Mel Thadea is a visual designer who enjoys exploring nature and cultures, using digital tools to translate them into wonderful and curious visuals. She worked as a graphic designer and motion designer whilst finishing university, but her academic training and her passions lie in film, fashion and the combination of both. Now, she is a freelance visual designer, exploring storytelling through the combination of film and fashion. She believes that digital fashion is a new way to express oneself in a fun and imaginative way.

Where to find Mel: Instagram- @melthadea

Website- https://melthadea.squarespace.com

Irina Blagochevskaya is a fashion designer from Moscow, Russia with more than eight years of experience. For most of it, she lived and worked for different brands in Bali, Indonesia. When COVID-19 started, she had to find a remote job. That was when she discovered CLO3D. She fell in love with the possibilities of this program and now can proudly call herself a digital fashion designer. Currently, she is working as a freelance 3D apparel designer - digitalising real clothes or creating 3D samples for production. But, when she has time, she likes to participate in creative projects and collaborations. She really enjoys what she does and keeps learning everyday. She believes that 3D is going to change the whole process of designing and production, making it more sustainable.

Where to find Irina: Instagram- @clothes_3d

INTERVIEW

Raine: Why did you choose to pursue fashion design?

Irina: Like many people who become fashion designers, I was creating dresses for my dolls when I was a child. Later on, I started to make clothes for myself and my friends, so I didn't have to think long when the time came to choose what I was going to study in university.

Raine: How did you discover digital fashion design?

Mel: I always had an interest in storytelling mediums like fashion and film. I noticed that costumes in films can be so exciting and curious. Now as a visual designer, I like to help fashion designers to present their designs in a fun manner which is only able to be done in the virtual world.

Irina: I already had many years of experience as a fashion designer when I first saw a work created in CLO3D. It impressed me, but for some reason I thought that it was too difficult to learn and forgot about it for a while until COVID-19 came. Then, I found myself struggling without any work and it was a perfect time to study something new.

Raine: What inspirations do you have for your designs

Mel: My inspiration comes from different sources; it can be from a photograph, a poem, or a culture. For example, with the Kintsugi project, I was inspired by its craft and philosophy, a beauty in imperfections. We wanted to explore different elements of kintsugi like gold cracks, pottery, etc. that paid homage to Japanese culture but also had a modern interpretation.

Irina: To be honest, I'm better at following the task. So, normally when I'm working for someone, they give me an idea which becomes my inspiration.

Raine: How would you define your personal style?

Mel: Ever-changing. I can't say I have one style; I think there are still so many different techniques and styles left unexplored.

Raine: Do you prefer digital fashion design or physical fashion design? Why?

Mel: I have no preference. I think both have their own uniqueness and function.

Irina: At the moment, I prefer digital fashion design because it gives me more freedom in experimenting. Also, I don't have to spend money on any fabrics or trims because I create them by myself.

Raine: What are three things that your fans don't know about you?

Both: 1. We're both multilingual. Between both of us, we speak four languages - English, Russian, Indonesian and Chinese.

2. We're both digital nomads. We met through Instagram but funnily enough we lived in almost similar countries like the United Kingdom and Indonesia.

3. We’re originally from Indonesia (Mel) & Russia (Irina).

Raine: What words of wisdom can you share with others on a similar journey?

Mel: Just do it. Often you'll find that it's not as scary as you imagine.

Irina: Practising and studying is a key to success in this field.

Raine: If you could style one celebrity, who would it be?

Both: We're not sure but we think Lil Nas X would be fun since his style can be both masculine and feminine.

Raine: How has your work as a graphic designer and motion designer affected your fashion designs?

Mel: As a creator and director, my background helps me to translate from storytelling into visual mediums and to communicate with people in different disciplines.

Raine: Do you have any exciting plans coming up?

Mel: I'm excited to explore different stories and collaborate with more artists from different backgrounds.