Jiřina Tauchmanová
From stitched finger to the top of fashion design
It started with a stitched finger or maybe…a few years earlier. When I was four, my parents were hiding scissors from me. The reason was simple – I cut up my own birth certificate! I still have the stamp that I cut out of it... Time went by and I continued to be attracted to everything that was associated with sewing. No wonder that in one unguarded moment I took the opportunity and sat down at the sewing machine. One moment later the needle went through my finger. My mother and grandmother then understood they should have initiated me into the mysteries of sewing rather than to protect me from it. So I started sewing and then went on to fashion design.
How designers created fashion pieces before the year 1989
On one hand fashion designing is a reflection of life and its constraints shape this work too. On the other hand, any limitation and a desire for something better stimulates ingenuity. Before 1989 everything was so simple – no great options, but the market was hungry for goods and rendered large possibilities. Today I smile, recalling how much we made corduroy pants, nylon track suits, quilted jackets, sweatshirts with ironed on pictures of Smurf...dominant materials were crimplene, tesil and diolen.
What freedom means to me
After 1989, we stretched our wings and we are still trying to fly. To me freedom means a fundamental change – the most important for my work is the inspiration gained by traveling and, of course, a wealth of materials from which I can design. Founding my own company was the next natural step, and since 1991 I have been trying to make my own mark in the field of fashion. Let others judge the result. The success I have reached at home and abroad makes me happy, but I know I cannot rest on laurels and need to move forward constantly. Because success is build not only on talent, there is a lot of hard work needed and a big dose of courage.
