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I get sent zillions (yes, it’s a word) of lookbooks every day, but few really grab my attention. So when the lookbook for RIYKA’s SS12 collection “Shake it to make it” dropped in my inbox a few months ago, it immediately caught my eye. RIYKA’s clever use of geometric shapes and colour and different material in easy sportsluxe pieces is exactly my thing. I filed it under “To Blog” – but never quite got round to it (as happens an awful lot, sadly). Now I’ve got my hands on their
new AW12 collection “Are you dancing yet” and I’m happy to tell you it didn’t disappoint, far from it. So I grabbed 5 minutes of RIYKA’s designers time, married couple Vedran and Rebecca, to ask them all about their latest collection.
Oh hi there! Who are you?
We are husband and wife, Vedran and Rebecca, Rebecca is in charge of design, and Vedran is in charge of Rebecca. Rebecca graduated from Fashion design at Shenkar in Israel, and Vedran has a background in engineering. We live in London, and we care about having fun and keeping it simple. We created Riyka almost 2 years ago in order to take over the world and enforce sport-lux onto everyone!
What inspires you?
Rebecca: Ethnic diversity, humor and music
Vedran: Simplicity
Who is the Riyka woman?
Rebecca: She is one heck of a groovy chick
Vedran: She’s a real deal, one that does not pretend and when she says she loves you, you know it’s true
How did you get into fashion design?
Rebecca: I was inspired by my grandmother, who was defiantly a groovy chick, she gave me the creative genes, I have always wanted to make clothes since I can remember.Vedran: When I met Rebecca
Where would you like to see Riyka in 5 years’ time?
Rebecca: With a larger range, and a good following, really excited about developing menswear and some rocking textiles.
Vedran: Developed into an experience. We don’t know yet if through a shop, gallery or something along those lines but that is the direction.
What’s it like working together as a married couple?
Rebecca: Sometimes Vedran drives me mad, luckily he does not always come to the studio, so I get some peace and quiet (ha ha!)
Vedran: I guess for us it is quite natural, if you generally complete each other as well as we do, working together is just another form of the relationship.
What’s the one item every woman should have in their wardrobe?
Rebecca: A Yaye sweatshirt by Riyka (AW12) and staple pieces of good quality denim
Vedran: Courage pill and a few menswear pieces
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?Rebecca: for RIYKA, and independently I would love to create pieces with textile/graphic designers that are interested in the same aesthetic as we are
Vedran: I would like to collaborate with some department stores please, so we can go trans-national, global and galactic, all at the same time.
What celebrity would you like to see wearing your pieces?
Rebecca: The cast of Girls, and Lisa Bonet when she was in the Cosby show
Vedran: Boris Johnson, mayor of London, wearing our jumpers, he is my main man these days, and for some time now. And we do make XL.
If there was a soundtrack to your life, what would be playing right now?
Rebecca: At the moment I am listening to a lot of conscious lyrics hip hop-mos def, talib kweli and immortal technique are on my playlist, what ever I listen to has to have a good base line, you got to keep it funky!
Vedran: The Brian Jonestown Massacre
RIYKA’s AW12 collection launches late August and will be available from 69b, Behave Clothing, Shop 172 and NOT JUST A LABEL.
The new AW12 collection video: “Are you dancing yet?”
Favourite looks from the AW12 collection
