Q: How do you define fashion? Where do you see your label „Reality Studio“ in that definition?
A: Reality Studio’s collections are contemporary. Fashion for me is an expression of time through clothing and expression of personality aswell. It can also be positioning in a social class. „Reality Studio“ is worn by a certain group of people, who feel the label is representing themselves. It would be too easy to say, it is worn by women who are in the know, modern and strong women etc. My fashion could also compensate.

 

Q: You are talking about women „who are in the know“. What famous women do you have in mind when saying so? Do you have a certain idea of feminity you design for?
A: I love Gena Rowlands for beeing so naturally elegant and totally crazy at the same time. For beeing free and independent from conventions, as she has shown us in her many movies directed by her husband John Cassavetes.
And I also love Grace Jones. She devolepd a whole new image of women. Strong and sexy, masculine and feminine at once. Something you will find in my collections as well.

 

Q: What part does William S Burroughs’ idea of the reality as a „Reality Studio“ play in the concept of your designs?
A: Most important for me is my conclusion that we are not able to break out of the world that is around us. That means we work with the stuff taken out of our immediate environment. Just like Burroughs used his cut up method I take what I need from an already existing archive. I don’t mean clothes, I don’t cut and alter old clothing pieces, although I do so in a figurative sense.
I work with a global archive and create new things myself. That means the „Reality“ and „Reality Studio“ stands for the archive and I am the Studio, the active part.
That’s my interpretation of the „Reality Studio“.

 

Q: In the description of your autumn/winter 07/08 collection is says „one can follow Specht’s world, by following her collections.“ What kind of world is this?
A: Realiy Studio in the Studio Reality!

 

Q: Is your idea of a bounded reality negative?
A: No, not at all. I don’t see it as limitation. There are so many possibilities!

 

Q: How do you see yourself acting in the studio? Curious, frustrated, eager to experiment, world improving? Are you trying to „improve“ reality?
A: Not really. Although I have the naive hope, that people that feel good in their skins and in their clothes have a positive vibrancy that affects other people. About the process: I experiment a lot with fabrics, cuts, colours. Yes, I would call myself very curious.

 

Q: Are there other designers/artist/writers that inspire you?
A: Yes, many. I’ve already mentioned Gene Rowlands and Grace Jones.
Then there are Hayao Miyazaki´s Anime movies, Frank Stella’s huge wall mounted works like "In Sante Luze, (Herr Stromli). 1998“ or the dream and movie images made by my good friend the painter Michael Kalki.
Designers: I really like Comme des Garçons or Maison Martin Margiela. I find them very interessting and inspiring because of their constant search for their limits.
And Yohji Yamamoto for his aesthetics and cuts.

 

Q: During and after your studies you did a lot of travelling and lived in different cities like Paris and Bejing. Why do you work in Berlin today? Where would you live if it wasn’t Berlin?
A: Berlin is a quite relaxing city. I can concentrate on my work pretty well. There’s a lot of green and not so many people compared to other larger cities. The cultural offerings are fantastic. Besides that there are a lot of interessting people coming to Berlin. I dream of living in two cities. Half of the year there and the other half of the year in Berlin. Bejing – Berlin or Tokyo – Berlin for example. That would be exciting!

 

Q: Why Asia?
A: I predominantely like about asia the differentness. People think and act differently, have other measures of value and a different kind of humour. And there’s the culture, the clothing, the fabrics, painting, calligraphy, architecture and the food. In China I was very much impressed by the Bejing Opera and the Fantasy-Action-Movies – unbelivable! Totally crazy! In Japan I liked the love for details. And I love the Kabuki Theater.

 

Q: Between October 4th and 7th you presented your upcoming spring/summer 08 collection in Paris during the Rendez-vous. What did you present?
A: I’ve been to Marocco this March and was very impressed by the country. For me it’s the country of contrasts. Poor – rich, hot – cold, city – countryside, mountains – desert, modernity – tradition. I was very inspired by the colours, the cuts and the details of the traditional clothing. All of this is part of „Zahara“.