Fyodor Podgorny and Golan Frydman are two incredibly unique individuals, and when they came together to form the design force that is Fyodor Golan, something truly bizarre and beautiful happened. Thanks to their instantly recognisable signatures (bull nose-rings and constricting chokers have graced the faces of their models) Fyodor Golan have become a phenomenal success on the fashion scene, securing a spot in Somerset House for London Fashion Week and receiving praise from every fashion publication worth mentioning, all with just three seasons under their belt. 

In the past year Fyodor Golan has exploded onto the fashion scene. What do you think separates you two from the other young design teams we see every season?

It’s the way we work; we like to work obsessively with each silhouette, which is one of the reasons our collections and looks are quite diverse, we are putting a point of view through our collections. It’s not for everybody but it’s there to be read, you either love us or you don’t.

Flowers of Evil S/S12

You two have worked with true contemporary greats, from Raf Simons to Alexander McQueen and Issey Miyake. What does a young designer gain from such prestigious tutelage?

They make you think and teach you to see more than just a dress. It’s about something in between the lines, rather than what you see in front of you. It’s something that keeps the dress together, an invisible thread. When you put on a dress and you feel something, this is what we are here for. The items we design have a point of view (as suggested in the above answer) in a way it’s a reflection of the time we live in with combination of personal input. We certainly have an old school way of designing but it’s extremely satisfying for a designer.

Flowers of Evil S/S12

Many people jump to making comparisons between Fyodor Golan and McQueen, do you see it yourself? Who are your inspirations?

We put extreme amount of thought and development into one look, which is part of the old school training. We see similarities in the way we work, for example, having an obsession with something and then working and reworking it until we are satisfied (which can get complex, our inspirations are not straight forward). We think this drive is what is similar between ourselves and McQueen. This is, for us, how you can find yourself in the huge fashion world; it’s that freedom that allows a designer to find their signature and the elements that people will remember you by.

Our inspirations come from people and nature. People like Frida Kahlo, Courtney Love, Marilyn Monroe, David Lachapelle, Pedro Almadovar, Francois Ozon, Elsa Schiaparelly, Thierry Mugler, Erte so on...

It’s human nature to react to something or somebody new by ceating comparisons.

Flowers of Evil S/S12

What excites you about womenswear?

The Body Language – how items make you feel.

We like to show the evolution of our collections through our clothes. It can be visual, but also personal; that is where people connect with our garments. It can be a story of a Russian aristocrat or an ex-royal but the main point is about the process of change within oneself when wearing an item designed by us, and this is what people connect to. It’s about the connection between the audience, buyers and clients and us and our pieces.

Flowers of Evil S/S12

In your last collection, each piece was fitted individually to each model, why do you choose to use this couture method of design?

Because it’s a personal element, each item is personal. We are here not to compete with high street or to create generic clothes but to be individual. We want to engage people with our clothes.

Welcome to the Machine A/W12

A lot of your collections feel slightly melancholic, gothic and even subversive. Would you say that you’re attracted to the darker side of life?

We don’t see ourselves as dark, all of that is part of life, being angry then being happy - it can all happen in one day. It’s this human experience which people might see as dark and gothic. We're over the gothic edge in fashion; we don't mean to portray darkness. If you are perceiving it in our collections, then it’s more about human psychology rather than being purposefully melancholic, like an animal instinct or a raw human reaction.

Welcome to the Machine A/W12

Does being married ever make working together difficult?

Of course. Fashion can be hard, as can anything you care for. You need to put the effort in, in order to create and achieve something.

Welcome to the Machine A/W12

Have you ever had a real disaster with a collection? Have you ever thrown everything out of the window and started from scratch?

In some ways....not yet...

Last season the finale gown almost didn't appear on the catwalk simply because the zip broke a few minutes after the show started so Golan was fixing it like crazy until the last moment when it had to go out.

But generally, as we like to work with the process of change, we design the collection and then we listen to fabrics, textures and shapes that can evolve into something else. Nothing is a huge disaster when we work; it’s a natural progression. That truly is the best part, to see something you didn't realise was there.

Welcome to the Machine A/W12

Apart from your upcoming S/S13 collection, what’s next for Fyodor Golan? Are there any projects you want to realise?

We see this upcoming season as a mood of change for us, we try to define the current fashion situation and where we want to grow. There is one idea that we are very keen to realise, sorry to be so mysterious but we are bit superstitious, so we will be keeping this under wraps. We have all the right people but as always need to find funds. But it’s a project we will create; its only matter of time.

Fyodor Golan will be showcasing their S/S12 collection on Friday 14th September at London Fashion Week. For details go to www.londonfashionweek.co.uk