Matylda Krzykowski wywiad

W cyklu wywiadów z naszymi uzdolnionymi rodakami dziś przedstawiamy Wam sylwetkę Matyldy Krzykowski...

Hi Matylda ! Tell us about your background and connections with our country.

With a name like Krzykowski there is no chance of hiding my heritage!.I am Polish, so that is probably the biggest connection. When I was a child my parents decided to move to Germany. It was not an easy decision for them, but the difficult political situation in 1980’s Poland made them do so. I feel very Polish but I also consider myself as a European. I spend my time between different countries and I feel connected to most of them.

What do You do for a living ? Are You a product designer ?

I did a Graphic Design course first, which was not fulfilling enough for me after a while. This made me enter the Product Design world. Right now I would say I earn my money with Journalism and Project Management. If you need a piece written about someone interesting, let me know. And if you want to make a project happen and gather people together you can also give me a call. I am a good organiser and I hate not being busy.

You seem to be little bit “obsessed” with chairs, could you tell us something about it ?

You obviously watched my graduation video. I am not obsessed with them; I just choose the archetype chair as the structure of my project. Chairs are fascinating and probably the most discussed topic in the design industry. Everyone I know has a certain place at home where he or she loves to sit most. It’s a comfort zone. You can have the same feeling with footwear. There is always a certain sneaker, which gives you the right feeling.

We know that you are contributor to the German “Sneakers” magazine. What made you collaborate with them?

My boyfriend is footwear designer. He and his business partner were asked to do an interview for the Sneakers magazine. They both run a design consultancy called The Footsoldiers (www.thefootsoldiers.com) in London. I lived in London back then and they suggested that I could do the story. The fact that I love to portrait people was handy as well because they needed some additional pictures.

They liked your work and asked for more?

Since then I have contributed to every issue of the Sneakers magazine. Last month I met Woody from Sneaker Freaker in Berlin and I hope to be able to contribute to Sneaker Freaker soon. I am keen on writing for different publications. They don’t have to be related to sneakers. I have also been interviewing people in front of the camera. I think video is a great format for the Internet. You get to know how people interact. This is something you can only read between the lines when you read a magazine. I would love to do them more often.

What do you think about sneaker culture in general ?

If you have not watched the documentary ‘Just for Kicks’, you should! I watched it for the first time the other day and it is an amazing insight into the sneaker collecting industry. Afterward watching I wanted to go straight out and buy some Air Force One’s! It is fascinating what an effect product ‘seeding’ (placing product with influential people) can have on an industry. Essentially we, the consumer, buy product because we see the cool people wearing it. This works extremely well in street fashion and in sneaker culture. That’s why it is so useful in the sneaker market. It took a little while for the big brands to realize this, but figures like Jordan and RUN DMC helped them to realise.

In which direction will the sneakers culture evolve in the nearest future?

I think people like to buy into rare footwear. Footwear doesn’t win with branding anymore. Simple and chic is the current market demand. Something you can wear to work, for a night out and for a visit to your grandma. This trend will express itself even more in the near future, I believe.

Your favorite sneakers?

It’s the Alexander McQueen Rib Cage for Puma. The winter white colourway. My boyfriend designed the shoe. It would be my favourite even if he weren’t the designer. I like it because of the combination of structure but with an elegant silhouette. He did a good job.

What sneaker did you wear today ?

I was wearing white High Tops by Sergio Rossi for Puma, until I arrived in the studio. The shoe is a material mix of suede, leather and patent. During the day I have a pair of Dries van Noten flats that I like to wear. I like sneakers, but there is almost nothing that can beat a designer shoe.

I really love your drawn interview concept. (Matylda's drawn interviews can be found here )
Have You ever been interviewed in “Your” way ?

I have been asked to do so, but I always refuse to do the drawn interview. If you have a good idea you should keep the best for last. I plan to publish a book of the Drawn Interviews, so maybe I will do one for that!.

Did You know about tenisufki before ?

I am quite new in the sneaker business. A lot of things are new for me. Also your website.

What do You think about our website ?
The concept is similar to other sneaker related online publications, but without copying their look and feel. I am a fan of originality and it is also nice to find out more about the polish sneaker scene. I will definitely have a look at it from time to time.

Links:

matandme

iwanttobeadesigner

sneakers-magazine