Fashion as a statement

Denisa Nová Photo: Davis Holas

"She demonstrates an outstanding feeling for material." "She's not afraid to experiment with new textile materials and technologies." "She combines the seemingly uncombinable."

ThIS IS SOME of the praise Denisa Nová, a successful 31-year-old Czech fashion designer, has received from prominent Czech artists, professors, and journalists, who point her out as a trendsetter. "To me, fashion is not merely a superficial craft, it's a view on the world," claims Denisa Nová. "Freedom is paramount to fashion, and so it suits me well."
After graduating from the Faculty of Textile Design in Liberec five years ago, Nová established her own fashion design studio and clothing brand, DNB, in the city of her childhood, Brno. Last year, she expanded her brand to include a new studio in Prague, which now employs fifteen people. She has received various awards, including "Designer of the Season" for her trendy 2000 collection. But according to Nová, the biggest achievement was representing Czech Republic at London's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a project organized by the British Embassy and Council, this year in May. The project, namely "Crossroads For Ideas", was held to celebrate the entry of seven countries in to the EU. Inspired by two young British fashion designers, Victor & Rolf, Nová feels that London is her city of fashion: "I like its creativity, and honoring innovation which the Czech Republic lacks."
Admirers of her work can gaze at the catwalk, which will present about 50 of her designs, on November 12 in Prague (venue to be determined) and which will be the final part of the "Crossroads For Ideas" project. Nová admits that her designs, uniquely for women, are not for all. "I prefer clearly contemporary design with wit," she concludes.

Kristína Havasová

Bringing the sea to Prague

Jiří Štift Photo: Vojtěch Vlk

Betting a restaurant's reputation on seafood can be a risky venture in a land-locked country. But that's what the Radisson SAS Alcron restaurant does - and excels at. The menu is centered around everything from the sea, and it is this - along with unbelievable consistency - that sets executive chef Jiří Štift (29) apart.

To come to his creations, Štift combines his many experiences cooking around the globe, although his beginning wasn't so worldy. After training for five years at a local culinary school, then working at various Czech tourist restaurants, Štift knew he needed a change if he was going to develop. He got this opportunity in 1996 at Prague's Intercontinental Hotel, where he also took part in competitions and really started playing with food. This experience landed him a six-month opportunity aboard the Queen Elisabeth 2 in 1998, which broadened his mind and taste buds. "It was great to meet so many different nationalities and cuisines," he says, adding that at every stop on this world voyage he would spend his free time in local restaurants. Štift has also had many stints in Radisson kitchens around Europe, including Le Sie`cle in Vienna and Brussels' two-star Michelin restaurant, Sea Grill, an experience he calls the best in his life. "Everything I know today, I learned at work," he says, discounting his early schooling.
Sea scallops with Cordonetti pasta is one of Štift's subtle signature dishes. Using a trick he picked up in Italy, Štift mixes ground porcini mushrooms in with the flour used to make the pasta. Then, in a unique but suitable pairing, he combines the pasta with sea scallops and porcini mushrooms.
With his restaurant already a holder of the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences' coveted five-star Diamond Award - the first in Prague - Štift still has a lot work in his native city. In the future, he plans to travel for more inspiration, as well as to write a cookbook - to go along with his cooking courses - and he would like to have a television program. What about his own venue? "The restaurant will come after all that," he smiles.

Jason Hovet

Cutting her way to the top

Petra Měchurová Photo: archiv

Hairstylist Petra Měchurová is, at the age of 28, enjoying the peak of her career. Hundreds of her hairstyles have been published in numerous hair and fashion magazines, and recently she was chosen to compete in the annual international contest organised by AIPP, an association of world media publishers from the hairstyling field.

As one of the 43 best hair-dressers in the world she will be the sole representative of her country at Paris' Mondial Coiffure Beauté hairdressing festival in October this year. The contest consists of five categories, and Měchurová will compete against seven other nominees in the Best Avant-Garde Collection category. The Czech stylist impressed the judges with her new "de luxe" collection, which was conceived for the autumn-winter 2004-5 season.
After having various internships abroad, Měchurová opened a studio, bearing her name, in 2001. Despite her success in this venture, she has decided not to open any more. "It's better to have one that's excellent than three that are average," she explains. The fact that she only opened up her studio three years ago is also reflected in the prices, which she concedes are very low for the quality of her cuts. "We're not the most expensive in Prague," she says, adding that the reason for her underpricing is the relative youth of her studio.
Her clientele consists mostly of middle to upper class women between 25 to 55, but also some men, usually their husbands. With every hairstyle comes a new idea and when the customer returns, she tries to do a new hairstyle so that they're not bored. This explains her famous clientele, which includes Karel Gott. Měchurová also co-operates with modelling agencies, which she enjoys because she has more leeway in creativity. "It's like fashion design. You never wear what you see in magazines or catwalks." Because she likes to, in her words, "play games" with hair, this type of work suits her perfectly.
As Měchurová used to excel at school, people around her discouraged her from going into this field, for monetary reasons. Still, she decided to pursue a career in hairdressing and has been doing it for the past ten years with much success, now co-operating with prestigious brands like L'Oréal.

