About Me
My name is Yoana Baldzhieva.
I am a passionate fashion designer, graduated from USW, Cardiff, after four years of gaining knowledge and industry experience. I am cheerful, ambitious and organized. I value nature, the abstract and history. I seek harmony and meaning. My imagination can be stirred by everything and anything, but my greatest inspiration comes from my family and heritage.
I am great in working with others and on my own, to achieve a certain objective on time and with excellence. I am an ambitious and energetic person who has developed a mature and responsible approach to any task I undertake, or situation that I am presented with. Since I was little I was going to a lot of private lessons in the field of art, singing, playing the piano, learning English and playing sports. I have won a lot of awards in each of those fields.
INSPIRATION
Bulgarian Kukeri Tradition
My final collection is dedicated to my native country and its traditions. Kukeri is a centuries-old tradition intended to chase evil spirits away. Men and boys dress up in furs and animal skins, put scary masks on their faces, and jump with huge bells tied around their waists. No matter where they’re from, the kukeri will dance through the village to invite good luck for the locals — and scare away the evil eye. The dancing is for celebration, luck and fertility.
I found my inspiration in the culture and the uniqueness of that pagan observance which managed to preserve itself even during the conversion of Christianity and the Communist movement. Traditions remind us that we are part of a history. Once we ignore the meaning of our traditions, we’re in danger of damaging the underpinning of our identity.
MY WORK
PORTFOLIOS
Cover Page
Mood Board
Concept Board
Color Board
Design Development
Line-up
Illustration with technical drawing
Illustration with technical drawing
Production Process
Production Process
Photoshoot Kukeri Collection
Photoshoot Kukeri Collection
Photoshoot Kukeri Collection
Photoshoot Kukeri Collection
Photoshoot Kukeri Collection
YDB.Studio x DAS Outdoors Project
YDB.Studio x DAS Outdoors Project
YDB.Studio x Levi's Competition
YDB.Studio x Levi's Competition
DETAIL
Choice of Materials
The Kukeri costumes usually consists of big masks made of fur, leather and wood, sometimes taking animalistic forms, or otherwise materializing monsters, born of the creator’s imagination. Each costume also has a leather belt worn around the waist with huge copper bells (chanove) attached to it. Almost every costume or mask of the Kukeri consist of real leather and real fur elements. I decided to eco fur and leather in my costumes to show the craftmakers that there are now options and ways for the costumes to become more sustainable. There are now faux materials that look and feel like they are real. I wanted to show that this way they will not harm the animals and also the production will be much cheaper and more people could affort to have such costumes. I also decided to use satin fabric that gave me the sense of lightness and freedom in the collection. I think the eco leather is the material that gives strength, boldness, structure and colour to my looks.
ALWAYS BE TRUTHFUL TO YOUR ROOTS AND TRADITIONS. THEY IDENTIFY YOU AND ARE A FUNDAMENTAL BASE TO YOUR LIFE.
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