THE DESIGNER
Since Noémi Szalkay was a child, she has been drawn to the world of making-shaping, forming, imagining. Creativity has always been her home, even when the possibilities around her felt limited. In school, she followed an advanced English curriculum, but her thoughts often wandered into realms of visual storytelling and the alchemy of creation-how something can rise from nothing.
She finds joy in working with her hands: molding clay, sketching fleeting thoughts into form, giving substance to imagination. She thinks in visual language-fragments of mood and memory that merge into new images.
Among all these explorations, it was textiles-soft, malleable, endlessly expressive-that truly called to her.
In 2022, she began her journey at Mod’Art International Budapest, where she is now completing her studies in fashion design. She is going to graduate this June. There, she learned the language of garments: pattern-making, sewing, digital design, sustainable thinking, and most importantly, how to shape a concept into a collection. Through this, she has come to understand not only technique, but herself-and what she wishes to offer to the world through the clothes she creates.
Her diploma collection is the reflection of a world she carries within her.
She believes fashion, like all art, speaks both to the maker and the witness. It holds responsibility, yes-but it also holds lightness. She sees it as a chance to soften the noise of the world, to fill it instead with meaning, beauty, and joy. Her work seeks to transform negativity into something tender, optimistic, and real.
Beauty, for her, is not something to measure. It is not about looks or “perfection”; it is something you just feel intuitively. Children-and the child within us-recognize truth without needing reason. She connects to that part of herself when she creates. That is the place from which her diploma collection is coming from.
Her aim with the clothes and collections she makes is to support being vulnerable and soft, and to inspire people to find beauty in it.
THE BRAND
My work is driven by passion for craft and devotion to romance. I like to rely on simple silhouettes and offer a modern take on feminine classics. The desire to be raw and beautiful and exist in our own special perspective of femininity even if it feels isolating and off-putting sometimes. Being a woman is not always the best feeling especially if you grew up in a small town, but I’m extremely inspired to create clothes that make us feel prettier.
THE COLLECTION
Once Upon a Time - Awakening the Inner Child through the Idealized Romance of the Chivalric Age
Once Upon a Time is a 6-piece ready-to-wear collection inspired by the idea of awakening the inner child within us, through the romanticized lens of the chivalric era.
The age of chivalry stands as one of history’s most romantic periods, giving birth to countless love poems, odes, and serenades.
During the Middle Ages, people embraced different ideas about how love should be expressed and communicated.
The ideals of chivalry and courtly love elevated the pursuit of love into a noble, almost sacred quest.
Often it was the yearning for forbidden love - a love that, in most cases, was destined to remain unfulfilled.
This love was simultaneously forbidden and morally uplifting, passionate yet restrained, humbling yet exalting, profoundly human yet touched by the transcendent.
The exploration of love within such a complex, layered context has long fascinated Noémi, and she carries within her the hope of breathing new life into it.
Beyond emotional inspiration, the silhouettes of medieval attire, the treatment of textiles, and the intricate details of garments had a profound influence on the design of the collection.
She believes that to truly open oneself to another person and reveal one’s most authentic self, one must first summon the inner child within.
As a woman, nurturing, cherishing, and supporting the little girl inside her is essential for forming safe, meaningful connections.
It is through the presence of this inner child that her softness, gentleness, and innocence are kept alive.
This collection is built upon the tension and subtle parallels between these two realms - the romantic ideals of chivalric love and the purity of childhood.
The silhouettes find their place somewhere between the elements of medieval costume and the delicate touches of a little girl’s wardrobe.
Creating this collection required deep introspection. She had to call forth the little girl who lives within her, to observe her, to reconnect with her, and to reinterpret the ways in which she relates to her - thus weaving these personal processes into the very fabric of the collection.
The theme of girlhood plays a powerful role in the collection, both in visual storytelling and in the details themselves.
She paid special attention to handcrafted elements, as they are deeply connected to the joy and wonder of childhood.
Even today, crafting remains one of her most cherished ways to reconnect with her inner child and return to her roots.
This is one reason she incorporated crochet and braid-like weaving techniques into the details - and another is that these hand-worked surfaces beautifully echo the narrative of the collection. Though they form strong, intricate mesh structures, they leave subtle openings that reveal the skin underneath - symbolizing a gradual unfolding, a gentle act of opening up.
Alongside the subtle integration of chivalric motifs, she aimed to create a contemporary contrast - with loose cords, dangling threads, and exaggerated textures emerging on otherwise traditionally inspired medieval silhouettes.
Throughout the collection, she sought to maintain a dynamic contrast: rough surfaces paired with soft, flowing fabrics.
This intention is also reflected in the material choices - sturdy, denim-like textiles meet supple, draping fabrics, balancing structure with movement.
In the silhouettes, she prioritized the coexistence of playfulness and wearability.
This collection is a celebration of girlhood nostalgia - reimagined through the lens of self-awareness and personal creativity.
It is dedicated to young girls, grown women, and anyone who feels connected to womanhood.
Her aim is to create a reflective experience - one that evokes serenity, safety, and a pure, untouched beauty through every piece.