March 8, 2016Alfia GalimovaAlfia Galimova is Melbourne based artist, illustrator and fashion designer.... Alfia Galimova is Melbourne based artist, illustrator and fashion designer. Born and raised in Russia, she went on to study Visual Arts and Crafts. Her love for fashion developed during her time at university. Only after she migrated to Australia 11 years ago she was able to pursue a career - firstly, in the fashion industry, and later as a freelance illustrator and a fashion designer. She believes in learning being a lifetime process which has nothing to do with age, starting point, or even your previous experience but only strong desire and passion. Constantly testing new things and getting new ideas, Alfia is finding her own voice, albeit her practice is still grounded upon a solid and fundamental classic Russian Visual art school. I have been loving Fluevogs and dreaming about them since I first saw them when I moved to Australia. I found them in a lovely boutique in a heart of Melbourne called 'SoleDevotion', and it was a love at first sight of course! I grew up during socialism in Russia, hence we did not see much in terms of fashion. Perhaps this is why I appreciate them as much as I do. I could only afford to buy my first pair of Fluevogs recently. It was a pair of beautiful, black Scout clogs. I love them, and treat them very well! What was the inspiration to create Only Stars and You? I thought FluevogCreative was an opportunity not to be missed. Anyone who knows of it would surely want to participate! Every project is a challenge and every time you learn something about things and about yourself. I couldn't miss that! As a designer and an illustrator, I firstly have to carefully consider and research the brief set by the client. This process was much the same for this competition. In this case, my client was The John Fluevog brand. I couldn't dismiss his inspiration especially because it was so poetic. I played with the idea of using a Greek mythology behind of Lyra Starseed. What was your creative process? The creative process isn't always entirely straight forward. I must admit, the final idea came to me almost too late. However, once you get the idea, and you always know when it’s the right one. Despite the time constraint being a challenge in this situation, I always love to push myself for the final outcome. However, I must admit, even when you finally submit it your piece, always want to change something. But I'm sure this is typical for most creatives. Apart from art and design, what do you like to do for fun? I always find this question difficult to answer as I love what I do. When I come up with a great idea it is the biggest source of pleasure for me. When your client is happy with your work it's the greatest honour of all. To me, my practice is my greatest source of fun. I draw, I design and I create. In my spare time, I'm frequently going to the opera and jazz concerts, visiting art galleries, watching movies and surfing Internet for artistic inspiration! What are your dreams? Growing up I learned not to dream. Then you don’t get disappointed when your dreams don’t come true. But in recent years I am really loving what I am doing and the people I am meeting. I dream big this days – keep on drawing! Why not? I am only 162 cm tall that is not far to fall. Every time something good comes along you feel so happy because it’s unexpected. Check out Alfia's website for her work!
