Bobkova Goes to America
Ukrainian designer Christina Bobkova’s FW 2011-12 collection (fashion label Bobkova.) is now selling in eight USA boutiques. In August the designer made a long trip to the U.S. to personally present her new collection.
Bobkova. label is represented in the U.S. by Bridge Showroom (former Ctyl’ Network). ‘Boutiques that carry Christina’s clothes specialize in independent designers, conceptual and European-style fashion labels,’ says Tanya Gabrielyan, the co-owner of Bridge Showroom. ‘Boutiques’ owners choose lines according to their own taste and what really important for them is designer’s unique point of view, a distinct “voice”. In Bobkova. clothes they especially value innovative, architecture-like construction.’
The fall-winter 2011-12 collection was presented as a series of trunk-shows on West Coast.
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In Physical Element (Portland, Oregon) Bobkova. became a top-selling label in just 2 seasons, which is amazing particularly because the boutique also carries such well-known brands as Issey Miyake. Jo Carter, the proprietress, didn’t stop at trunk and organized a runway show as well. More than 50 people came to meet the designer and have a Fashion Night Out of their own. Christina was touched so much that she promised to create a capsule collection exclusively for Physical Element.
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The next stop was Kirkland, Washington (the home for Microsoft, Google and IBM offices). Francine Park, now the owner of Promesse boutique, has an impressive experience: she worked as a buyer at Prada and a merchandiser at Saks Fifth Avenue. The third trunk show took place in SandyLew in Seattle, near the famous Pike Place Market.
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Christina visited two more boutiques that carry her line – Momo in Seattle and Olivia Boutique in Los-Altos, California. Gentry magazine listed Olivia Boutique among the top 10 fashion boutiques in California (LA is in California too, remember?). The owner Olivia Zinoni used a look from Bobkova. fall-winter collection in an ad published in September issue of Gentry mag.
Olivia takes great pride in her choice of fashion labels and customers for her boutique. ‘They call me eccentric, but I’m really picky about my customers,’ – says Olivia. ‘You have to trust me and my taste to truly become my customer.’
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At the end of the trip Christina’s visited New York, where she spent two weeks designing next year’s fall-winter collection. ‘I really enjoyed meeting women who buys and wears my clothes in the U.S.,’ says Christina. ‘One girl has visited three boutiques in two different states particularly looking for my label. Olivia [Zinoni] told me about a customer who became a fan of Bobkova. clothes and collects it for the third season in a row. It is an exciting thing to hear but also a huge responsibility.’
Bobkova. FW 2011-12 collection is available in: Physical Element (1124, NW Lovejoy str., Portland, OR), Promesse (128 Central Way, Kirkland, WA), SandyLew (1408 First Avenue, Seattle, WA), Olivia Boutique (266 Main Street, Los Altos, CA), Moda Mi (140 E Prospect Ave, Danville, CA), Momo (227 33rd Ave East, Seattle, WA), Blanc Boutique (514 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, CA), Evie Lou (2153 Professor Ave, Cleveland, OH).
