The Seismographer

ITS 2020 Explained episode 7: How to combine elegance, sportswear & functionality by Johanna Parv.

01 February 2021

Johanna-Maria Parv is a Tallinn-born designer based in London. In March 2020, as The Isabella Blow Foundation Scholar, she completed her Fashion Masters Degree at Central Saint Martins where she also graduated with a BA in Womenswear in July 2017. Prior to her graduation she worked at Balenciaga and Dior ateliers in Paris.

She was selected for the accessories contest of ITS 2020 with her collection “Elegant Functionality”

Is femininity an image or an action? By observing the modern urban woman, constantly in motion, Johanna investigates the functionality of women’s accessories, asking herself how we can retain elegance in the urban environment where everyone’s speeding on their vehicles towards the next destination. Drawn from her personal relationship with cycling and the city, she was hoping to change the perception of the female body and power in the urban environment, and create elegant bags for a new urban woman. 50s vintage handbags and second-hand backpacks are deconstructed, allowing the handbag to be worn on the shoulder or around the hips, leaving your hands free. A symbiosis between femininity and the power of the body, re-imagining the silhouette of the 1950s hyper feminine in a fast-paced city environment, mixing it with performance of sportswear and functionality.

International Talent Support was launched in 2002 and throughout its history it has developed into the most highly recognized platform to showcase & support the strongest young talents on the planet. Most importantly, it created an ever-growing family supporting creativity, like branches on a tree growing in different directions, yet nurtured by the same roots. It has built an impressive Creative Archive, a unique collection tracing the history of fashion evolution. Many of the over 630 finalists were selected by top fashion brands where they now hold key positions, or have successfully developed their own lines.