To launch a Szputnyik you need devotion, bravery, faith, but most of all imagination, to be able to see that fashion conscious and young people of Budapest need vintage, original and unique clothes. I talked with Ingrid Szekeres about difficulities, concurrency, acceptance and the art of fashion. 

I studied russian in primary school, so sputnik means fellow-traveler to me, but it was also the name of the first soviet satellite. Does your Szputnyik have anything to do with this russian word?
Yes. Szputnyik means fellow-traveler for us as well. The idea came from Roland Vörös, the owner, who was inspired by Murakami Haruki Japeneese writer. The protagonist of the novel calls her fellow-traveler Sputnyik sweetheart, and we really liked that. We believe that this store is our fellow-traveler. The russian line is rather part of the eclecticity we stand for. We think we have given a special, and catchy name to the world we create and live in.

Have others of the profession discover Szputnyik yet? I mean stylists, theathre dressers, fashion bloggers, fashion designers...
More and more people have found us over the past one and a half year. They love that style and the inpiring atmosphere we have to offer. Theathres - starting from The Hungarian National Theartre, and Katona József theatre, through National Theatre of Miskolc to Szputnyik Shipping Company - mainly visit our location at Bakáts square, Szputnyik Bazaar, since there are more costumes, meanwhile those who are more into fashion, come to our Dohány street location where they can find real quality vintage and new treasures. A few days ago a stylist visited us, whose last chance was Szputnyik to find clothes for a shoot. They needed a piece from the 1950's and they couldn't find anything anywhere, until they came to Szputnyik.

I think those who wear these clothes have to be brave and have to have a great sense of style to be able to mix and match the different pieces. How do you see it, can your costumers live up to that? 
Well mostly the young people, however, I don't want to universalise, since brave and stylish costumers can come from all ages. Mixing the unique, old elements of past eras with contemporary fashion is an exciting and daring task. We believe that fashion is about individuality and choosing and mixing the clothes and creating outfits is a personal chioce. We encourage everyone to be creative, find their own personal style and dare to express themselves! Szputnyik shops provides an opportunity to browse between styles, everyone can find the clothes and accessories that express them most. Vintage and retro dresses, unique printed t-shirts with bold, fun or even childish, or surreal patterns attract attention to the wearer instantly. 

How about those people who feel brave enough but somehow need a little advice. Can you help them?
That is very rare, but of course if they ask for our opinions we are happy to help. Foreigners are mainly looking for vintage pieces. They shop more bravely and move more confidently among clothes from the past than most locals. They tend to get lost inside the store looking for the things that fit them the most. What is that exactly? It depends. Every costumer has their own style. 

Which is your favorite era when it comes to fashion?
It's hard to choose a definite era, they are all exciting for one thing or another. The radical changes of the 1920's, short fringed dresses, cigarette holders, rebellious bob haircuts for women and marcel waves and jazz. Then there's the glamour of the 1950's, the elegance, class, colors and fragrances. Christian Dior, New Look, Coco Chanel and many more.

Do you follow contemporary trends in fashion?
Absolutely. When I have to decide on what to hang on our clothing racks then I have to now current trends, new ideas and recent collections since these influence our costumers as well. I follow the work of many great designers and the shows of the fashion weeks. 
Collecting clothes is much more than just a pastime for us. It's a way to preserve and appreciate history, culture and fashion. 

Who are your favorite designers?
Hussein Chayalan's Paris exhibition was a huge influance. It's amazing how differently the designer interprets fashion. Lightly breaks down boundaries and mixes fashion with statuary and performance art. I believe art is permeable and different art forms do more good to each other than harm.There are always some special pieces, unique solutions, materials that inspire me. I love Vivienne Westwood who also has an effect on society and transformed regular dressing by adding perversion to it and thus she created her own look. Our other favorites are Alexander McQueen and Jean Paul Gaultier. We appreciate that they have respect for classical clothing while demolishing conventions.

How about Hungarian designers? 
I like the provocative and exciting clothing of Dóra Mojzes and Dóra Abodi who is always experimenting and fresh, but I could mention many more people. Hungarian designers are very creative, however, they have very limited opportunities here. 

These kind of stores go way back abroad, vintage stores only appeared in Hungary a few years ago. What is going on abroad right now? 
Whenever we travel abroad it is certain that we spend 2-3 days with visiting local vintage stores. They are very inspiring. Reworking and retouching old clothing has long been part of many businesses. We would like to do that too, since we find many clothes that are not yet wearable due to its design or size. We would like to turn these into more modern, stylish clothing in the name of recycling and preserving values. 

Along with vintage clothing you also sell brand new designs. How often do you refresh your stock?
We try to renew it every 2-3 months with keeping the seasons and current trends in mind. It's less frequent when it comes to our vintage collection since those are timeless pieces. 

Your "Hello Cicu" collection was createn in collaboration with artist Márk Fridvalszki. How important are young artisians are for your store?
Collaborations with local artists and designers are highy important to us. We are already planning a new t-shirt design competition. We haven't figured out all the details yet, but the competition will be open to everyone who would like to prove themselves. 

You have had an exhibition at Fogasház. Why did you want to be presen in that field as well?
We always emphasize that these clothes are not only special beacuse they are unique but they have also been around for decades, so they each have a story. Value has a place in today's world and it is easy to show how we would wear them through photographs. We tried to figure out a way to show that and the collaboration of the two photographers showed us the way. Zsófia Heisler took analogue photographs as a retrospective into Lauren Bacal's glamorous era in the 1920's and 1930's. Marcell Kurlik's digital photograps on the other hand have put the clothes into modern surroundings. The connection lies in the clothes represented. This opposition shows how timeless these vintage clothes are through the photograps.

Organizing and planning the exhibition was a great experience for all of us. We hope we will have many more projects like that. 

SZPUTNYIK SHOP POP-UP

Budapest V. Március 15. tér 1.
Nyitva/Open: H-Szo/Mon-Sat 11:00 - 19:00
(2016. június 1 - szeptember 30.)

SZPUTNYIK SHOP D-20
Budapest VII, Dohány utca 20.
SZPUTNYIK SHOP K-22
Budapest VI, Király utca 22. (Káldy u.1)
SHOP ONLINE
www.szputnyikshop.hu

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