Francesca Salter-Dvorak: Designed for performance

by Anni Leisma

Francesca Salter-Dvorak is sitting in front of her laptop listening to music while working on a piece of long, black, shiny fabric on her lap.

She explains that this is a piece of plastic she has bought from a garden centre designed to be used as insulation in walls.

However in Salter-Dvorak’s hands the plastic will transform, not only into something wearable, but into something beautiful too.

The floor of her warehouse studio is strewn with many different fabrics confirming you are standing in the heart of an artist’s creative domain.

As if to complete the picture, her black cat sits on the foot of a mannequin which is clad in a beautiful dress.

It is clear from her appearence, that she is interested in fashion. Her own style is eccentric but fits her image and personality perfectly.

She is clearly not afraid of doing things differently and combining various styles to create her own. “I try to express humour and try to be experimental and playful – not sure if it works though”.

Having studied BA costume design at the Wimbledon School of Art, graduating two years ago, she has since introduced herself, seemingly effortlessly, into the design industry, now working freelance.

Since graduating, she has been involved in many different projects ranging from designing theatre costumes for stage productions to creating outfits for the pop group The Pipettes.

The all-girl band had been known for their ‘50s style outfits but Salter-Dvorak created a completely new look which manages to combine femininity and modernity, but also staying faithful to the simple lines and elegance of the ‘50s era.“I’m quite happy with the new look, there is more edge to the band and the girls seemed very pleased with it,” she says.

At only 25, she already has a great deal of experience to her name, but far from being smug, she appreciates how lucky she has been to get where she is now. For some people it can be very hard to enter the working world after college and according to Francesca, the fashion industry can be quite disheartening for the newcomer.

Studying at Wimbledon

She loved her time at Wimbledon, and while the course offers a high quality of teaching and covers the whole aspect of design for theatre very thoroughly, she feels that the students might benefit from more work experience placements than the two week period that is mandatory to the course.

“After all, you get lots of contacts for the future during your college years. The more the better, right? When I was studying I was already working on the side, so I had an easy start, but for some people it can be difficult to get into the industry when you come fresh from school.”

Even though Francesca is happy with her current situation as a freelancer, there are still some things she misses from her university days, and it’s not just partying.

“You have no idea how lucky you are to have deadlines and set projects. That someone tells you what to do and when to do it by. I never appreciated that when I was in college, but once you get in the working world it can be surprisingly hard to keep yourself focused and working, when you are the one setting the schedule and your personal targets.”

"Impressive" work experience

Having dreamt of being a designer since a young age, she has worked tirelessly to get to where she is now and she has been able to secure some impressive work experience for someone who graduated only two years ago.

“I have been really lucky to get involved with different designing projects, even before college. When I was only 17, I was assisting Sue Blane at Batignano Opera Festival in Italy.”

Blane designed the costumes for the original stage show and film adaption of The Rocky Horror Show and has since designed for multiple ballet and opera productions. “Sue is a hero of mine. When I met her, I wanted to be just like her!”

In February, Salter-Dvorak directed and designed her own fashion film, Freddie Must Focus. The film was shot in the corner of her studio, but clever set design and expressive camera angles make the place completely unrecognisable. The strangely beautiful three minute clip can be seen on her Vimeo page and stills can be found on her blog.

She has also created costumes for dance performances, which she says can be very different from designing for theatre. “You have to think about the music and think of the costumes as a reaction to music, not just an outfit. The practical side can also be difficult; the dancers have to be able to move without ripping the clothes or getting tangled up in stray hems.”

Living a creative life

As she lives in her studio, Salter-Dvorak is constantly surrounded by art and talented people. The studio is open plan and from her work desk she can watch other artists work on the other side of the massive room. She has no need to keep work and other parts of her life separate, she says she enjoys being with creative people and feels inspired by the art projects surrounding her.

“All my friends are really creative. They are artists, designers, musicians. Lots of things inspire me but I also scan through a lot of different art books when planning a design. Researching is a big part of planning a project.”

Her free time, what little she has, is usually spent relaxing and seeing friends: “I don’t go out as much as I used to, I’m always busy with something,” she says, but does not look too bothered about that; for a designer ‘busy’ is good – the more you do, the more you get noticed and that gets you ahead in the business.

At the moment she is busy with different projects, but in the future she is considering taking an MA course in Fashion Design – possibly at Central St Martins College.

“I’ve thought about it a lot. The course there is just so amazing and teaches you so much. I’m busy at the moment but I know how much I could benefit from it. It would be an amazing experience but I have to think about if I really want to be a fashion designer – working with fashion is actually quite different from costume design and I’m not sure yet which way I want to develop myself.”

Currently, she is designing costumes for a Tony and Guy hair fashion show but who knows what the future will hold for the designer’s quickly blossoming career.

Read Francesca's blog and check out her fashion film Freddie Must Focus.