Kristína Havasová

Musical ecstasy

Jan P. Muchow Photo: Vojtěch Vlk

He's a well-respected composer of alternative music that pop music lovers can enjoy, too. He's one of the few Czechs who stays in touch with the current scene abroad. And what does Jan P. Muchow (33), a musician, composer of film and theatrical sound tracks, producer, actor, and beginning director say of himself? "I never studied music, I just listened to a lot of it."

UNTIL AGE seventeen he lived mainly for football, which he played for the famed Slavia Praha club. But when he arrived at the technical college on Betlémská Street to study engineering he discovered the Slavia café, and everything changed. "I didn't want to go from the comfort of drinking tea to the sweaty pitch," he explains. In 1991, Muchow established the still active band Ecstasy of Saint Theresa, which is one of the few Czech groups to see success abroad as well. The album EP Fluidtrance Centauri, released in Great Britain (1993), rose to sixth on the hit parade, and in the US it led in import sales. In 1996 he starred in the film Whisper, for which he wrote the sound track. Other films followed, such as the famed Samotáři (Loners) and the latest, this year's Non plus ultras. He won a Czech Lion 2004 for the music for the film One Hand Doesn't Clap.
With time many Czech performers began to cooperate with this talented musician, so he helped create albums by Anna K. and the group Kryštof. "Unless it's a job where I must meet some requirements, my only criterion is that I have to like it. I never worry about what people will say or if the music suits average tastes," Muchow explains.
He says he's no different from other musicians. "Instead, I know what I have in common with them. I enjoy soccer, I can't read music, and I'm completely impractical in practical life," he recounts with exaggeration.

Anita Lišková

In with the new

Vít Komrzý Photo: David Holas

By keeping the human touch in an industry dominated by technology, Universal Production Partners, run by the Komrzý brothers, has helped bring the Czech film industry into the 21st century.

In 1989, Vít Komrzý couldn't say no when his father-in-law asked for some help at work. "He needed assistance combining the classic art of animation with modern technology," says Vít of his father-in-law - animator Radek Pilař of Večerníček fame. The cooperation lasted until Pilař's death in 1993. Unsure what to do next, Vít, along with a friend - Vít's brother, Petr, later joined as head of production - started the post-production company Universal Production Partners (UPP) in 1994.
After a few years of working on commercials - and saving to upgrade its equipment - UPP got its first visual effects project on a feature film, Nesmrtelná teta. Later, the company's efforts to crack Hollywood paid off while working on visual effects for Jan Svěrák's Tmavomodrý svět. When shooting stalled amid refinancing, the film's London SFX supervisor referred UPP to Anthony Mignella, who needed about 80 shots created for his upcoming The Talented Mr Ripley. After successfully completing both films, Vít says, "Finally, we had references."
Now UPP can compete with just about anybody on the international level. What sets UPP apart is the success it's had combining the classic art of Czech filmmaking along with the latest technology. "Our team has great experience working with classical film," Vít says. UPP became the first Czech firm to work with Digital Intermediate three years ago. In this technology, the filmmaker's 35mm negative is scanned onto a hard disk and then changes and visual effects are worked digitally. Speed is one advantage. "Flexibility is also much better," Vít says, showing that certain aspects of a scene can be changed as opposed to the whole scene. He says, "You have unlimited creative potential. I think Digital Intermediate will have a big influence [on the future of the Czech film industry]."

Jason Hovet

Material beauty

Radim Babák Photo: Vojtěch Vlk

The young designer Radim Babák (32) gained public awareness back in his third year of studies at the Institute of Applied Arts (VŠUP). With schoolmate Jan Tuček he created lamps with shades made of PUR foam, and Ingo Maurer chose them for the prestigious publication Design Yearbook 1999/2000.

"Every material has its own characteristics and hidden beauty. You just need to discover it and have the courage to combine them. When I succeed it makes me happy, and I don't care if I use expensive or cheap materials," says Babák. A lover of the color orange, he creates functionally designed furniture that at first glance looks austere. Babák claims he'd never start working on an order that failed to catch his interest. "My dream is to work with people who respect me and can listen and perceive the idea I want to bring to the project," he says.
In 2000 Babák graduated from VŠUP's architecture and design studio, where he studied under Professor Jiří Pelcl, and is now the assistant there. The designer became famous for using unusual materials such as foam and plastic, and while still a student presented his work at prestigious fairs and exhibitions in Milan and New York. Last year he, along with schoolmate Ondřej Tobola, established the hippos studio, which will be officially introduced this autumn at Designblok 2004, in Prague. They focus on industrial furniture design, but also plan to work in architecture in the future.
Among designers, he particularly likes the Dutch association, Droog design. "Their projects involve more than just interesting, trendy effects or colors," Babák says. He sees the differences between approaches to design in this country and abroad mainly in the availability of new technologies. "Using high-tech materials is taken for granted by foreign designers, who learn about them in school," notes Babák. "On the other hand, there's a great potential of ideas here. Just look at the works by design and architecture students."

Anita Lišková