The international event “Apkalbos”, organised by the Fashion Design Study Programme of the Academy of Arts of the Faculty of Arts and Education of Kaunas University of Applied Sciences, has been taking place for more than two decades and promotes fashion culture in Lithuania. Young fashion designers from higher education institutions of Latvia, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Portugal and other countries have presented their collections there. This year, overcoming the challenges posed by the pandemic, the event is changing its format – Apkalbos 2021 is transforming into a fashion film. There is not much left to wait – on 17 June at 19:00, fashion lovers are invited to the screening of the fashion film “Apkalbos 2021”, which will take place in the Grand Hall of VMU (S. Daukanto g. 28, Kaunas). In the fashion film, the audience will have the opportunity to see the collections of Kaunas University of Applied Sciences, Vilniaus kolegija / University of Applied Sciences, Vilnius College of Design, Vilnius Academy of Arts, University of Zagreb (Croatia), Rezekne Academy of Technology (Latvia), and this year’s special invitee – a student of Prienai Žiburys Gymnasium.

Past and present

Kaunas University of Applied Sciences will be represented by nine students in “Apkalbos 2021”. In the collection “Čakros” Monika Stirbienė will use colours, symbols and clothing cuts to convey the seven main energy centres – the chakras. In Gintaras Rėpša’s 10-model menswear collection “Liudui”, inspired by the novel “In the Shadow of the Altars” by Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas, the audience will be able to see symbolic images of the characters of the novel, and will be able to trace the plot lines of their dramatic lives. Justina Jančiauskaitė’s collection “Diva Inspired” will focus on three cultural icons of the last century – Freddie Mercury, Prince Nelson Rogers, Karl Lagerfeld, and Rūta Tamošiūnaitė’s collection “Legendų mistika” will encourage us to look back at the legends of the “Anapilis” music club in Palanga and the history of the popular Lithuanian resort town.

Miglė Černauskaitė in her collection “Dvi dimensijos” and Aiva Alešaitytė in her collection “Informacijos labirintai” will draw attention to the problems of today’s world – the excessive supply of the fashion industry and the endless flows of information. Salomėja Endziulytė will focus on the search for harmony in her collection “Dangaus sodai”, inspired by the symbolism of Lithuanian gardens, Ainė Zaleckytė in her collection “Protonopia” will convey how the colour spectrum is perceived by people with colour vision impairment, and Rugilė Paražinskaitė in her collection “Ledo jėga”, which is aimed at courageous and determined girls and women, will interpret hockey attires and merchandise.

Sustainable fashion and futuristic technologies

Ulrika Zabarskaitė, a student representing Vilniaus kolegija / University of Applied Sciences at the event, will use vintage men’s jackets and the philosophy of sustainable fashion to deconstruct them in her collection “Teisė būti”, spreading the message about the extreme actions that women had to undertake in the 20th century in order to attract the attention of the society to equal rights of men and women. The collection “Pastebima” by Odeta Strasevičiūtė and Karolina Šakytė, representing Vilnius College of Design, will spread femininity, elegance and beauty. Karolina Miciūtė, a student representing the Telšiai faculty of Vilnius Academy of Arts, will explore the development of futuristic clothing technologies in the fashion industry in her experimental clothing collection “Humane Update”. This collection is about supporting the idea of technological development and encouraging the public to take an interest in the benefits of such clothing and to change attitudes towards mass-produced clothing.

A suit that transcends the body and architecture

Anđela Markušić from the Faculty of Textile Technology, University of Zagreb, Croatia, will criticize the selfie culture in her collection “Hybrid Identity”, revealing that contemporary man is in a constant search for his identity. Mihaela Brajković’s collection “CPR/9674/MCT” interprets the Mao costume, which became popular under the Chinese communist regime. In the collection, the costume will lose its original utilitarian function, transcend the body, overwhelm and negate it in its volume. Mina Dobrić will explore the role of urban spaces in Japan’s bustling and congested cities in her collection “Line No. 7”, while Filip Čančer will reveal his admiration for Frank Gehry’s extraordinary architectural style in his collection “Frank G. Deviant Voice”.

Damir Begović’s collection “Exvonia”, prompted by migration in Croatia, will reflect the phenomenon of the current situation in the country. Tena Zovak’s collection “Disk – 12” will conceptualise the archetype of the “mad genius” through painting and fashion design, based on research on mental disorders. With this collection, Zovak promotes a dialogue in society about the mental disability and acceptance of people with mental disabilities.

Traditions and experiments

The fashion film will also feature collections by students from the Rezekne Academy of Technology (Latvia). Ilze Unzule – Kvitka’s coat collection will reveal stylised interpretations of traditional Ukrainian folk costumes. Natalia Brokane’s collection “Inspired by Bauhaus”, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus School, will reflect the simplicity of the architectural forms of this style, the purity of colours, geometry and graphicism. Zelma Pigozne – in the collection “Bird”, designed for the businesswoman who wants to dress comfortably but remain feminine and elegant, will reveal her individuality by experimenting with 3D prints.

Among the works of students from Croatia, Latvia and Lithuania, the audience will also see the collection “(Ne)toli nuėjom” by a very young, creative student of Prienai Žiburys Gymnasium, Danielius Aldakauskas. In the student’s collection, viewers will see interpretations of simplified Baltic costumes. Symbolically, the shirts of each model in the collection were made from linen woven by Aldakauskas’ great-grandmother. The collection “(Ne)toli nuėjom” will be an expression of all that is beautiful, true and, most importantly, own.

Organisers of the event: Fashion Design Study Programme of the Academy of Arts of the Faculty of Arts and Education of Kaunas University of Applied Sciences

Event partners: Raudondvaris Manor, Kaunas District Museum, Devils’ Museum – a branch of the National M. K. Čiurlionis Museum of Art, Business Center Magnum, Kaunas Ice Arena, Kaunas Tadas Ivanauskas Zoological Museum, Association of Hairdressers and Beauty Professionals (KIGSA)

In the fashion film “Apkalbos 2021”, the images of the models showcasing the collections of the students of the Fashion Design programme were created by the students of the Image Design programme, and the make-up was created by the students of the Department of Cosmetology of the Faculty of Medicine of Kaunas University of Applied Sciences. Thank you!

Entrance is free. The event is open to spectators with a national certificate or vaccination certificate (you can download it to your mobile device or print it on esveikata.lt)