Natália Gyulai 1027, Budapest, Medve u.42. Hungary Phone +36-20-346-48-47 +36-1-202-55-18 mail: nati.4@uze.net "What is your name?" "Let me introduce myself, I am Natália Gyulai, fashion-designer." "Where are you from?" "I am from Budapest, Hungary." "How old are you?" "I am 29 years old." "What is your exact pofession, your field of work, your main interest?" "I am fashion designer and textile artist. I was only 14 years when I started to study art and design. I done my studies at the Hungarian Unversity of Light Industry (Texile and Patternmaker Line), then at the University of Art and Design, Helsinki, Finland UIAH, Fashiondesign Line and graduated at the Hungarian University of Craft and Design in Budapest, Hungary in 2000. By profesion I am a fashion designer and textile artist. I introduced my brand to the public in 2001, which is named as NATI 100% PURE IDEA . My brand includes several lines and interest, which are: street-fashion, high-fashion, experimental-fashion, new textile-surface producing projects as well as conceptual art-fashion projects." SITUATION OF YOUR COUNTRY "How is the situation of your country concerning the design landscape?" "There was a huge breakthrough on every fields of Hungarian design at the very beginning of the 20th century, this breakthrough was a longlasting effect on the designer-generations afterwards. Nowadays the Hungarian designers are well honoured and not just even in their home country but also in abroad." "How accepted is design as a profession?" "Recently the Hungarian society and mass media are highly interested in the work of designers presented at big design-exhibitions and festivals. Some of the designers working permanently for big state owned companies and for privat companies. These are good signs for the Hungarian design and designers, because the work possiblities and the ways of artistic self-expression were very restricted in the past few decades in Hungary." 2Is there a so called design scene and do you have good networks?" "The design network in Hungary must be improved in the next few years. As my personal example shows: many of the Hungarian designers are need to build their own carrier. In my case this means that I have participated in a several international designer exhibitions and shows worldwide. I have also won many awards on these fashion exhibitions and competitions, for example in Japan, in China, in France, in Italy, in Germany, in Austria and in Finland. Beside these international and national invitations I am also working for my clients in Hungary." "What are nowadays the the main field of work for designers in your country? In my opinion the leading lines in the contemporary Hungarian design are: the graphic design and the interior design." "Are there many possibilities to study design? "The most famous design academy is the Hungarian Academy of Craft and Design in Budapest, Hungary, where I graduated. In the last few years there were founded some privately owned design schools where the students can get a certificate, which is officially accepted by the Hungarian State. I am working as a teacher at one of these schools." "How old or young the design tardition in your land?" "The roots of the modern Hungarian product and artistic design can be found in the end of the 19th. century. The Hungarian design was introduced to the World on the occasions of the first world Expos. Their participation – including the famous pottery designs of Zsolnay – at the World Expo in Paris in 1900 was especially successful. In the first years of the 20th century the Hungarian designers took the most elegant places in the international design-field, such as the designer who worked for the Ford Car Factory, as well as the Mr. Marcell Breuer (designer, architect) for example who also built a gorgeous carrier in the USA. The very best names from this developing period are: Molnár Farkas, Kozma Lajos, Thoroczkay Wigand Ede and the designers of the Artist's Colony at Gödöllõ. The reorganization of the Hungarian designer education was completed after the WWII. The product-designer courses started at the Hungarian Academy of Craft and Design in the year of 1950. Such important designers graduated there around that time as Mr. Dezsõ Bozzay, Mr. László Karmazsin and many others. Nowadays we are following their paths, concentrate on to form a unique national, up-to-date Hungarian design." "What if any are relationships between traditional handcrafts and modern design?" "There is a strong connection between Hungarian handcraft traditions and the modern design. Some designers especially like to use the old Hungarian handcraft techniques embedding that in the very new 21th century art and design." "What is the influence of other countries, is there any design direction you look at?" "Of course there are internationally accepted trends in fashion world, to be up-to-date with these trends for fashiondesigners is very neccessary. By using these current trends make easier selling collections in the international market. But the best type of designer is able to join the useful informations of trends and his/her own inexhaustible fantasy and ideas together." "What is the public reception of your country, does there any fairs exhibitions festivals etc. Exist in your country?" "International exhibitions, design and art festivals are organised in Hungary very often. The most important among these exhibitions are: The International Textil Biennal (at Szombathely), the Home Trend Exhibition (usually at the Exhibition Hall, in Budapest)." PROSPECTS "What do you expect from entering the EU concerning the design landscape in your land?" "I hope that soon many of European design-teams and companies will look for Hungarian textile and fashion designers." "What about the product design made in your country: do you think it will be successful in exprot?" "Only a small part of Hungarian design products were exported to other countrys before, I hope that our EU membership will bring us better export results." "Do you suppose there will be a development in the fields of service design, web design and communication design?" "Most of Hungarian designers try to show their design-projects to wider public through the internet. Creating a good webpage needs the work of professional webdesigners and graphic artists. The Hungarian webdesign is already well developed." "Do you think the job situation for designers in your country will impove?" "What is your oppinion about the the possible settlement and investment from companies from richer EU countries? "I do not belive that any of the rich EU countries would invest big amount of money into Hungarian design, but I do hope that it will change in a couple of years." "Will this influence improve the quality standards of design?" "Althrough, Hungarian design have a high standard but as good competitors within the EU we going to try produce more interesting and better quality design-objects." RISKS "Are you frightened of an invasion from foreign companies that will eat the smaller factories?" "The design-companies of EU probably will eat the smaller Hungarian brands but I do not fear of this because I am a freelance designer. I belive, if this this happens it won't be a problem in the case if the Hungarian design teams will be employed by the EU companies." "Do you think, this invasion or even an American influence will change your cultural way of life or the worse?" "In the very close future I am not expected big changes at any fields of Hungarian design. I do not afraid at all from the influence of American design. Even the Hungarian design have been always good connections with the American designers and companies." "Will your counrty be able to survive in the competiton of the European market? Till now the Hungarian design was very successful, in the future I hope that we are going to survive and grow."