Personal couture · FRILISA story
An Encounter That Stays with You
Svetlana Alexievich
4 min read
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At the Berlin atelier
Some encounters stay with you long afterwards. Not necessarily because of grand words or extraordinary events, but because something about the person you meet touches you.
That was how I felt when I had the opportunity to meet Svetlana Alexievich.
Of course, I knew who she was: a writer of international standing, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2015. I knew her name from the news and understood the importance of her work. Until then, though, I had not explored her writing in depth.
Perhaps that was part of what made our meeting so special.
I was struck by her warmth, her openness and the almost familiar ease with which she greeted me. She had a remarkable inner strength, without the slightest need to draw attention to it.
At moments during our conversation, I almost forgot just how distinguished the person sitting opposite me was.
Then I would remember.
This woman, speaking to me with such warmth and ease, had moved people around the world through her books. She had confronted human experiences that many would prefer not to face, and recorded stories that must not be forgotten.
Our meeting made me curious. I wanted to learn more about her books, her ideas and the path her life had taken.
But first, our time together brought us to a subject particularly close to my heart: clothing.
Clothing and personality
We talked about her ideas, what she felt comfortable wearing, and the clothes she wanted for her public appearances.
One question stayed with me throughout the work.
How could clothing express a woman's strength without obscuring her natural femininity and warmth?
I did not want to create a severe or unapproachable look. Nor did I want to change the way she came across through unusual shapes or conspicuous details.
Her personality was already so expressive.
I saw my role as creating clothes that would complement that presence.
Clean lines, a confident silhouette, carefully chosen fabrics and enough freedom to move naturally. Clothes that suited the occasion without overshadowing the person wearing them.
For me, strength and femininity belong together. A woman can be determined and gentle at the same time. She can command great authority and still be warm and approachable.
That was the impression Svetlana Alexievich had left on me.
Beyond the atelier
Later, seeing her wear our creations at public appearances and in the media brought me a very particular joy.
It was not any grand gesture that moved me. It was the thought that something made in our Berlin atelier was now being worn by a woman whose words and ideas reach far beyond national borders.
I feel deeply privileged that our work could play a small part in those moments.
Her stories, her ideas and her life's work are hers alone. Yet it means a great deal to me that our couture could contribute, in some small way, to her comfort and to how she presents herself in public.
Our meeting reminded me how rewarding my profession can be.
Sometimes, work on a garment begins with a conversation about fabrics, cuts and colours.
And sometimes, you leave that conversation wanting to understand the person and her world much better.
Larissa Fromm
Head designer, FRILISA — Couture. Created in Berlin.
