Viliana Korueva isn’t exactly dressed down for brunch. She’s got a hat that looks like a fuzzy leopard collaborated with the Queen of England’s cap collection, in addition to wide-leg jeans, a modest Zara top, and the secret ingredient to any outfit in her closet, platform New Rock boots. She carries no bag, using the pockets of her vintage leather jacket to transport her phone, wallet and keys. “Why would I need anything else? We’re just going down the road,” she asked me. While many people are admittedly nervous for interviews, she seems relatively laissez-faire about the whole process. She’s gone out the night before, as does any uni student in London, and she isn’t afraid to admit it. 

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London is a big change of pace from her small, mountain surrounded hometown of Krumovgrad, Bulgaria. We’re sitting in one of my favourite local cafes located on Kilburn High Road, and while sitting outside, we get the noisy atmosphere associated with 11 A on a Friday. All of this in mind, in the public space, Viliana turns heads to put it lightly. Settled in with her full English breakfast and mocha in tow, she begins to tell me about some of her favourite things: Camden Market, spice of all kinds, and jewellery, specifically her silver, chunky rings.

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Another one of her favourites: her grandmother, who still lives in the home her grandfather built, has always been a huge source of inspiration and support for the up and coming designer. Among the five floors lies a huge attic serving as the landing place for discarded clothes, files, and heirlooms, and when Viliana was young, it was one of her favourite places to be. Her first sketchbooks formed within this environment, with those same articles of discarded clothing turning into outfits with rounds of dress-up and fashion shows, housing audiences of stuffed animals and neighbourhood friends. Early fashion shows have now turned into shows of her own collections and collaborations; fashion just stuck. 

Biggest red flag: men who are not feminists. “I literally block them after,” she tells me. “Since Bulgaria is such a sexist country, my background made me extra passionate [about feminism].” These experiences set the stage for feminism being the main inspiration for most, if not all, of her personal collections. The cutting project, her most recent work, uses the idea of the female body in its natural form, with literal windows in the garment showcasing curves and textures of the skin. “I wanted real women and to represent actual women and everything that they embody. The way their bodies curve and move. The changes that women go through, marks they have, cellulite or whatever. Having their real bodies represented.”

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Viliana and her friends gallivant about like a gang of art students whose study sessions seem a lot like intoxicated gossiping while taking professional-grade nude reference photos. Using the silhouettes of different body types and the way in which skin manipulates when moved, the collection has a series of different aspects that relate directly to these photographs. “Gatherings in the seams were linked to folds in the skin, and there were windows that acted as a window for the skin.”

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According to Viliana, the windows were meant to showcase something deeper, something underneath. There is something about showing people her work that makes her feel that vulnerability attached to any creative field. “Sharing personal concepts is really scary to share. I always feel like it’s so terrible, that it’s not good enough. That people are judging it.” 

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“I always think I can do a lot better than I’m actually doing,” she shares with me as we begin to wrap up our meal. “I’m quite difficult on myself sometimes, but I know that I’m comparing myself to professionals.” She has told me that her work isn’t to a point in which she is comfortable quite yet, but she “still has quite a lot to learn”. How did she get to where she is? Turns out, the journey involves some heartbreak. Some sunshine-filled trips home. Some spirituality picked up along the way. But mostly, it comes down to an outgoing 20-year-old trying to decide whether to be a wrecking ball to the fashion industry or the tight-lipped successful designer. To Viliana, the choice is obvious, and she knows that taking down century-old fashion standards is no easy road to depart down. 

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Viliana holds a list of core beliefs about the fashion industry. One, fashion doesn’t always have to be perfect and glamorous. Two, fashion shouldn’t wreck the planet at the expense of extravagance. Third, and most importantly, “fashion shouldn’t make you feel bad about yourself.” A strong advocate against size 0 culture and perfect models, she is making it her mission to break through this mould. A fellow designer who shares many of the same passions: Johannes Warnke, whom Viliana just happens to be interning for. 

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Aside from being excellent work experience, working for the budding designer has given Viliana a bit of the experience of working independently as a young designer. “Johannes started getting his own stuff out there as soon as he finished university, which to see his success from that starting point is a really big inspiration.” Like many young creatives, she tries to use social media to circulate images of designs and concepts, but she also doesn’t love the idea of giving everything away. “If you throw everything out there, people get bored.” The mystery vanishes. 

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A few days later, just down the road from the cafe: I’m sitting on Viliana’s couch in the flat shared with 3 other art students. Bookshelves and mantles house sketchbooks, novels on “Women in Film”, Oasis posters, and a modest-sized print of Fidel Castro. We all sit in a circle, enjoying vodka with a splash of orange juice and the pleasant company. Cigarettes are rolled and puffed and passed. The girls of the flat make it evident that hosting is a common occurrence, and they do it with ease. Viliana sings along to D’Evils by SiR; it’s evident that she’s at peace. Although everyone in the room has the stresses of uni, work, and the future on their shoulders, they’re all just a bunch of young women trying to figure their shit out. But dammit, they’re at least going to have a good time while doing it.