My interview with the fashion designer Dmitri Gunasena

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How did you decide that you eventually wanted to become a fashion designer?

- When i was growing up, i enjoyed drawing alot, and often it was figures, people in clothes, and as i grew older and realised i could make it a proffession, i thought what better way to earn a living than doing what you love?which is when i decided to go into fashion as a proffession.

Were did you go to school? What did you study?

I attended middle-school in Dubai, ironically in a school that did not provied ARTS!Which means for 11 years i studied things i would not later use in my proffession, however afte my graduation i attended Esmod French fashion university in Dubai, where for the first time i had a chance to meet artistic and passionate individuals such as myself.

What did your classmates think in school when they saw your designs and original creations?

In a all boys class you tend to not get recognition for drawing dresses!(haha)but in Esmod, everyone appreciated my ability to create artistic garments.

What happened after you finished fashion design school?

I worked for about 2 Months at a local design company, after which i left to pursue creating my own label and brand launch.

What inspired you to get into fashion design?

Like i said, my fascination with drawing figures lead me to think about clothes and the clothes were items of inspiration.In the sense you have to be truly inspired by art, movies or books to be able to draw clothes and when i was younger everything inspired me.

How would you describe the "DMI" woman?

The DMI woman is nothing but 'certain'! ceratain of her beauty, certain of her confidence and certain of her ability to make anything chic!I always believe if you have the right attitude you can walk out of your house wearing a trashbag and make it look like couture!So, in short the DMI woman is a woman of confidence that appreciates fine dressing.

What are your basic design principles?

I dont really have many design principles , but the only one i do follow is-NEVER COPY someone elses work!Its not only insulting but in my opinion a criminal disregard for the hardwork of another individual.

Where do u seek inspiration?

Inspiration to me comes from things often considered ugly by many people, i like for example old walls with chipped cracked paint, or a heap of dead roses in different colours.Its your ability as a designer to take something and recreate a whole other concept for it,sell it and make it look beautiful.

Favorite saying/quote?

Less is More

Who is your favorite fashion designer?

I appreciated manythings about many designers, but i most admired the late Alexander Mcqueen, the beauty of Valentino Garavani and the amazing ability of Karl Lagerfeld to keep reinventing Chanel for more than a decade!

What is your favourite fabrics?

I like pure cotton blends , you get such a giant variety of cottons in Sri Lanka, and i love the feel of fabrics that you can use for daywear and eveingwear.To me, those kinds of multipurpose fabrics are far better than silks or satins, the word silks or satins even makes me shudder a bit at the moment!

Do you have a muse?

Often when i design a collection its with a muse in mind, in the past i was inspired by models such as Irina, Freja, Devon Aoki(actress/model)
So you see it changes with the times.

When you create something, what goes through your mind?

These days alot! Will they like it? will people buy it?how do i make this? so its a whole lot of questions that you have to be able to answer before drawing, its simply not just about a sketch anymore.

What message do you try to convey with your collection?   

With my new collection is more about Urban wearability and the importance of gender equality which is why many of the pieces are UNISEX.Stay tuned for the first official pictures of the collection to be released on www.pintsizedfashionista.com soon!

Which is your preferred season?

I love both spring and fall.

What was been your most memorable moment to date, and why?

When i could finally afford LOUIS VUITTON!(which is going to be around next week so im anticipating its going to be a giant memorable event!!

What do you love most about fashion?

That is conveys alot more than people think, looking at a collection can often give you a glimpse of whats happening around the world.Fashion is a evolution of thought and its that current change that continues to drive me.

What can we expect from your fall/winter 2012 collection?

Lots of studs, buttons and monchrome colour pops, its about chic urban wearabilty, a complete contrast to my previous collection!

What advice do you have for those who wants to become a fashion designer?

Never give up, never think its easy(if it were wed all be LAGERFELD!)and never ever think stealing someone elses work is going to get you to the top!Itsa ll about being able to work your strongest abilities. I will say this though, always market yourself and make contacts, always make contacts theres nothing more vaulable to success(besides talent but talent needs to be harnessed)besides that!

If you could give one pice of fashion advice, what would it be?

Stay true to yourself, theres nothing worse than seeing someone trying to dress like somebody else.Always be confident in what your wearing, that way people will always see its beauty.

Check DMI S/S 12 preview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v4FbYqxa0Y