Svetlana Khanova of BabyLana Fashion

Art and expression: BabyLana Fashion

For the monthly heading Art and Expression, this month I want to talk about a great designer and fashion illustrator: BabyLana Fashion, born Svetlana Khanova.

This talented girl is last - year student at Kazan National Research Tecnhological University, and she has clear ideas about what she wants to be. Among her future project: create her own Fashion House and make unique collections... when they say fly low...

 It was a real pleasure to "interview" her: she's nice and funny! Svetlana (ops! BabyLana) is 23 years old, she actually lives in Russia, where she's studying Fashion Design. When she was a child she lived in a small town, then, when she was 18, she moved in Kazan City, so far from her parents's home. Fashion illustrator for passion, designer by chance (she wanted to study architecture), she also discovered her passion for fashion five years ago, and since that day, she wants to turn that passion into reality. Now she's completing her studies and pluging headlongher post graduation projects: "create (for the first time) my own little Fashion House and make unique dresses with some unbeliavable decorations on it, romantic or contemporary stilysh accessories. And, of course, become a great Fashion Illustrator!". 

Actually she's making a lot of things for her Diploma, like her recent collection, presented at last Ufa City Fashion Week, a movie presentation of her six years of studies, a portfolio album and preparing for other two certificates: Fashion Show and Art Exhibition. A life around fashion!

BabyLana s/s collection 2012 - Ufa City Fashion Week

BabyLana s/s collection 2012 - Ufa City Fashion Week

BabyLana s/s collection 2012 - Ufa City Fashion Week

Thanks to a facebook friend, she also created a profile on tumblr.com where she added her online portfolio and that she uses like a blog, writing about her collections (and, why not, exercising with her english!).

When I asked her where her inspiration comes from, she said: "Inspiration is a funny word. I mean, when you actually need it, it's obviously somewhere in "nowhere" and no one search could help you... You just have to sit, relax and turn off your thoughts and it will come,  promise!" she smiled "The nest help is Internet. My favourite illustrated e-book is Pinterest.com. Only best images filled it". She suggests me two web sites: http://paperfashion.net/, is the first site that send her into fashion illustrations and http://designlovefest.com/, in her opinion "it will change your life for sure!".

I also asked her what's her relationship with fashion and she said: "I feel so close to it [fashion] right now, more than last year. I have passion for art since childhood and I've been able to look at masterpieces of artists for so long... but now I can compare fashion with art. Design is so hard and takes so many time and persistence to turn it into something special".

Following the motto "Always do what you like", she loves people who love to experimet with their style and are not afraid to do it! And for those who have not found their own style yet, she suggests to take inspiration by magazines and Internet and intepret in their own way, the looks they like.

I really like this girl. She find her ballance in the perfect combo between art and fashion, being at the same time designer and fashion illustrator. And even if she feels lack of her drawings right now (as I said she's focusing on her school projects), she hopes to make a mark into fashion world and I wish her to realize her dream as soon as possible. 

If you liked her works as I did, visit her web sites: http://babylana.tumblr.com/ - http://pinterest.com/babylana/.