Russian designer armed with camera
By Xie Fangyuan |
October 14, 2012, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
RUSSIAN fashion designer, amateur photographer and Asia traveler Taisia Karpova is captivated by Shanghai's openness and it is here she has chosen for her creative design work.
Karpova, 28, who has lived in Shanghai for four years, praises the city's diversity and multiculturalism and says, "Interesting things can happen around you every day if you are an open person."
"Foreigners who come to work in Shanghai make their own cultural inputs to the local environment every day just by getting in touch with others and sharing their opinions or experience," said the St Petersburg native.
Karpova works for a Russian fashion group that manufactures in China for export. After one year of business trip to China, Karpova volunteered to move to Shanghai for her design work. She has traveled around the country on business.
"I told my boss that my work would be more effective if I reside in Shanghai," she said.
Before moving to Shanghai she had traveled around China. "I was impressed so much by its culture and the people I met who were sharing the same passion for traveling and love for life," she said.
Karpova, a tall woman with long, dark blond hair and green eyes, says she has been interested in fashion since she was a child in St Petersburg. As a girl, she used to imagine herself in different fairy tales as an elf or a forest fairy. "That gave me a lot of excitement and I became curious about fashion and how you can create a new image with clothing and express your artistic nature," Karpova said. She always experimented with her own looks and found that her mood depended greatly on what she wore.
Her mother ran a trading company for European brands in Russia. She often took Karpova and her sister to see new collections in her office where they helped her to choose the right styles. "She passed her passion on to me, though my father wanted me to become an architect like him."
Karpova graduated with a degree in fashion design from the St Petersburg University of Technology and Design. She designs a range of women's casual and dressier wear.
Her biggest incentive is to see that you can make somebody happy with a new dress. "Unfortunately, now I'am working for a mass market, so it's not easy to be in touch with final customers and see their reactions." Although sales are good, she doesn't have the same satisfying contact with customers.
The Russian designer has wide-ranging interests and is fascinated by Buddhism, which she first encountered in India and Southeast Asia.
"Buddhism is very close to my values in life, and I'm happy I have managed to find a touch of Buddhist culture in Shanghai," she said.
She frequently sketches at the Jade Temple in Shanghai where she is fascinated by statues of gods and spirits. "Sketching there became one of my favorite things to do in Shanghai," she said.
Karpova says her design is inspired by cultural diversity in Shanghai and she embeds some Oriental elements in her designs.
"The young generation in Shanghai is trying to combine mainstream fashion popular in Western Europe with their own Oriental preferences," Karpova said. "But there are always some creatively dressed individuals." Since she is interested in visual arts, Karpova is also fond of photography, which she took up when she first visited China five years ago. She is self-taught and her travels provide rich subject matter.
Extensive travels have widened her perspectives.
"I don't feel very strong cultural shocks since I am open," Karpova said. Her travels have included Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and India.
In September she held her first photo exhibition titled "Photos for Change" in Strictly Designers United gallery in Shanghai. Her works showed ailing Laotian women and children living in backward villages with poor hygiene and lack of sanitation infrastructure. All proceeds from photo sales were donated to a French NGO working on sanitation projects in Laos.
"I love children, I really wanted to help them when I saw them," Karpova said. "The people and the place are inspiring."
Karpova hopes to take more photos to benefit charities and hopes her pictures can be exhibited around China.
"Shanghai is a great place to hold my first photographic exhibition," she said. "This cosmopolis has more possibilities, people here are more focused and looking for something interesting and inspiring in their lives."
She plans to set up a website Photos for Change to connect photographers and NGOs and to help arrange photo exhibitions for charitable purposes. "I wish more and more people could use their talents to help other people in need," she said.
Taisia Karpova
Nationality: Russian
Age: 28
Profession: Fashion designer
Q & A:
Self-description:
Curious, passionate and open
Favorite place:
Home in Shanghai
Strangest sight:
Some habits such as spitting
Worst experience:
Discussion with greedy landlords regarding deposit issues, sad for me because of being treated dishonestly
Motto for life:
To be happy, to do things that you really want to do
How to improve Shanghai:
Reduce the number of cars to be more environment-friendly and facilitate traffic; enhance protection of old-style buildings in Puxi area
Advice to newcomers:
Do not overwork, give a little bit time for yourself and enjoy life in Shanghai.
