Lukáš Kimlička has been a fashion designer for many years, participating in many major fashion shows in Slovakia and abroad. Since the beginning of his career in the fashion business, he has also been involved in make-up and fashion photography. Some time ago, he decided that he did not want to sit in several chairs at once and would devote himself only to photography.
Lukáš has been taking our campaign photos for almost 10 years. When we decided to "reward" our female customers, who have been shopping with us for years for their partners, fathers or sons, and prepare the first ever Alain Delon collection for women in collaboration with a fashion designer, Lukáš was the obvious choice. Even though he publicly announced that he was quitting designing, he liked our offer, so he created a very variable and combinable mini-collection inspired by men's style.
How do you think men dress in Slovakia?
I think it's much better than it was when I started in fashion, also because there's the internet, social media, fashion magazines, there are also various fashion brands from abroad, there's more choice, men are also following fashion trends and dressing better. I think it's comparable to abroad. Men used to not care what they wore, it didn't look as good as it does now.
Do you take photos "just for yourself" or do you only do commissions?
As for such "free" work, I have very little time for it, which I regret because I would like to devote myself to it. Most of the commissions that I do for fashion magazines or advertising campaigns or anything else are always based on someone's specific idea and there is always some assignment. It is rarely so creative for me that I can take photos in my own way. That is why I would like to take photos of something "my own".
You've been doing campaign photography for Alain Delon Fashion for almost 10 years. Which photoshoot do you remember most fondly and why?
There have been a lot of photo shoots. Each one was different in some way and I remember each one fondly. There probably isn't a single one that I wouldn't like to remember, that the result wasn't what I expected. Even though I went into some subjects a few times with concerns about whether I could handle it and how it would turn out, I think the result was always more or less good, both the client and I were satisfied.
I really like taking pictures since we started taking pictures with Michael . He is very easy to take pictures with because he is a very nice person, he is a personality. I think he describes the Alain Delon brand very well, he is a mature man who takes care of himself, looks good, likes fashion, he is the type of businessman who will suffer for quality. I think Alain Delon perfectly describes fashion. I also really enjoy taking pictures with him because he is a great professional, he will do two or three poses and I know it is there. He is not only a good model, but also an actor, he knows how to play the situation for the photo. All the photo shoots we had with him were great.
In the summer of 2018, you announced that you were quitting designing and wanted to focus solely on photography. What convinced you about our offer to create a limited women's collection under the Alain Delon brand ?
I announced the end because I would like to devote myself fully to photography and it no longer made sense for me to sew entire collections twice a year. On the one hand, I didn't even have time for that anymore. So why did I take this offer? Because this is the first time in my life that I am in the position of a designer, and I make sure that it is according to my ideas, since I have a team of people working with me. So far during my work, I have designed the collection, bought the fabric, and sewn it all myself. Basically, I have sewn all of my collections myself. For me, it was relaxing, sitting at the sewing machine, but it can't be done in such a volume for a long time. And now I was finally able to try out what it is like to put a collection into industrial production, to make ready-to-wear that is graded in terms of the sizes of individual models. So for me, it is a completely new process in the X years of my career, which I have not encountered before. I am in the position of a designer who will design a collection and there are already experts who will bring the design to the final result.
What's in the new limited collection for the Alain Delon brand?
When designing, I started from the idea that the individual pieces should be combinable with each other. So there is a women's tuxedo with an extended jacket that can be worn separately as a dress when it is tightened with a belt. There is a shirt whose cut is based on a men's shirt, it is complemented by a "tie" with feathers, which makes this piece very elegant and feminine. And there is an elegant black cocktail dress that has a sexy cut in the neckline. The whole collection is very minimalist, like my work has always been, and at the same time very elegant. So I hope women will like it.
How do you imagine a woman wearing the pieces from the collection?
As a woman who likes fashion, trends, and knows what to wear. A strong personality who wants to look good, feminine, sexy, all those things that I say over and over again, but are the most characteristic of my work. Simply put, she is a woman who does not want to blend in with the crowd. When she appears somewhere, she certainly does not escape attention.
Read an interview with the multi-talented and inspiring Lukáš Kimliček about him, his work, and the KIMLICKA for ALAIN DELON collection.Since the beginning of your career in the fashion business, you have not only designed but also done makeup and photographed models. Did you want everything to be exactly how you wanted it? I was more or less forced to do it. When I started designing in high school, I needed to have a portfolio of my models. At that time, there weren't that many fashion photographers, let alone makeup artists. My models were my friends, neighbors, or cousins, on whom I photographed my first creations. With the help of my mom's makeup, I was able to apply my own makeup, and that's when my passion for photography was born, as well as for working with makeup. I considered it a big plus that I would dress the model myself, apply makeup, and take the photo, and everything would be according to my ideas. You presented your last complete fashion collection in 2016. How many years have you been involved in fashion design? I've been doing it since high school, but the turning point was 2004, when I won the international fashion design competition at the Styl & Kabo fair in Brno. That's when I became known and the public started to notice me.
In addition to women's collections, you also designed a men's collection in 2013. How do you perceive men's fashion?
I don't do men's fashion, I'm more interested in women's, which I can win more with. You can't "get away" with men's fashion, it's more strict. The men's collection that I created was created from patterns of photos that I took.
Do you have a favorite photo you've taken?
I have a few of them. My favorite photos hang on the wall in my apartment. Although I've already replaced some of them because I've lost the desire to look at them after a while. But there are a few that I like and like to go back to.
I fondly remember the photo shoot in Piešťany. I then edited the photos in post-production and transformed the city into New York. The photos really look like they were taken somewhere in Manhattan. I was really happy with the result. Basically, every photo shoot has something to it. Even now, the penultimate collection and the photo shoot with Jaguar , I was also afraid of that, but it is probably one of my favorite photo shoots.
What inspired you to create a limited collection for the Alain Delon brand?
Alain Delon is a men's brand, so I was inspired by men's elements, men's fashion, men's tuxedos and men's suits in the collection. I was also inspired by my female clients, I know what they like, what they like to wear. So the whole collection is mainly based on men's elements, but it still remained feminine and a little sexy.
