Turning heads with her hats
- Sofya initially studied painting and graphic design
- Irish singer Roísín Murphy wore her hats in a music video
- Giorgio Armani complimented her in person
Sofya Samareva's hats are instantly recognisable – with their unexpected shapes, clean contours and bright colours, they make a strong impression. They are made mostly of rabbit fur felt or wool and take many forms, including simple boyish caps, classic brims with unusual tops, headwear resembling haircuts or colourful cacti. All are striking yet elegant, luxurious yet casual. Sofya's work attracts a lot of attention and she has collaborated with several interesting foreign designers. "Malaysia-based menswear designer Moto Guo met someone wearing one of my hats in Paris and wrote to me to say 'Your work is so quirky, same as mine.' And for the Tel Aviv fashion collective Muslin Brothers, I created a minimalist collection made of ropes," she remembers.
INTERVIEW
I really enjoy making sculptures, playing with shapes, not looking at the practical side. But I also love the challenge of creating a chic shape which is unprecedented yet wearable. I like meeting people in the streets who are wearing my hats.
It's always different. For example, the Hair Hat collection originated in my passion for changing haircuts. The Something Unreal in the Real World collection was inspired by my childhood and the tiny things I used to collect. And the Cactus Hats collection was inspired by a desert.
Graphic design taught me to make intelligible things; for me, creation is a means of communication. I guess graphic design also influenced my conceptual approach – there's always an idea behind my work. And painting gave me a love for colours, which I use widely.
Usually, my customers are people somehow connected to fine art, music, design or fashion. I like meeting them in person whenever possible. The funny thing is that my first collection was not aimed at clients; I created it for myself.
Sofya Samareva
Milliner
Prague, Czech Republic
AVAILABILITY
Monday to Friday 11:00-19:00
PHONE
+420 776346313
LANGUAGES
Czech, English, Russian
