Raul Pașcalău: “Emerging designers are willing to challenge norms” – interview with young designer from MDVTM 2024

He started his master collection almost seven months before the actual show. And not just because the fabrics are special but also because the prints and the shapes of the pieces from the collection “Manmade Claws “ presented at MDVTM 2024 fashion gala. Raul Claudiu Pașcalău studied IT in high school (and it shows if you look closer to the patterns and shapes of the outfits) and his interest in fashion originated from the costumes worn by characters in the video games he is still playing even today. “With this collections I wanted to illustrate the emotional sacrifices emerging designers have to make in order to become successful in this world”, said the young designer Raul Pașcalău (MDVTM 2024 generation). 

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We can see Raul Pașcalău work on Instagram – @raulpascalau. Fashion portfolio: @pxldmnsn.
Other fashion design – diploma & master collections from MDVTM – @mdvtm.uvt.

Your collection for MDVTM 2024 gala was inspired by…

We are all aware of how difficult is for artists to be heard and seen within the society, especially when it comes to fashion. The struggles the emerging designers are facing range from financial instability to mental health related issues during their journey to success which, in our field, mostly consists in visibility. I really wanted to make a collection that raises questions about the designer’s place within the society and to talk about the paradox of the artist life. I remember reading an article related to creative labour, written by Sarah Baker and David Hesmondhalgh, entitled “A very complicated version of freedom”, article that really made me contemplate on my work and simultaneously on my identity as an emerging artist. Specifically, art is about expressing your own identity, but how can you do it freely within a society that is still forcing you to fit the mold in order to be accepted? Since our personal values coincide with the ones we express within our creative work, it becomes extremely difficult to draw the line between our personal and professional life, which is most of the time a recipe for burnout, especially nowadays when social media is full of images of successful people and their perfect lives. To sum up, I wanted to illustrate the emotional sacrifices emerging designers have to make in order to become successful in this world, success that’s being compared to a Venus Fly Trap: once you get caught in the fashion game, you chose a tough path to visibility and stability. Maybe the only way out is by changing the rules, by making all of these struggles heard. 

You chose this patterns and fabrics because… 

The shiny, technical fabrics were definitely related to the contemporary individual and the artificial that’s part of their existence. Ranging from soft and fluid to stiff and bold coloured, they were all used to create these digital and organic inspired silhouettes and volumes. When it comes to patterns and shapes, I wanted to completely submerge the anatomical volumes underneath many layers of fabric to symbolise the overwhelming feeling that comes once you’re part of the Hustle Culture movement. Most of the oversized organic shapes were results of experiments made directly on the tailor’s dummy.

Tell me about the actual process of making the collection – how hard it was, how many hours you have spent doing it (sewing, cutting, embroidery)?  

I have to admit that this project was a true challenge for me, considering that I’ve never worked with such silhouettes before. I think that made me get truly invested in the whole creative process that started somewhere in November 2023. Despite the long working days, sometimes also including weekends and holidays spent manually printing the fabrics, cutting and sewing, the results were definitely worth all the effort. As a Master’s student, I wanted to make a really experimental collection, considering that once I finish my studies, who knows when I’ll get another opportunity to create garments in this Avantgarde direction. 

How can we solve the dilemma: why should we invest in a Romanian designer piece instead in one from a famous brand? 

As I’ve mentioned before, emerging designers are the most creative ones and they’re willing to challenge norms. We are all aware of the many problems present in the fashion system, from environmental, sexist, racial issues, to forced labour and underpaid workers. Even if society is getting aware of all of these issues and the fashion system might seem to slow down a little, fast fashion will never disappear. If we truly want to see changes for good, we have to make space for young designers in this world, and there’s no other way of doing it besides offering them exposure and support. There are many Romanian designers with a lot of creative and technical potential, but they do need our encouragement to grow and make their voices heard, so they can change the system for the better. Furthermore, it all depends on each individual’s values and level of awareness: would you rather promote a brand that sells a basic 300 dollar T-shirt with a huge logo on the front, manufactured by underpaid workers in an unsafe environment, or invest in a small business that creates durable, quality garments that asks for a price that’s just fair for the work invested in the manufacturing process? It’s all about reeducating the consumer and, after all, a simple choice, but with a great impact. 

Tell me one personal story related with fashion world… 

Born in 2000, I got to experience many technological evolutions at that time, such as computers, the Internet and various video games and devices, that got me really interested. Even though during high school I studied IT, my interest in fashion originated from the costumes worn by characters in the video games I’m still playing even today, one of them being Just Dance. Years later, guess I shocked many people when I decided to study fashion, yet my friends and family were always supportive. So here I am today, blending two apparently opposite fields into my work: digital world and functional yet avant-gardist garments, creative vision built and refined thanks to my teachers who I’ll always be grateful to. 

The piece (the pattern, cut) that will always be in your collection is…

When it comes to silhouettes, guess anything that’s oversized or baggy will make it into my work. I can say I’ve got something for dropped shoulder tops and wide leg pants. One thing that I can also name as my signature are the saturated or neon color accents, especially the blue and neon green color combo. 

One city, one song, one movie just perfect for your collection will be… 

When it comes to a city, guess I could say New York because I can see a lot of unapologetic self expression going on there, especially when it comes to gender fluidity. The movie I can think of that can be relevant for my collection might be Everything Everywhere All at Once, directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. Just like the movie, there’s a lot to process within this collection, a lot of influences and ideas that somehow end up creating a fluid narrative. When it comes to music, I have to mention St. Vincent as a truly inspiring musical artist that really influenced my creative process for this collection, especially her All Born Screaming album, which celebrates, yet protests many aspects of life as a human being. 

The designers relevant right now for you are…

A Romanian brand that really captured my interest since this year’s Romanian Creative Week is Tearless Street. I like their unconventional approach when shaping individual characters through fashion. Also their runway music choice was certainly on point. Another brand that I recently got into is Dominnico. I love their contemporary Y2K approach, bold colours and attention to details within their creations that celebrate gender expression. 

What is next for you (this year, 2024, the next year)… 

First of all, I’d like to continue my studies in the fashion field, so I’m going to apply for the PhD, during which I’m looking forward to studying and developing the connection between the contemporary individual, fashion and digital world. In the meantime, I’d like to keep creating garments, but at my own pace, so I can fully enjoy the process, maybe also apply for an internship as a costume designer for the video game developer, Ubisoft. 

Photography: Bogdan Marcheva @marchevca.event.ph Thanks Iulius Town Timișoara! @iuliustowntimisoara.