Polski
TOMAOTOMO is a brand created by well-known Polish designer Tomasz Olejniczak. He is an uncompromising artist, true to his artistic vision. Women love his designs because they are always made of the highest quality materials and stand out in a crowd. TOMAOTOMO – I direct my brand to women who want to speak the language of fashion
To us Tomasz Olejniczak talks about his brand and his passion for creation.
TOMAOTOMO - I direct my brand to women who want to speak the language of fashion
How do women today want to look?
Women who no longer want to look stiff are looking for new solutions, such as the sets from my latest collection: I suggest pencil skirts and ballerina bomber jackets. For this, all you need is a white shirt and the whole thing looks professional. GentleWoman is also a woman who wants to be dressed always with taste, especially during evening outings.
What kind of women are you targeting with the TOMAOTOMO brand?
Each collection is designed primarily for women who want to show off their beauty – not only that on the outside, but also that on the inside. Women who are bold, metropolitan, a little romantic, but at the same time very modern. She directs her brand to women who want to speak the language of fashion, are sensual, sexy, are conscious and know what they want to show through their outfit.
What does the name TOMAOTOMO mean?
Everyone asks where the name came from, and the story is related to my name. For as long as I can remember, everyone has called me Tomao, not Tom. I added “tomo”. The name also fits the international market, and I would like TOMAOTOMO, one day, to be a foreign brand as well.
The GentleWoman portal is aimed at bold, conscious, modern women, that is, the women for whom you create your collections. Do you have a vision of what GentleWoman might look like?
GentleWoman is first and foremost a woman I associate with a businesswoman, that is, a lady who works, reaches for new challenges. These are two images. GentleWoman at work does not necessarily wear a black suit with a white shirt, but a fashionable combination in the correct form adapted to the time of day and the nature of work – there are many such outfits at TOMAOTOMO. Women who no longer want to look stiff are looking for new solutions, such as the sets from my latest collection: I suggest pencil skirts and ballerina bomber jackets. For this, all you need is a white shirt and the whole thing looks professional. GentleWoman is also a woman who wants to be dressed always with taste, especially during evening outings. This season GentleWoman shines and always knows how to adapt to the situation. What I pay most attention to is her willingness and ability to speak the language of fashion in typical situations. He wants to draw attention to himself.
It seems that your trademark is the intricate lace that women have managed to fall in love with, but perhaps you have plans to impress with something else?
Lace has always been with me and in every collection. If they did not even dominate, they appeared in finishes made of Italian or French lace. TOMAOTOMO has it that each collection is different, the fabrics can be very elaborate and richly decorated, but the cut characteristics remain constant – classic and simple. I call it modern elegance in an upscale way and consider it the DNA of the brand. I think you can say that about every collection: it’s different, but it’s nice when I hear that you can identify it by looking at the show or photos of the collection without looking at the designer’s name.
Today, the TOMAOTOMO brand is well established, but you had to start somewhere. Do you remember the first thing you designed?
The first item was a lace gown in beige with a flared bottom, made of Italian lace and with a bebe collar. It was presented at a show in Poznan, aroused great interest, to this day the cut of this dress is chosen by ladies for various occasions, even weddings. This was the first thing that pushed me to make design my daily life. During my high school and college years, I created sketches for a drawer, individual projects for people close to me, while it wasn’t until I graduated that the materials saw the light of day. I remember that this dress was a motivator to keep going.
Which item in your collection would you recommend without blinking an eye?
Most characteristic of the collection are the ballerinas, a design made of Italian silk jacquard. It is ideal for evening with an elegant dress, but will also work well with jeans. The motif of ballerinas is quite distinctive to me, and after all, when we decide to buy clothes from a designer, we want them to stand out and attract attention.
The inspiration for your new “Wonderland” collection came from an exhibition at a Paris museum. Being able to choose one of the world’s fashion weeks, would you like to present yourself in Paris?
Evaluating my fashion from the side I think it is more suited to Milan, while my dream is to show in Paris, it would be a great experience for me. At the “Veronique” show, I received a bracelet with a pendant in the shape of a suitcase from Veronika Ksiakevich; the suitcase says “Paris.” The message was that I shouldn’t remove the bracelet until Veronica was seated in the front row at my show in Paris. I wear it all the time.
Veronika Książkiewicz is your muse, right?
It’s true, Veronika is an absolutely unique woman, there is no professional intimacy between us anymore, just pure friendship, broadcasting on the same waves together. This makes our relationship inspiring for me, and Veronica is becoming a closer friend.
What trend do you think may soon take over women’s closets?
I sense a slight change: we will finally shed the stigma of the fur discussion, so winter 2016/17 will be a variation on their theme. It will be colorful, we will combine many patterns, different fabrics, we will notice the contrast in the cut as well. No doubt we are in for a surprising winter.
