Uncategorized

Interview with Suzi

Today’s interview is with the lovely and very talented Suzi. Suzi is a design lover and world traveler who has traveled to some truly amazing places. She is also an incredibly talented sewer and designer who I truly envy for her skill in creating beautiful clothes. I really enjoyed getting to know more about Suzi, and was happy to learn some more about interior design and how to select well crafted clothing along the way. Enjoy meeting Suzi!

Screen shot 2013-05-07 at 9.28.58 PM

Who are you? What do you do, and where do you live?

My name is Zuzana, or Suzi as you’d like. I was born Czech, and am now living in Austria in a village very near to Vienna, and am married to an Austrian (for ages)!  I’ve lived in several countries across Europe because of my husband’s job in banking; the latest stay was for almost two years in Moscow.

Now we are back in Austria and I am trying to settle down again.

LC4 chair

LC4 chair

You studied civil engineering and interior design. I’d love to hear more about some of your favorite design pieces in your home!

I am a big fan of modern architecture from the last century, especially the 1920 – 1930 period, which is generally characterized by a simplification of form and an absence of applied decoration. This era was better known as the International style, mainly developed in Germany, France and Holland. Some of the well-known furniture made by the representatives of this era found a home with us. For example ,the LC4 chaise longue designed by le Corbusier with the collaboration of Pierre Jeanneret und Charlotte Perriand produced today by Cassina, or an E. Grey glass side table in repertoire with Classicon. Also, our breakfast porcelain is designed by another big name of that era – professor Walter Gropius, a founder of the Bauhaus school.

_G9C5387

DPP_1940

The latest addition to our collection is little bit different: a chair by B&B Italia, UP6 and UP5 designed in 1969 by Gaeatano Pesce, in a deep purple colour. When talking about the sixties I can’t leave out the Panton chairs or the ‘’Puppy’’ by Magis, used now in the decor of our home.

On safari

On safari

You are a world traveler. Could you share some of the favorite places you been – and the unique experiences you’ve had?

I can’t live without traveling. There is no substitute for travel. Travelling refines your knowledge gained from books. It is a sort of education no school can give you, and broadens your mental horizons and makes you more liberal in  your thoughts. I am not afraid to say it makes you even a better person… against your will!

Travel expands your outlook, makes you thankful for what you have now, who you are and want to be, it makes you more generous in your heart. I have visited about 35 countries around the world, and also half of all of the states in the US, several times.

One of the best trips I have ever did was a safari in Kenya and Tanzania. One whole week without civilization (of course only during the day from 6 AM to 6 PM) in the company of  a local ranger, equipped with lunch boxes for us, water, radio transmitter and a huge SUV with open roof and extra gasoline! Of course every day in the evening we reached a fine lodge – in the middle of nowhere with all the modern facilities, restaurant, wine, and most important of all – fresh water! It was the first time I realized how important water is! At the end of the trip we were awarded with a walking safari in the early morning, and walked through dewy grass, guided by three armed rangers.It was an experience to know that there was no escape into a car, that we had to move slowly with full respect to nature, in order to watch the animals from a close range.

In Myanmar, looking at fabric

The most exotic trip was three weeks in Burma, now Myanmar. I was treated like a queen, with all the respect one person can imagine. One day we made unintended stop near to a school, and I stepped out from the bus. The kids just had a break and were all outside –  they spotted me and some hundred school children took a run toward us, made a circle around me and for a while there was silence, with them watching us.

Another very interesting trip was to Iceland, inhabited by the most introverted people I have ever met, where we enjoyed the longest day in Ìsafjördur when the sun touched the horizon at midnight for a moment only. We also chased seals on Jökulsárlón, a large glacial lagoon in southeast Iceland, providing outstanding views of the icebergs.

_1030058

Last spring we spent three weeks in New Zealand traveling both islands, I enjoyed the best blue cod fish in my life (I love good food) and can’t forget sitting on the beach, watching sea lions. Great coffee everywhere no matter wherever you stopped. And I know what I am talking about , having lived for years in Vienna, a place of excellent coffee culture!

_MG_5770

What’s your favorite place to visit in the world – and your favorite hotel/resort?

I have no favourite place in the world but I have to admit I like some places more than the others and mostly because of good food or coffee or great atmosphere (Miami was a big positive surprise for me) or friendly people.

All the boutique hotels around the world are always a good choice mostly because you are not a number there. The service is more personal, the hotels are furnished with a special touch and don’t all look the same. You may also expect a something extra like fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate brought to your room in the evening.

If you are lucky enough to go to Milano I would recommend the Hotel Spadari al Duomo, a contemporary design hotel just a few steps from the Duomo Cathedral, shopping district, and La Scala Opera. It is brimming with art pieces and offers a great à la carte breakfast.

_1000355

In last January we went to Venetia (by the way, a great season to visit, less people everywhere and you can walk the streets, which is not possible in summer) and stayed overnight in Dei Dragomanni Hotel, a very charming ancient Venetian Palazzo, offering buffet breakfast with cappuccino service!

