Czech fashion designers at UNL next week

Two of the Czech Republic's most prominent fashion designers, Tatiana Kovarikova and Jaroslava Prochaskova, will be guests of the Department of Textiles Clothing and Design at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln the week of Feb. 9.

The designers will show their high fashion garment lines and discuss their contributions in establishing Prague as an emerging European fashion center. Through programming directed by Professor Barbara Trout that includes interactions with students in the classroom, receptions, meetings with community organizations and a public lecture, the two designers will describe the development of their businesses to include design, production and marketing since the Velvet Revolution in 1989.

They will provide insight into the formation of the Fashion Alliance of the Czech Republic and discuss the current global context of the fashion industry. Kovarikova and Prochaskova have shown their apparel designs at market at fashion centers such as Paris, Rotterdam, London and New York. Their designs have appeared in the pages of magazines that include French Vogue, European editions of Elle magazine and Prague's Luxury Shopping Guide.

An exhibition curated by Trout featuring their designs over the last 10 years will open Feb. 9 at UNL's Hillestad Textiles Gallery on the second floor of the Home Economics Building on 35th Street north of East Campus Loop. The exhibition will showcase high fashion that spans categories from outerwear to eveningwear along with fashion photography. Included in the exhibit are costumes that Prochaskova designed for theater and film indicating the diversity of these designers.

A highlight of the exhibit is a grouping of eveningwear decorated with oversized crystals, one of the country's domestic products. Beautifully tailored suits in the exhibit are crafted of novelty weaves while one dazzling coat is created of faux fur with a black-on-white leather alphabet motif. Imaginative and body conscious, their designs are accurately described as fashion forward with an urban edge.

Kovarikova and Prochaskova will talk about their designs and experiences at 2 p.m. Feb. 15 in Room 11 of the Home Economics Building on 35th Street north of East Campus Loop. A reception follows the lecture in conjunction with the Friends of the Hillestad Gallery's annual meeting. The lecture and reception are free and open to the public.

Another dimension to this project will occur during UNL's pre-session, May 18-June 5, when 26 textiles clothing and design students will travel to the Czech Republic to study the design treasures of Prague and to visit and interact with Kovarikova and Prochaskova at their design studios and atelier.

The exhibit and accompanying events are supported in part by the Nebraska Arts Council, The University of Nebraska Research Council and the Friends of the Hillestad Gallery.

The Hillestad Gallery, http://textilegallery.unl.edu, is part of the Department of Textiles, Clothing and Design in the UNL College of Education and Human Sciences. Hours are 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday and by appointment. Admission is free.

The links below are to two color JPEG images of clothing designed by Kovarikova and Prochaskova.