THE DESIGNER
Enamoured by folk dancing, the designer Dora found herself immersed in the world of Hungarian folklore at a young age. Over the years, her infatuation with traditional costumes grew into profound respect, and by the age of 21, it became her mission to find a way to preserve her heritage in the fast-paced world of today. Thus, ZSIGMOND was born as her reinterpretation of Hungarian peasant culture in a modern context.
THE BRAND
Dóra Zsigmond founded her eponymous brand in 2014 as a way of preserving fragments of the rapidly disappearing rural Hungarian culture. With the motto of “Inhale the past, exhale the future”, ZSIGMOND brings the disciplines of pre-fast-fashion garment-making back into contemporary design. The resulting pieces are gender neutral in nature, dark in aesthetics, and entirely unique in execution.
Less than 10 years into the brand’s existence, ZSIGMOND pieces have been acquired by the Museum of Applied Arts Budapest. Described by Forbes reporter Hiroyuki Anzai as “the direction where the luxury created by the new generation is headed”, the brand’s garments also got into stores in Berlin, Milan, Rome, Tokyo, Shizuoka, New York, Portland, Boston, Ontario, Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Valencia, Moscow, Perm and Krasnoyarsk.
Each ZSIGMOND collection consists of three lines. The all-black CORE collection of essential pieces and the REMADE line crafted from upcycled vintage fabrics are continuously present throughout the year, while the biannual seasonal collections are available for limited time periods.
THE COLLECTION
ZSIGMOND’s SS25 collection titled “CRAFTS” is inspired by traditional Hungarian blue-dyeing, a bygone technique integral to local folkwear.
One of the oldest forms of applied arts, the reversed dyeing technique of block-printing is the embodiment of creativity and perseverance combined. Often kept within families for generations, the esteemed profession of blue-dyeing all but disappeared during the rapid changes of Communist-era Hungary, leaving a finite amount of the original textiles utilised in the upcycled REMADE pieces.
A reverence of craftsmanship weaves through the collection: intricate processes like block and screen-printing, plant dyeing, jacquard weaving, traditional denim construction and meticulous garment finishing-techniques connect the garments. The indigo of blue-dyeing bleeds through the collection like ink on paper, juxtaposed by bright pops of yellow and white.
Ultimately, CRAFTS is a testament to our innate, human desire to create; an invisible bond that transcends the bounds of space and time.