When in Prague, my number one choice is to weekend at Boscolo Carlo IV. It has a fantastically designed interior, something really special, in the posh and formal location of former ‘’Ceskomoravska Hypotecni Banka,’’ a highly decorated historical building. If you are into something modern you might like Hotel Josef designed by Eva Jiricna.

If you are planning a trip to Berlin, try the Brandenburger Hof Hotel  – a classically furnished hotel with personal service, or thesimplistic Ku’damm 101, a very modern minimalistic design hotel with a lobby and bar full of retro sitting furniture.

Valentino and Zegna fabrics

Valentino and Zegna fabrics

You sew and make clothing for yourself. Can you share more about how you started to sew and how that interest has evolved? 

I’ve always had artistic tendencies like drawing ( I attended an art school since I was eight), visiting galleries and exhibitions, and  collecting graphic art, so it was really only another step to start making my own clothes.

I also love anything creative like design and photography, and own many photography books ranging from Helmut Newton, Herb Ritts, David la Chapelle, Peter Lindenberg, Ellen von Unwerth to Jan Saudek to Frantisek Drtikol and am a proud owner of Pirelli calendars.

Dress made by Suzi

Dress made by Suzi

I started to make my own clothes when I was eleven, sneaking in my mum’s closet and using her sewing machine secretly. Later on I made my dresses for my dancing lessons as sixteen year old, working on my dresses until four in the morning. During school I couldn’t wait for Friday afternoon to go shopping for fabric and work on something through Sunday evening to impress my school mates on Monday at school. I always wanted to wear something, which would be different from the rest, something that only I could have. I wanted not to blend into the crowd,  to provoke a little bit.

I like to create, I always did and always will…it is simply my passion.

g9c7376-2

_G9C7773-2

Silk tops made by Suzi

What are some of your favorite pieces that you’ve made? 

I like my silk blouses, nobody else has the same blouse, only me! My absolute favourite for now is a yellow silk blouse from satin silk with a scarf pattern. Another favorite is the violet blouse from the Etro silk fabric I was lucky to get in Moscow in one little shop I discovered after some time, though the shop was just a few minutes’ walk from our Moscow apartment.

_G9C4710

What are some of your favorite clothing and accessory pieces in your wardrobe?

I love perfect craftsmanship, so I am forced to shop for some top end brands like Hermès or Chanel when it comes to bags. When it comes to shoes I like ballet flats from Chanel and any classic pumps ranging from Giuseppe Zanotti, Prada, Vicini, Escada to Christian Louboutin.

Most days I need less than five minutes to dress up, and on some other days I need ages to choose something to wear.

Etro details

Etro details

I have multiples of my favourite pieces of clothing like trench coats or any coats in the same colour and cut. If I like something, I’ll just get it in different colour. I might even buy the same piece twice or three times as I did last summer when I discovered the perfect grey trousers.

Some favorite clothing pieces include a Burberry silver trench coat, bouclé jackets from Escada and Rena Lange silk blouses.

_G9C4669

Clearly as somebody with a keen eye for design and construction, you must be pretty picky about the clothing you buy. What are some brands that you tend to go to for great design and construction?

I love Burberry classic outwear for its perfect details. For casual and classic clothes with extra twist I like Escada and when it goes to classic pieces in pursuit of elegance and sophistication I opt for Rena Lange clothes which use the highest of quality standards and the finest fabrics, refined detailing and precision tailoring at a couture level.

Suzi's impressive library

Suzi’s impressive library

I know you are a big reader. What are some of your favorites books?

Apart of travel guides I collect books about art, painting, photographing, architecture and interior design plus fashion and style books. I have about 2500 -3000 books in our library.

My favourites are obviously photography, architecture and design books. When it comes to design I own few books of Kelly Hoppen, a famous British interior designer, and books about Josef Hofmann, Jan Kotera, Czech cubism, Mies van der Rhohe, and more. My favourite art books range from Victor Vasarely to Piet Mondrian, Roy Lichtenstein, Keith Haring, Salvatore Dalí to Magritte.

CRW_2667

What are some of your other passions and hobbies?

I am a passionate skier. For me it is a sort of adventure, I like the sense of thrill and achievement. I love skiing so deeply that it has become a part of my life. Sometimes I hate it and sometimes I love it, but I know that I will ski and be around all aspects of the sport for the rest of my life no matter how old I become. I love skiing because of its freedom, the speed when skiing downhill there is only me, the hill and the speed, nothing else.

Suzi's delicious strudel!

Suzi’s delicious strudel!

Can you call food and coffee a passion? If so, they are my passion. I am not afraid to say that I am a pretty good cook and addicted to coffee. Luckily for me, there is no problem in Vienna to get good coffee almost everywhere, including at home!

Finally – please share something surprising about yourself!

I took part in a whale shark expedition in Thailand and after five days diving three times a day, I was lucky enough when already in decompression mode, some mysterious shade over my head emerged from the middle of nowhere. I ended up touching the belly of nine meter long baby whale shark!

 

How fantastic is Suzi’s library? As a big book lover, it is a thrill for me to see the collections of other reading enthusiasts. I also can’t emphasize enough just how jealous I am of Suzi’s ability to create her own clothing – oh, what I’d give to never have to hem something again!