Karpova, 28, who has lived in Shanghai for four years, praises the city's diversity and multiculturalism and says, "Interesting things can happen around you every day if you are an open person."
"Foreigners who come to work in Shanghai make their own cultural inputs to the local environment every day just by getting in touch with others and sharing their opinions or experience," said the St Petersburg native.
Karpova works for a Russian fashion group that manufactures in China for export. After one year of business trip to China, Karpova volunteered to move to Shanghai for her design work. She has traveled around the country on business.
"I told my boss that my work would be more effective if I reside in Shanghai," she said.
Before moving to Shanghai she had traveled around China. "I was impressed so much by its culture and the people I met who were sharing the same passion for traveling and love for life," she said.
Karpova, a tall woman with long, dark blond hair and green eyes, says she has been interested in fashion since she was a child in St Petersburg. As a girl, she used to imagine herself in different fairy tales as an elf or a forest fairy. "That gave me a lot of excitement and I became curious about fashion and how you can create a new image with clothing and express your artistic nature," Karpova said. She always experimented with her own looks and found that her mood depended greatly on what she wore.
Her mother ran a trading company for European brands in Russia. She often took Karpova and her sister to see new collections in her office where they helped her to choose the right styles. "She passed her passion on to me, though my father wanted me to become an architect like him."
Karpova graduated with a degree in fashion design from the St Petersburg University of Technology and Design. She designs a range of women's casual and dressier wear.
Her biggest incentive is to see that you can make somebody happy with a new dress. "Unfortunately, now I'am working for a mass market, so it's not easy to be in touch with final customers and see their reactions." Although sales are good, she doesn't have the same satisfying contact with customers.
The Russian designer has wide-ranging interests and is fascinated by Buddhism, which she first encountered in India and Southeast Asia.
"Buddhism is very close to my values in life, and I'm happy I have managed to find a touch of Buddhist culture in Shanghai," she said.
She frequently sketches at the Jade Temple in Shanghai where she is fascinated by statues of gods and spirits. "Sketching there became one of my favorite things to do in Shanghai," she said.
Karpova says her design is inspired by cultural diversity in Shanghai and she embeds some Oriental elements in her designs.
"The young generation in Shanghai is trying to combine mainstream fashion popular in Western Europe with their own Oriental preferences," Karpova said. "But there are always some creatively dressed individuals." Since she is interested in visual arts, Karpova is also fond of photography, which she took up when she first visited China five years ago. She is self-taught and her travels provide rich subject matter.
Extensive travels have widened her perspectives.
"I don't feel very strong cultural shocks since I am open," Karpova said. Her travels have included Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and India.
In September she held her first photo exhibition titled "Photos for Change" in Strictly Designers United gallery in Shanghai. Her works showed ailing Laotian women and children living in backward villages with poor hygiene and lack of sanitation infrastructure. All proceeds from photo sales were donated to a French NGO working on sanitation projects in Laos.
"I love children, I really wanted to help them when I saw them," Karpova said. "The people and the place are inspiring."
Karpova hopes to take more photos to benefit charities and hopes her pictures can be exhibited around China.
"Shanghai is a great place to hold my first photographic exhibition," she said. "This cosmopolis has more possibilities, people here are more focused and looking for something interesting and inspiring in their lives."
She plans to set up a website Photos for Change to connect photographers and NGOs and to help arrange photo exhibitions for charitable purposes. "I wish more and more people could use their talents to help other people in need," she said.
Taisia Karpova
Nationality: Russian
Age: 28
Profession: Fashion designer
Q & A:
Self-description:
Curious, passionate and open
Favorite place:
Home in Shanghai
Strangest sight:
Some habits such as spitting
Worst experience:
Discussion with greedy landlords regarding deposit issues, sad for me because of being treated dishonestly
Motto for life:
To be happy, to do things that you really want to do
How to improve Shanghai:
Reduce the number of cars to be more environment-friendly and facilitate traffic; enhance protection of old-style buildings in Puxi area
Advice to newcomers:
Do not overwork, give a little bit time for yourself and enjoy life in Shanghai.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
