embroidery that would tell the story of the clients through symbols and shapes. This would imply a rigorous collaborative process with the person who will be wearing the garment and will take the design to the level of personal and emotional connection with the clothing pieces.

If your clothes could play in a classical movies, that one would be…

If we talk about older movies I would say Antonioni’s “Blow-Up”, but from contemporary cinematography I will choose anything made by Wes Anderson and Yorgos Lanthimos.

The perfect remedy for an inspiration gap would be…

Travelling and learning about new cultures and local art.

We need fashion in our life because… 

Fashion is the closest thing (physically) that connects us to the culture of the moment we live in, it connects people and embodies visually the ethics and aesthetics of entire communities. We need fashion to feel that we belong to our place in society.

What is next – for you and your brand?

I want for my next collection to develop a jewellery line with the same concept of multi functionality in styling, as my garments, and I want to explore more the digital print area.

Photography: Cristiana Plaian @cristianaplaian / Stilist: Rovena Andrei @rovena_andrei. Make-up: Raluca Crăciun @raluca_craciun.