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Ketevane Maissaia is a Georgian Designer who lives in Paris. Having worked with famous brands such as Maison Martin Margiela, Hermes and others, Ketevane is now famous for her signature zip detailed loafers. Her simple and classy style resonates in her everyday shoes which are timeless, functional and stand for quality. |
with Ketevane Maissaia |
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MORE is LOVE: Who is Ketevane? Can you sum up what you do in a few sentences? Ketevane: I am a Paris-based Georgian fashion designer. I do my own footwear and work for big fashion houses at the same time. MORE is LOVE: How is Paris? What are you working on right now? Ketevane: Paris is great, everyone is waiting for spring to come. Now I am working for a very exciting company, but our collaboration is confidential. MORE is LOVE: Who do you see wearing Ketevane Maissaia footwear? Ketevane: Everyone. |
MORE is LOVE: You moved to Paris in 2004 to study fashion at atelier Chardon Savard, at the same time, in 2004-2007 you completed internships at Hussein Chalayan and Alexander McQueen. You have also worked at Maison Martin Margiela, designing handbags. What was the experience like? Ketevane: It was a huge step ahead for a girl from Post-Soviet world to find herself in a city like Paris! I knew that I was lucky to study and get opportunity to work for such fashion houses as Hussein Chalayan, Hermes, Maison Martin Margiela… Working with brands who’ve made history, taught me that the most important thing of all is remembering who you are. I learned more about myself in Paris then I knew before. Maintaining your true face is the most difficult thing to do but it’s also what makes you unique, so you have to be very careful with it. |
The designers I admire are Yves Saint Laurent, Elsa Schiaparelli.
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MORE is LOVE: What does your studio look like? How do you work on new ideas? Ketevane: My studio is a space with lots of light, art books, magazines, leather swatches. But you can also find my sons toys and some other strange stuff there. MORE is LOVE: How does Georgian, Post-Soviet culture influence your ideas and style? Ketevane: Very much! In soviet Georgia, we did not really have the luxury of fashion choices. I got so used to the idea of functional that I like practical, simple things till today. This is why, even now, in the era of diversity exploding I still find myself sticking to same things and staying faithful to them for a long period of time. I guess it explains why I do a mono product brand. |
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MORE is LOVE: What do you love most about living in Paris? Ketevane: Paris is a timeless city! It is not a dynamic, it doesn't change much. I love Paris ! Everything here seems to be very authentic and natural. |
MORE is LOVE: What music do you listen to? Ketevane: I love Classical music: Chopin, Mozart. Maria Callas majestic voice works best for my inspiration. Sometimes get some vibes from Viktor Tsoi, Depeche Mode or Janis Joplin as well. |
Maintaining your true face is the most difficult thing to do but it’s also what makes you unique.
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MORE is LOVE: What is art for you? Ketevane: The greatest thing is that when you love a movie, music or piece of art, you think it’s yours, that it belongs to you more than to anybody else. You forget about the fact that it’s created by someone else and that there are millions of other people who might like it just as much as you do. Art is something that goes straight to your heart and becomes yours. MORE is LOVE: What advice would you give to young people from Georgia? Ketevane: Enjoy the special epoque you are living in now for Georgia full of changes! Appreciate it, feel it, love it because it does not really look like any other country and know that the ‘The Best Is Yet to Come’! |
LOVE is... "when you can forgive"
