March 29

Just Like Honey

Florencia Kozuch’s graduate collection is the height of fashion, literally.

Listed among the ‘Ones to Watch’ by Vauxhall Fashion Scouts for London Fashion Week, 23 year old Argentinian native Florencia Kozuch infuses her rich heritage with her penchant for all things Rock and Roll in the form of tasselled garments, towering head pieces and lavish textures.

Growing up in Buenos Aires, Kozuch saw fashion in her surroundings. She recounts early memories of her relatives and how she loved seeing them dressed so elegantly at family gatherings. As she grew older her Mother became her biggest influence. Florencia recalls, “I would watch my Mother getting ready to go out. I loved her shoes and dresses. She was very hip!”

From the time of her earliest memories, Kozuch was encouraged to draw and create. By the time she reached eleven or twelve, her random doodles had turned into concrete designs. In 2002, the family decided to relocate to Barcelona, much to the delight of their originative daughter. “Moving to Spain was great for me, as I was closer to London.” Two years later, she was on a plane, ready to take the city by storm with a promising place at Central Saint Martins – one of London’s most revered art institutions. “It had been my dream forever, I was thrilled!” It is clear that this designer has a love affair with London, saying it feels like home. “I’m very privileged to live here. I love the city, the architecture, the markets, the people on the streets. You can find anything you’ve ever dreamed of here – from exotic fruits to curious artefacts”. When she’s not designing, Kozuch can be found wandering around the city, where she enjoys visiting galleries, buying food and flowers at the market or simply going to movie theatres.

Kozuch recounts the most notable influences on her graduate collection as the Onas, an ancient Argentinian tribe of hunter – gatherers and Scottish alternative rock band, The Jesus and Mary Chain. This isn’t at all surprising, due to her love of the rock aesthetic. “I love music. It creates moods and I use those moods to develop ideas” she says. “I find that fashion and music go hand in hand through history, complementing each other”. This is evident in her personal style, which she describes as ‘classic - rock with an individual twist’ and she talks of her favourite item of clothing - a pair of ripped jeans. “I can’t live without them. I know I should let them go, but I can’t!” If the opportunity arose, (and based on the popularity of her recent collection alone this is bound to happen) Kozuch would gladly design for Rod Stewart, Bobby Gillespie and The Kill’s sultry front woman, Alison Mosshart.

And what inspires her now? “My sources for inspiration are always changing…” says Kozuch. “But I keep coming back to leather, the Velvet Underground, flowers, animals and tribal warriors”.

Kozuch is currently working on her summer collection, which promises to be incredible – but first she has to settle on a concept. This concept however is staying close to her heart. “I’ve changed it three times already, so I can’t tell you much about it at the moment!”

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