Fashion needs to have creative and commercial equilibrium: Sammy Voigt

For Sammy Voigt, the most crucial aspect of fashion is conjoining the intuition of design with the needs of the clients. In his works, he combines dreams with reality and he seeks to bring a balance between creativity and commerciality.The Brazil-born French fashion designer believes that it can often be frustrating for a designer when the clients do not understand or appreciate their creative efforts.The owner of Infinity, a fashion house in Paris, said: “This [balance between creativity and commerciality] is actually the mood ball of the collection that I have here.”The French designer was interacting with fashion lovers at Studio 2 in W Doha Hotel on Tuesday evening. He was the guest at the 9th session of Meet and Greet programme of Qatar Fashion Society.Sammy’s collection of colourful scarfs, shawls and pocket squares were on display at the hotel and visitors took keen interest in his fashion designs that were available at affordable prices.In the beginning of the programme, the designer was introduced by Fahad al-Obaidly, a representative of Qatar Fashion Society. He lauded the designer for his creative work and his viewpoint on affordable prices.Speaking to the audience, Sammy said that his introduction as a fashion model in Brazil was a fine stroke of fortune. His journey from a modelling to a fashion designer was fascinating and challenging. He created his own brand Infinity in 2014. He shared his journey of how he started modeling in 2001 and how he established his own fashion brand. His vision is to incorporate in all of his creations, Italian textile know-how with modern innovation and superior quality at a reasonable price.His inspirations come from modernism, decorative arts, modern geometric designs, and collages. The assortment of patterns and shades are influenced by the richness and intensity of different colour palettes and contrasts between shadows and light. His favourite materials include wool, cashmere, and cotton combined with silk, plus an array of finishing that magnify the depth of colours in each of the materials.The talk with the designer was moderated by Muhammad Asad Ullah, a Doha-based fashion enthusiast and reviewer.Responding to a question on his initial and current designs, Sammy said that there have been many changes in the industry since he started as a designer. “Nowadays, there is social media. Business has changed. Needs of the consumers have also changed.”About replica designing, he said: “Nowadays you cannot control copying anymore. Back in my days, even as a model, you were not allowed to take photos of the designs during a show. Now you cannot control that.”For Sammy sustainable fashion is “really the future.” He said: “The industry is still not 100 percent prepared. There is a lot going on to improve. I do a lot of fabric work and try to use it in a sustainable way. I also use different colours.”When Sammy started his design work, there was not a lot of colouring. “When I started selling to departmental stores, they would only buy blue or something like that. They would say that in Paris for men you cannot sell pink or designs with big flowers.” He did not agree. “I always think that a colour or a print is a mood. Sometime you see yourself in pink and sometimes yellow. There is a special drive that is inside you. These are things – colourful themes – that I actually sold the best.”He said that there is a big possibility of collaboration between the French and Qatari fashion industries. “I think in both directions, the exchange is possible. Paris really has a lot to offer. France is also very receptive to fashion coming from outside. There is a market in France for Qatari designers.”For Sammy, there should be a right collection and a right moment to have a fashion show. “I think it is important that if you have complete looks. It is nice to try. It is a question about reaction of the people. You have to know which way you are choosing. You may book a big mall and have an amazing team for a show but if you do not have a good collection, it is useless. I am very busy with my store and I do not know when I will do a show. I am focusing more on my store.”Most of his collections are unisex. About his creative process he said: “Sometimes you just do not have an idea. Then out of the blue, one day, you wake up and an idea comes. I am a very good observer. I look towards the people. I look at a painting in an exhibition. It can be a travel. It is a very complex procedure.”