Diana Jap is 25 and comes from Sweden. She is a student of fashion Design at Atelier Chardon Savard in Paris and was the winner of the 2011 Volcom SEED project. The students from ACS were asked to recreate our tee and fleece collection and Diana created an amazingly detailed and technical coat, which won her the placement at Volcom. Her collection is hitting the shops right now so she decided to share her inspiration with you.
When you came to Volcom, what was your starting point and inspiration for your collection?
Before I started at Volcom, I had a photo that I really liked and some time ago I put it into my inspiration pile. The vibe of the picture was very “Pocahontas”. Since I was creating this collection for a street wear brand, I thought that a theme of ethnic punk would fit. So that is how and why I chose the theme ethnic punk inspired by the Native American Indians.
Who do you think is the kind of girl that would wear Volcom SEED?
A girl who takes inspiration from the urban scene – she is creative and she likes to “mix and match” to create her own individual style.
What is your favorite piece?
I think the key piece is definitely the POWWOW jacket. It is detailed with fringes and prints and is really a special piece! It’s not as «easy» as the other pieces, but definitely something for the person who is looking for something off-the-wall. And I also think it corresponds the most to the theme I’ve worked on. I also really love the MAHPYUA pull fleece in mustard yellow, because it’s a pretty simple piece but with a big print in the center coming out of nowhere.
Give us 5 words that describe your collection?
Color flash, edgy, urban, individualistic and sharp.
What has been the hardest thing in creating your own collection?
There are a lot of restraints regarding pricing and sales capacity so I had to adapt to this. I felt it can limit creativity a bit, but I guess it’s something I’ll have to get used to! I also had to know exactly what I wanted to achieve in the beginning, as there is almost no time to try out different solutions. For me as a designer things can always change until the last minute, but when you work with different parties, you will notice the frustration coming from everywhere if you don’t keep things as planned!
And your best experience?
The whole process was really great – from sketching to meeting the suppliers to working with the marketing department for the photo shoots. I still have so much to learn, that I think it’s good that I’ve had so many people around me giving their opinions. Even with all the obstacles I found creating these clothes as a perfect way to express myself in way that I can’t do through speech!
Want more? Check out the rest of the exclusive product photos here
