Vanami Design - the journey of a young designer

Meet Klara, the designer behind the fashion brand Vanami design. Klara is an ambitious upcoming designer who has already designed multiple collections, participated in fashion shows around the Czech Republic, and even opened her own store! All while studying in Denmark. Join us in learning more about Klara’s journey in design.

You realised that you want to become a fashion designer at an early age of 9. Could you share what your journey has been like?

I come from an artistic family, both of my parents are musicians. Because of that, I grew up hearing that one of the most important things in life is to earn your living by doing something you truly love. My parents love their work; it’s their passion and their hobby, and through them I always knew I would follow a path that made me feel the same way. This artistic background showed me both the beauty and the difficulty of creative life. It taught me how important it is to believe in yourself and to chase your dreams no matter what. It taught me that it’s okay to fall as long as you get up again. And I also learned that great art often comes from great pain, and that my sensitivity, something I once saw as weakness, is actually one of my biggest gifts.

When I was little, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. My grandma, like many women of her generation, knew how to sew, crochet, and knit, and she passed all of that knowledge on to me. That’s where I first found my passion. I remember being so proud of every project we made together. Those moments are still some of my favorite memories.

When I was nine, my parents were already divorced, and I had a babysitter who studied fashion design. She opened an entirely new world for me, full of sketching and possibilities. That was the moment I knew I wanted to become a fashion designer, and I did everything I could to make it real. I chose a high school focused on fashion design and joined a course called the Fashion Atelier. I spent every free minute dreaming about my future until it finally became my reality. I got into high school, graduated, completed an AP in fashion design, and then continued with a BA in Denmark.

I founded Vanami right after I graduated high school. Suddenly I had this strange amount of free time and no idea what to do with it so I decided to start my own brand. That one decision changed everything. It has always been incredibly hard, but growing up with two artists as parents prepared me. I knew that choosing this path meant choosing a life that would always require strength, adaptability, and persistence. 

When I moved to Denmark, my life completely collapsed. I thought I would handle it easily, but I didn’t. So many changes hit me at once. I moved to a foreign country I had never visited before, my fiancé stayed in Prague so we had to do long-distance, and I suddenly found myself in a small town where I didn’t know a single person. I fell into a deep depression. I had to seek medical help, and all I wanted was to go home and give up. For seven months I was in a critical state and lost all joy in what I was doing. I couldn’t stay alone in Denmark, so I flew to Prague almost every second week, and every time I had to return, I had panic attacks at the airport.

My family saved me from dropping out. They supported me unconditionally through all of it. When I told my dad I wanted to quit, he said something that stayed with me: that whatever I choose, he hopes I won’t lose the battle with myself. That sentence pushed me to fight harder. Slowly, I got better. Now I’m healthy, happy, and stronger than ever. I turned all that pain into my biggest strength.

Without my family standing with me through all the tears and fear, I wouldn’t be where I am today owning my own store and growing in the fashion world, step by step.

“My sensitivity, something I once saw as a weakness, is actually one of my biggest gifts.”

Thank you Klara for sharing personal side of your journey, we are happy to see you thriving and designing such beautiful pieces <3 How would you describe your style and the way it's been changing over the years? 

I was searching for my style for quite a while. But to keep it short, the biggest shift came in the summer of 2023, when I had the entire summer break to focus on a new collection called The Indian Summer for my applications to UMPRUM and VIA in Denmark. That summer I finally started creating exactly what I had wanted to make for a long time - versatile, mostly one-size garments made from high-quality fabrics in neutral tones, with pops of vibrant colors like red and blue.

Another important factor was that I finally reached a level of sewing where I didn’t need to overcomplicate designs just to hide imperfections. After that summer, I found my foundation. From there, I kept improving my patterns, colorways, and fabric manipulations - printing, knitting, and so on. Now I would describe my style as minimalistic in pattern, but maximalistic in accessories, color combinations, prints, and structures.

You've presented your collections at multiple fashion shows (Fashion Event Dotek, Vision Prague etc.). How did it affect your career? 

The first fashion show I ever participated in was DOTEK in Zlín in 2023 with my collection Introspekce nitra, and it transformed my career completely. The show was moderated by Linda Bartošová and Hana Řičicová. After the event, they approached me backstage to ask if they could borrow my garments for moderating the Jeden Svět film festival, and that was incredible. Suddenly, many people began contacting me to borrow my pieces.

At the festival, I met Apolonia Sokol, a French painter, and her friend, who won the main prize for a breathtaking documentary about her. She loved the garments Linda and Hana were wearing and visited my atelier the next day before leaving Prague. She bought my sculptural blue dress from the show, my first big sale, and wore it at a film festival in Hong Kong, where she also won. Her producer also purchased and borrowed pieces from me, which was such a beautiful experience. This was my biggest breakthrough, and every fashion show after that opened new doors and led to more amazing opportunities.

“My process is about protecting originality — creating from intuition and research, not from trends or other designers’ work.”

You study design in Denmark. Would you say it influences your designs and in what way?

Yes, I came here to learn about knitting, printing and sustainability and now when I am about to graduate I can say I learned all of that. I started focusing on textile development and also on sustainability. In Czechia I still feel that sustainability is still an extra but it should be the minimum for all designers and reactive people who create new things. Here in Denmark I am always challenged in the sustainability department and asked if I could do more than deadstock fabrics and low waist production. How do I recycle fabric waste? What about unsold pieces from the collection? What about packaging and delivery? 

So yes, Denmark changed my designing process in many ways including the designing itself with the idea generation process using visual methods that I never learned in Czechia. 

It's interesting to follow Vanami's design of BTS creating pieces. Could you share your designing process, what is your philosophy behind it?

My designing process changed a lot during my stay in Denmark. They showed me how to document the process from the beginning using collages and thinking about the garments more like shapes than clothes in the first stage to ensure that I don't use the same garments and shapes all the time. I usually start with finding inspiration , usually something political and then I look for pictures - not of garments but of the atmosphere, stories and people behind it. With these pictures I create collages to find new shapes that I then redraw to silhouettes and actual garments. 

With this process I know that the design is 100% mine and that I didn't get affected by other styles and designers. It also helps to tell a story which is for me very important to use garments as a medium to raise awareness about the story I pick to bring to light. 

You've recently opened a Vanami design store that is also hosting events and workshops. Any upcoming events we should keep an eye on?

Yes, and it is amazing, I always wanted to host people and help other creatives to be seen. The next event is my Christmas pop-up on 22nd of December from 11:00 to 21:00 featuring peintress Lucie Brskovská, bag brand Undie, knit designer Marusique stories, jewellery Kaaret and Pinque Ponque from Freshlables. I am planning to do pop-ups every month in the new year as well, but I also want to host workshops and debates in the meantime. Vanami is becoming a transmedial project, and I love that. I feel that I am finally finding my spot in the world. 

Lastly, after coming such a long way in your designing career, what advice would you give to your younger self if you knew what the future challenges would be?

To keep being brave and chasing every opportunity. My fearlessness is one of my favorite qualities. But also to try to get calmer and more pieces to make less mistakes along the way. 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/vanami.design/