Yesterday I was lucky enough to view Afshin Feiz’s SS 09 collection at his catwalk show, held at the Royal Academy. A full report on the show will be coming shortly on Big Smoke Soirees for this designer who has reached the style-sky and keeps on rising…

Before he flies away to even greater heights, Chic Today (being huge fans) had to ask Afshin Feiz a few quick questions:

Your collections always manage to combine fantasy and a fairy-tale feeling with subtle, sculptured sexiness and absolute wearability. That’s quite an achievement! Do you feel it’s the natural result of the themes which inspire you (as well as your exceptional talent, of course!)?

Well I like that there’s a story in what I do and I am very inspired by love, poetry, Disney, fairy tales, and spirituality. That explains the feeling but I like to infuse my clothes with details that tend to often be technically intricate but also help to enhance the body and add something to the overall look without it being a blanket to hide behind. A woman’s prettiness is always put first in my clothes and often they don’t realize that they CAN look a certain way that’s very feminine and flirtatious and they are often pleasantly surprised at their transformation when they try on my clothes. There are three types of designers, those that dress women just to dress them and cover them up, those that dress them and use them as a base for their own “art” but forget the woman altogether, and those of us who balance our craft enough to make the woman feel she is buying something beautiful and creative yet also pushing their own physical beauty to a new level.

Your collections (particularly S/S) portray a dreamy quality – do you have a recurring dream?

They definitely have a dreamy quality, I’m glad you notice that but no, I don’t have a recurring dream. At least not since I was a child when I would dream of being in my grandparents house in the garden up on a higher level and chat with a wolf in human clothing who was lower down. We’d both pretend to be interested in each other’s conversations but each had ulterior motives. I was afraid to look away, waiting for an opportunity to get inside and away from him and he was waiting for me to turn away long enough to jump up and eat me.

Having worked with Thierry Mugler, John Galliano, Christian Lacroix Haute Couture, Nina Ricci and Giles Rosier, who do you feel has had the most influence on your designs?

Probably the spirit of Nina Ricci in general…but I have been influenced by Tom ford, Stella MaCartney, Alexander McQueen and Phoebe Philo very much.

You have worked and lived in England, France, the US and Canada. Where do you think the most stylish people live? Which place inspires your work the most and in what ways?

London is by far the most stylish city in the world as far as creativity goes. I am always inspired in London because even though sometimes it is too much, there are many, many ideas.

What have you found to be the main differences between showing at New York fashion week and London fashion week?

Very simply, New York is great but there are far too many rules that can restrict one’s creativity. London is much more open to experimentation yet the new group of young London designers are also very capable of running real businesses today which was less apparent in the past. There are some amazingly talented new designers that I respect a lot in London and it’s great to be part of them.

So, which other British designers should we be watching during this London Fashion Week?

One of the best designers in the world without doubt is Christopher Bailey at Burberry, and in the smaller company category, Marios Schwab and Erdem.

When did you truly feel that you had made your mark in the fashion world?

Simply the first time I saw someone on the street wearing one of my designs. It made the whole process come full circle and gave me the motivation to take it further.

If you could dress any woman in the world who would it be?

Without doubt Kate Bosworth, Nicole Richie and Cate Blanchett.

Tell us about your new collection…

I don’t want to give away everything before the show but it is ultra, and I mean, ULTRA feminine and light. There’s also a lot of chiffon and delicate details mixed with a harder edge. I was inspired by a silent sermon given by Buddha where he looked at a flower without saying anything for hours on end until one of his monks smiled in understanding. Sometimes there is nothing to say, you just have to admire the beauty around us.

Image courtesy of Afshin Feiz.