AlineYaneli: A conversation on the creative process with founder Aline Skarule

AlineYaneli is a young denim brand with its origins in the heart of Europe. With each collection, the brand features only a handful of styles, ensuring that each piece is crafted to perfection. While the styles generally have one thing in common – being made of denim – each of them presents a unique design that caters for a diverse range of taste. From pleated mini dresses with pop-of-colour seams, indigo-coloured one pieces with fruit prints, to vest designs with frilled hems and tropical embroidery, the pieces speak a design language that addresses those who seek playful expression with their fashion choices.

In this interview, founder Aline Skarule gives an insight into her creative journey. From the first spark of inspiration to a holistic concept, from artistic sketches to technical drawings, and from fabric mock-up to the finished garment – the Latvian designer is all about the process.

The creative process is very individual. What does yours look like?

Aline Yaneli: To me, the creative process is all around. It is a process that includes absolutely everything – because it is life. All things, events, conversations, colours, feelings, everything is a creative process. If I had to describe the process as a whole I would say it starts with a feeling and ends with a design. My favourite part of the creative process is thinking about the theme that will inspire the new designs and then sketching based on this teme. These two steps are where I can fully unfold my creativity – it makes me feel happy and free. During these stages, it feels as if time and tiredness don’t exist.

If I had to list step by step how this process unfolds, I would say it starts with a source of inspiration, followed by a phase of sketching. Afterwards, I analyse the sketches, envisioning how they would look in reality and what materials can be used to achieve their look. Then, I create technical drawings that show details that facilitate the sewing process – they indicate where the seams and pockets will be, and all the other small details that make the design. Once the technical drawing is complete, I create patterns on paper and start crafting first fabrics mock-ups. In this stage, I test and try a lot, creating numerous mock-ups until I get the desired result. It’s not uncommon for a design to be re-considered at this point – because you discover ways to improve the garment or because it turns out the fabric I found is not suitable for the original idea.

Sometimes it’s the fabric that inspires me to create, sometimes – most often actually – it’s nature. I never know which moment or happening in life will be the inspiration for a new design.

What kind of routines and remedies do you rely on to reach a creative flow state?

Aline Yaneli: To achieve a creative flow, I truly have to be at peace and in harmony with myself. Everything I do must be in balance. There is no recipe to reach this, but I have many different methods that help me get back into that state. What helps to maintain inner peace is a little bit of routine. For me, this routine includes going for a run in the morning, exercising, listening to music, reading a book, having delicious food and lastly, conversations with people. These are integral things that complement my daily life, making my body and mind feel good. I think that the most important thing is to enjoy life, to appreciate the life that I am currently living. Being appreciative makes surrendering to the creative flow quite simple.

You are not only the creative head of your label but also oversee the business side. How do you reconcile these two roles that demand quite different mindsets?

Aline Yaneli: Being creative and taking care of the business development is not impossible, but it is definitely a challenge for me. It requires being very flexible and switching from creative to technical or to marketing subjects. When I started AlineYaneli, the very beginning of the development was the most difficult for me, because I had trouble with knowing where to start – there was a lot of work to do but there was no scheme that I could follow. It seemed the only thing I knew how to do was sketching and making the designs. But with time, I realised that nothing is impossible and that if you want, you can really learn anything! Of course, I also come into touch with people, who share their ideas for the development of the company, who attract new customers and who help realise some specific goals. Over time, this has taught me what kind of people I have to get on board in order to raise the brand to the next level. If someone took even just half the responsibility that I currently take on in the company, my everyday life would already be much more creative and free!

What are your some highlights of the 2023 collection?

Aline Yaneli: My highlights of this year’s collection are the blue colour palette and the colourful accents I used for the denim pieces! Most of the colour accents have been achieved with embroideries. This idea came to me after a trip to Spain. I created the technical drawings when I was still inspired by The bright colours emphasise the blue tones even more!

Denim has always been a centrepiece of your collections. What makes this material intriguing to work with?

Aline Yaneli: Denim has become the centrepiece of my collections quite by accident! From the very beginning of my education in textiles, I chose denim fabric, the first time was in vocational school. Later, when I was studying at university, I chose denim by coincidence. And that’s the story of how I stuck to this material! Having worked with it so much, I have gained a good understanding of what can be achieved with this material. It can be altered with many different effects, it’s durable and it can be styled in many ways. It suits everyone and never really goes out of style. It’s a simple and beautiful material.

What kind of designs will Aline Yaneli present in future collections?

Aline Yaneli: This is a very good question! Right now, there is some change in the makings, including a switch to new work spaces and many other things that will reflect in the 2024 collections. The changes that we made within this year have made me think about how to present the brand even better in the future. I learned from previous mistakes and came up with a new development plan – I am working on many new ideas and new concepts at the moment. Denim will stay as a main fabric. I think people will like what I am designing even more, because I am switching from collections to one-piece designs. This will also give me more freedom as a designer to express myself creatively. I cant wait to dive into this new phase and present the brand and also myself throughout 2024!