Young designer Robert Roca: “The fashion world is made of dreamers”

New faces. New talents. Interesting & cool designers just ready to conquer the fashion world. This spring we are going to meet some of the most talented emerging fashion designers, part of Romanian Design Week 20024 Young Design section. Meet Robert Roca. 

Robert Roca is a young designer, graduate of the National University of Art, with a distinctive style. Himeros is a collection based on beauty, fluidity and exploring the feminine side of an individual. Robert wanted to create a fantasy world through his work, being in search of an ideal beauty, viewed beyond gender.

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You can find Robert Roca on Instagram and TikTok at @robeertr.
Tickets for Romanian Design Week 2024 can be purchased from here. More details on website, Facebook and Instagram.

You are present in the RDW Young Design section at Romanian Design Week 2024. Which qualities/ strengths made you make it to the list? What do you think? 

I believe my different approach to menswear helped me make it to the list of designers selected to showcase their art in the Young Design selection. I have always been drawn to a more feminine aesthetic, being inspired by designers such as Simone Rocha or Alejandro Palomo (Palomo, Spain). The Romanian culture doesn’t really allow men to express their femininity; they are constantly oppressed by others’ judgments. That’s when I decided to explore that route, express my true identity through my art, and create pieces that allow the person wearing them to feel free. Without perseverance and passion, you can’t really succeed in fashion, so I’m pretty sure those are the qualities that made me make the list.

For you, as a designer, the fashion world is made of… 

Dreamers. Fashion, although a hard industry to succeed in, especially in our country, allows the artists to let their imagination run wild and create amazing pieces and even express themselves through clothing. Seeing such different personalities and style aesthetics amongst designers is a clear sign that we are all dreamers. I can say I’m living my high school self’s dream. Being in high school, I couldn’t wait to escape that generic place where I couldn’t express myself, and now I feel freer than ever, with great achievements such as being part of the Diploma 2023, Romanian Design Week 2024, and Romanian Creative Week 2024 selections of designers.

Which are the biggest challenges for a young designer nowadays? 

Definitely standing out in an oversaturated industry. There are thousands of new young designers emerging every year from all of the art universities, or even just passionate people who started pursuing a hobby. Making yourself recognisable means creating a personal brand of yourself and the art that you’re making. The cost of living is another challenge for a young designer. Prices are inflated day by day, and making clothing can get really costly, especially for a young individual starting out a brand.

Let’s talk about social media and AI a little bit. 🙂 Friends, enemies? 

Social media is a good friend of mine, but I’m still trying to figure it out, since everything is changing constantly, with new apps emerging day by day and new algorithms and trends. Social media is the best tool a young designer could have. I am focused on my online presence. That’s the easiest way to expose your art to the masses and make connections. In fashion, everyone is connected. People can open doors for you and clear your path to success.
But AI does scare me still. I got to try it on different apps, even the new feature in Photoshop. I can’t yet figure it out to create exactly what I had in mind, but it’s definitely a tool that can help. AI getting into the wrong hands is definitely the scary part. I can see it as a tool, but it most certainly won’t replace human intelligence and creativity.

Name 3 moments that define you as a designer.

Releasing my bachelor’s collection to the public was the most exciting and overwhelming experience so far. The amount of love and appreciation I got in a matter of hours and maybe a few days was incredible. Being a part of such different creative projects, from magazine photoshoots to TV shows, really boosted my confidence in my designing abilities. Also, getting the call or email that I’ve been selected for the biggest art and fashion events in Romania was something that I couldn’t be more grateful for. I was so excited about the Diploma Show and exhibition. 
I look forward to the Young Designers exhibition at Romanian Design Week and also the fashion show in Iaşi during Romanian Creative Week. I started crying when I found out I was selected to showcase my collection one more time on such a big platform. 2023 was definitely a hard year for me, but starting this year with two amazing news, a new job and new opportunities was something that I really manifested to happen.

The designer you would like to ask for a coffee and a piece of advice would be… 

Probably Thierry Mugler. He is my favourite designer of all time; he is truly a visionary and a genius. I’m in awe at his ability to create such a fantasy throughout his art. But if we’re talking about designers that are still with us, I would love an iced latte with Jean Paul Gaultier. Both of them have an amazing legacy that I could only dream of achieving.

You wish you have invented… 

A faster way to sew rhinestones and crystals, haha. I love embellishments; I would glue or sew crystals and rhinestones on everything if I could. I’m like a moth attracted by light. That’s something that really caught my eye when I discovered Thierry Mugler and his out-of-this-world designs. The amount of creativity and hard work behind all of those embellished works of art is astonishing.

What is next for you – this year (school, collections, exhibitions etc.)? 

Besides the RDW Young Designers section, I’m showcasing an extended version of my bachelor’s collection at Romanian Creative Week in Iaşi. I have manifested both of them for this year, and I’m so happy I have these opportunities. 

I’m also still in school; I’m studying for my master’s degree, so that means another fashion collection by the end of the program. With a busy schedule, studying, having a job, and preparing a new collection, I’m also trying to manage my time so I can start my own fashion brand. I want to create something that can be easily recognizable, yet something that has not been explored that much, at least in our little industry here in Romania.

* Romanian Design Week is the multidisciplinary festival dedicated to creative industries, organized by The Institute, presented by UniCredit Bank and financed by the Ministry of Culture. This year it will take place between May 24 and June 2 in Bucharest, in the building of the former CINA restaurant (Benjamin Franklin, no. 10), near the Romanian Athenaeum. This year’s edition invites the public to explore the city and discover its potential, while investigating the ways in which creativity and innovation can shape the urban spaces of the future, under the theme “Unlock the city”.

* About RDW Young Design… 29 young designers and architects will be able to be seen in an exhibition dedicated to them, supported by Rompetrol and the Romanian Cultural Institute. Thus, the route of their personal development is contextualised, in a celebration of the beginnings of the road, as well as of the effervescence and courage of young talents.