Lena Pogodina
Hello!
My name is Lena and I’m a knitwear fashion designer with a particular interest in fabric manipulation. Before studying at GSA I received an HND in textiles from Edinburgh College where I explored different ways of working with fabrics: printing, embroidery, weaving and knit. Over the years, experimenting with new textures and materials has become one of my strongest sides as a designer.
I often look for inspiration in the more traditional forms of craft, such as knitting, weaving or leather work, and explore ways of thoughtfully incorporating them in my fashion creations. Thanks to my Estonian background rich in its craft traditions, the process of creating things by hand quite naturally became a core element of my design practice.
If you are looking for a fashion/textiles creative who can assist you with your project please get in touch. I’m open for collaborations and work offers and would be happy to join your team in Scotland or Europe.
UNCANNY
I was always fascinated by space and technology and the promise to humanity they contained. Whatever obstacles our human nature put up, we would overcome it, I believed. Then in 2022 war came to Europe and forced us to confront the collective fragility of much of what we took for granted.
Do the machines bring more control or chaos? Do we feel safe or terrified around them? How do we see our future in the world changing faster than we could ever imagine ourselves? These were some of the questions I was considering while working on my fashion collection ‘Uncanny’, named so to reflect the strange unsettling feelings the dynamic between men and their machines has the power to provoke.
The focal point of the collection are flexible mechanical structures constructed from smaller parts and woven together with a cord. I explored this technique extensively in the garments utilising a number of materials such as knitted fabric, faux leather, wool felt and limestone neoprene, with the latter being recycled from the old wetsuits donated by the brand SRFACE. The collection has sportswear appeal, but with a futuristic twist, combining simple silhouettes with 3D built extensions.
