Mária Štraneková
Júlia Sabová is a visual artist whose artwork is known in the free style and textile community for two decades. She also added free style and utility textile objects, clothes and clothing accessories to the core of her work. Her work is full of a female approach combined with a cultivated artistic expression. Being a co-founder of the clothing design studio at the AFAD, Júlia Sabová has been a lecturer at the same academic institution for fifteen years and the head of Textile department for several years. She obtained habilitation and was named the docent in 2003.
Recently, she redirected her creative activity to headgear. At the late exhibition called Klobooks, Júlia Sabová presented her headgear work, borrowing from a large scale of shapes. She proved that a textile material can be shaped into numerous versions and keep its function, at the same time. “I intentionally chose a limited scope of colours, white, black and red, to prioritise volume over design.”
In addition to being a prolific visual artist, Júlia Sabová is the long-term head of the department of textile creation of the AFAD. She has risen a new generation of fashion designers. She was among the co-founders of the entirely new studio, without history in Slovakia. The studio is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. Júlia Sabová incorporates projects aiming at tradition and traditional techniques into the work of the studio which, as result, produces a national tradition-inspired and up-to-date design. Borrowing from the above mentioned idea, the project Inspiration – Quotation – Interpretation, managed by Sabová, is a living proof of the initiative. Students of the textile course at the State University in Buffalo, U.S.A. and of the textile design studio of the AFAD participated in the project. The Slovak students were assigned to work on the task Inspiration from the Slovak bonnets from the region of Liptov.
About forty people successfully graduated under the educational guidance of Júlia Sabová and now work in various fields of design and fashion. Several graduates of the studio have been awarded national and international awards. Some of them have been awarded the title “Top Style Designer”, The National Prize for Design, The Rings in Water prizes and presented their artworks at Mittelmoda in Italy and Humen Cup in China. Students have been offered temporary work at Alexander McQueen, JC De Castelbajac, House of Balenciaga in Paris and Adidas in Germany. Successful Slovak company Lifeline was founded by the studio’s graduates who strive to maintain the top standard of the company.