Thank you very much to Suzi for being here today and sharing some of her wonderful world with us. For more of Suzi, you can visit her blog, here.

17 Comments

  • Reply
    Sonya
    May 8, 2013 at 9:15 am

    What a fascinating woman. I would be interested to hear more sights she recommends in Prague as well. I’ve been to Iceland once very while ago and it was a once in a lifetime experience.

    • Reply
      silky1way
      May 8, 2013 at 9:47 am

      Dear Sonya,
      there are many interesting sights in Prague to visit. Are you interested in hotels recommendation, restaurants or just some sight places worth to visit?
      Best regards
      Suzi
      silky1way.com

  • Reply
    Adele
    May 8, 2013 at 9:25 am

    Great travel tips! My fav holiday was also one of my safaris, such a unique experience. I also adore Suzi’s silk tops – she should go into production!!
    Happy Wednesday Hun xoxo
    http://www.intotheblonde.com/

    • Reply
      silky1way
      May 8, 2013 at 9:51 am

      Hi Adele,
      thank you…:-)
      Go into production. I am preparing something very soon ( an on line shop) with hand made ribbon scarves/ twillies from silk twill and of course the silk tops too hand made from the highest silk quality fabrics. The blue one scarf silk twill top has already found a first client. If you are interested in the same scarf top, pls contact me per via mail for more details.
      Best regards
      Suzi

  • Reply
    Mica
    May 8, 2013 at 10:47 am

    I’m heading to Iceland on Saturday. I’m very excited to hear your positive experience. We will be in Rekyavik and the goldern circle. I do agree with you on Viennese coffee. Austria does a wonderful job perserving their Kafe culture!

  • Reply
    Whitney Worthington
    May 8, 2013 at 12:59 pm

    There are so many things I loved seeing in this interview! Her beautiful tastes in fabric and silks are enviable, and the way she integrates them into her wardrobe is just as I would do. Suzi clearly loves beautiful things but not in an over-the-top showy way. I would love to travel the globe as she had, and it is always great to meet a fellow lover of books. I fear we are a dying breed!

    • Reply
      silky1way
      May 9, 2013 at 2:36 am

      Thank you Whitney, silk is my passion, I treat silk fabrics with all the respect they deserve, I have seen women in Myanmar to weave silk on old fashion machines producing the best quality shantung silk I have ever seen in the world with out any knots, when I touch silk I am in heaven, It feels luscious against your skin providing warm in winter and cold in summer.
      For more than two thousand years the Chinese kept the secret of silk altogether to themselves. The history of silk is absolutely fascinating and all the time I am buying a silk or work with silk I have this history in mind, this special material was reserved exclusively for the use of the ruler only…
      Reading
      As a child I used to be regular visitor at our local library borrowing books and reading until now. I still prefer printed books at the moment reading a God always travels incognito – Laurent Gounelle and You are what you wear – Jennifer J. Baumgartner.

  • Reply
    Annie
    May 8, 2013 at 4:47 pm

    Wow, what a comfy looking purple chair! Would you mind me asking what it’s called?

    • Reply
      silky1way
      May 9, 2013 at 2:41 am

      Hi Annie, the chair is called UP5 and UP6 designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969 today produced by B&B Italia and it is really comfy I swear!:-)

  • Reply
    Kat
    May 8, 2013 at 9:19 pm

    Thank you so much for interviewing such a fascinating woman! I have followed Suzi’s blog and Instagram for a while now and LOVE how she makes her own clothes because they are impeccable! After reading this interview I have learned so much more about one of my favourite bloggers!

  • Reply
    silky1way
    May 9, 2013 at 2:44 am

    Kat, thank you. Another new silk addition to my closet is done – silk sporty pants. Will appear in the next post soon.

  • Reply
    Marlene @ chocolatecookiesandcandies
    May 9, 2013 at 7:04 am

    I have the same Panton chairs, thanks to the hubby’s obsession with furniture from the 1920s/30s era. He is also nuts about LC4 and the table. Now that Suzi has mentioned it, I’m missing the blue cod from home. It’s the one thing we used to eat a lot until we arrived in the UK.

  • Reply
    Lena
    May 9, 2013 at 8:02 am

    What a great interview! Suzi is one of the most genuine person I have ever met and so talented definetely!!!

  • Reply
    Lucy
    May 10, 2013 at 7:06 am

    What a fantastic interview! Suzi’s library is indeed drool worthy, and her travel tales are fascinating.

    As someone who sewed as a child and gave it up, I am very impressed with the clothing she has made. Those silk tops are exquisite, and quality craftsmanship is tough! She is a very talented seamstress.

  • Reply
    Macs in the City
    May 27, 2013 at 11:46 am

    Awesome interview, hun – I’m so, so proud of you and feel so blessed to call you my friend! 😀

  • Reply
    HappyFace313
    June 8, 2013 at 3:45 pm

    What a great interview with a very lovely and interesting lady! 🙂

  • Reply
    Chic Sicily goes to Vienna | SILKY 1 WAY
    September 12, 2013 at 3:07 pm

    […] Interview […]

  • Leave a Reply to Adele Cancel Reply

    <

    /html>