The Brvtalist: Talk about the development of Keta Gutmane and the mission or ethos of the brand.
Keta Gutmane: Keta Gutmane wants to bridge the interior and exterior. We wish to propose an open dialogue. One that is democratic and carefully shaped by the contours of our creative process. The studio’s monochrome backdrop re-directs all my focus towards construction, tactility and textural research.
My goal is to insert classic tailoring into urban environments, to make structured garments wearable and comfortable. The looks are always monochrome and quite boyish, genders do not matter to me so much. I like different textures, like my signature leather finish fabric and other natural high-quality textures. The garments are made to be worn. This is very important.
TB: We love the high concept approach to your clothes that also happen to be very wearable. Talk about the balance of creating something that is conceptual but also practical.
KG: Thank you. This is very dear to me and maybe to another 10% of people (who perceive their individual space and the world like I do), who do needsome form of conceptual narrative. When working on a collection, research is my ritual. It allows me to touch upon some other worlds besides this one, to experience some alternative results. This is a way to better express my ideas and creativity.
I try to avoid making concepts just for the concepts' sake. I would like everything to be light and easy instead, so when ideas do not come so easy and this starts to bother me, I lighten up the approach a bit. I have not always succeeded in striking a balance between the conceptual and the wearable -- it is quite rare when this perfect harmony occurs. All in all, clothes are products, and they need to find their place into the wardrobes of their wearers. Regarding the design, my goal is to throw out all things unnecessary, stripping the pieces from any frills. I want the items to breathe and live on their own. When designing, I pay a lot of attention to textile, tailoring and craft.
