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Selma Starfinger, BiH fashion designer with successful career in New York
By: Maša Branković
Venture into the professional fashion world for Selma Starfinger started in 2005 in Berlin. After that, as they say everything else is history. Today she lives in New York where her creations are being ordered all over the world. She’s also working for her private clients, designs according to person’s style and figure. Her creations are worn by celebrities such as pop singer Rihanna, model Coco Rocha and many others. For Sarajevo Times she talked about the fashion industry in New York, people who’d she like to see wearing her creations, unfulfilled wishes and BiH fashion scene.
How hard is to build the recognisable style that you, without a doubt, possess?
If someone has a style she carries it with her and it is visible, so it is easy to manifest it. Of course, when a designer works for other fashion houses and clients one must adjust towards different style, which means to have the capability to understand this job.
It seems that fashion trends do not play a big role to you, judging by your creations. How do your creations come to life and to whom are they intended to?
I don’t particularly follow the trends, but we are all under their influence. It is not a fashion trend, but it is everything that happens in the world around us. We are in a very hard period, followed by economic crisis, war and other inconveniences…, so for example hippie, gipsy and vintage styles go remarkably well in the popular trend of recycling. So does my clothes. I do not design for one season; my clothes by quality and by design are envisioned to be worn for long periods. Not just by design, but by the manner of production and work I am among the sustainable designers.
Many of your creation are made of leather. Why leather?
Leather is very durable material and its quality is also very good, and its aesthetic factor is indeed important. I use leather as much as I use cotton and silk, which are my base materials.
What would be the favourite fashion move or event in your career?
There are many events that are dear to me and each of them gave my life a special feeling of happiness. It is not the most important one, but still it is the most precious first event, and that is the first place at one competition of designers in Berlin at the beginning of my studies. It was the response for all my hard-work and patient waiting to enable myself such studies and continue working with fashion.
You live and work in New York. How hard is to succeed in a city that offers so many opportunities and is the fashion industry as merciless as they say it is?
When you’re new somewhere, you have to start from scratch, and that is perfectly normal. First time I left Sarajevo, I was 16 and alone, and my parents remained in Sarajevo. Of course I had bad and good experiences through my fight for survival and I’m thankful for every experience, because they made my life easier. This was my fifth beginning in the new city, and so I was ready. I am a constant traveller and in every city that has certain qualities I start feeling like home very quickly, and so it is not hard to face the fashion world here, so it was not hard to face the fashion world here. The fashion industry is merciless, but the recession is even more negative factor that influences the development of the fashion industry. It is a global problem which is very similar in Europe and in the USA, and not just in fashion. So the fight is not simple, but hard and professional work always finds its place.
We all know that BiH fashion scene is in dead-end. Do you even follow our fashion scene and what could be done to improve the fashion in BiH?
Every country, every city has a certain percentage of people who are more devoted, tenacious, and persistent than the others, in addition they are lucky to have the opportunity to do what they love and prosper in areas which are of certain importance. When you love the job you are doing, then there is a great possibility that you will be good and successful at it, because it is extremely important to listen to your inner voice and follow it. BiH is a small country, Sarajevo is a small city, and consequently, the number of people, who honestly fight for better future of all of us through their work and manner in which they work, is small.
Unfortunately, some talented people do not have the opportunity to express and develop their talents because they are introvert; they have neither support nor basic means which are necessary for education. Furthermore, jobs are often given to people who are not competent and they do it without putting themselves and effort in it. On the other hand, a great number of experts live in New York City, and new people from the entire world come to NYC on daily basis. Therefore, this city is swarming with talented and educated people who are ready to take up new challenges and do not waste their time because they have no other choice due to big competition. Accordingly, the very energy is completely different. Most certainly, there are other factors which make these cities different e.g. history, culture, lifestyle etc. And all that affects the dressing psychology.
There is significant difference between NYC and Los Angeles when it comes to the dressing styles because the climate and lifestyles are entirely different. That is to say, we are not talking about clothes which can be bought and worn in NYC and LA or any other city… we are talking about the dressing style which completely depends on the lifestyle. One cannot manage to attend all the exhibitions, plays, concerts, and other events which take place in NYC on daily basis. Whereas, cultural institutions in Sarajevo are getting shut down and the authorities do not allow culture and art to develop. Instead, they are trying to shut down as many. It is a well-known fact that the demand is insufficient. However, nobody does anything to address this issue; furthermore, all the things that should not be supported in one such city get supported. One of the main bright events is the Sarajevo Film Festival. The problem in Sarajevo lies in culture in general. Fashion is easy; if one has style one will develop it and that is up to the individuals not the territory. Many people in NYC have no style at all and wear inappropriate wardrobe; however, as I said, there is plenty of choice here. One can see abundance of both good and bad things.
BiH fashion scene has never existed in history as something that could have had importance as cinematography and music scenes once had. Unfortunately, we have no high schools of fashion. I remember that I was planning to go to the Western Europe to study fashion while I was still attending the Art School in Sarajevo because that was not possible here. During the period when we were not leaving our country because we were happy in it and not deprived of anything, people who wanted to study fashion design and make a living were having a hard time. I know that association of fashion designers has been established in Sarajevo a couple of years ago, and that makes me happy. That represents one step forward and indicated that fashion designers in BiH are trying to establish something even though they lack support and adequate conditions.
Is there a plan for opening a fashion studio in BiH?
I regularly come to Sarajevo, I have organised my own small production and worked on the project of Eurovision last year. So, I’m always present in Sarajevo, my parent’s house and my parents are there. One period between my departures, my main residing place was Sarajevo (1996-2004) and it does not mean that something like that won’t happen in the future.
Many celebrities have worn your creations e.g. Coco Rocha, Rihanna, Omahyra Mota etc. How does it feel when someone has just picked your creation in the sea of many others, maybe even more successful designers?
Of course it is a big deal when stylists chose you even though they have all great designers and fashion houses, who will gladly lend clothes for their stars, at their disposal. However, stylists do not stick to the big names exclusively, and they are constantly looking for something different from what they usually have at their disposal. The key lies in young designers who know their jobs and that is more difficult to find than Dior, Gucci, Balenciaga, and others with whom they have already established cooperation. The same thing is with the buyers, those who have their own styles developed and know fashion do not stick to the brands, and they know how to recognise the real piece of clothing whether it is made by well-renowned designer or a new one.
On which person you would be proud to see your creation, both from BiH and from abroad?
Mostly, I want to see my creations on myself. I am joking, I always put myself the last, and thus I would like to focus more on my clothing. I have no special wishes when it comes to celebrities. Everybody, who decides to wear my clothes, is a celebrity to me.
Do you have any unfulfilled professional wishes? For all those people who want to look uniquely- where they can buy Selma Starfinger’s clothes?
I believe that I have mostly made my wishes come true in both business and private aspects. Things can always be better, but the most important thing is to find the inner peace and pleasure. I work for my clients, make custom designs according to my client’s style and figure. My clients are mostly from NYC and LA. Some of my designs, which are already finished, are being sold on the Internet and ladies from all around the world order them. Those previously designed clothes are also custom according to the buyer measures. Website where you can find that clothes at the most affordable price is https://www.etsy.com/shop/SelmaStarfinger.
