We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative LILI DCHI ("LD").
Her fashion designs have important implications in the fields of art, intercultural presentation, and sustainable fashion. Her production process centers on eco-friendly materials and handcraft methods and guarantees dignified conditions to her employees and craftspeople. She has created employment opportunities for women throughout Iran and has demonstrated the viability of businesses that prioritize gender justice and sustainability. She is, in fact, a figure whose success, an example of what happens when creative initiatives and values are deftly aligned. She was featured on “SamteNo,” the world’s leading female Persian talk as recognition of her stature as a world leader in sustainability and fashion. This is one of the biggest Persian broadcast networks globally, meaning that Leila has already achieved the highest level of exposure possible in the Persian-speaking world. This is a great sign of her talent and achievements. She has also served as the founder and executive of “LiliDchi”, a fashion design company. This responsibility encompasses business planning, creative development, advertising, and sales, a role that makes her expertise absolutely critical to executing the company’s mission. She is a leader both within “LiliDchi” and in the fashion industry more broadly. Her work has shown the appeal of eco-friendly fashion and the market viability of female-led businesses.
LILI DCHI Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by LILI DCHI.
LILI DCHI Design - Oak Project Handmade Fashion
Designer Interview of LILI DCHI:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
LD : My self-taught fashion design career began in 2011, but I learned knitting from my mother several years ago and received an academic degree in graphics and illustration. When I started, winter clothes were less noticed by designers and I could present more creativity in that specific area. My fashion designs have important implications in the fields of art, intercultural presentation, and sustainable fashion. Our production process centers on eco-friendly materials and handcraft methods and guarantees dignified conditions to our employees and craftspeople. we were created employment opportunities for women throughout Iran and has demonstrated the viability of businesses that prioritize gender justice and sustainability.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
LD : LiliDchi, is a fashion design company. This responsibility encompasses business planning, creative development, advertising, and sales, a role that makes Leila Doroodchi expertise absolutely critical to executing the company’s mission. She is a leader both within LiliDchi and in the fashion industry more broadly. Her work has shown the appeal of eco-friendly fashion and the market viability of female-led businesses. Our fashion designs have important implications in the fields of art, intercultural presentation, and sustainable fashion. We are a team that include: Kiavash Pooladi, Zohreh Doroodchi and Zahra Doroodchi
DI: What is "design" for you?
LD : Design is an innate desire to communicate and communicate, a skill used in all the visual arts and design. Creating the best solution to problems is different solutions for making a product that is very pleasant and enjoyable to use. Design can mean whatever you want it to mean to you. Design is about communicating feelings through visual sensations and unique experiences. People don't just want products that work, they want to feel happy while using them.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
LD : The designs include every culture around the world. The designs show the power of women in this culture. My designs focus on those topics. I want to make connections with eye contact with my designs. Because of that, I prefer to design more popular but, special popular. You can make something to be popular but special at the same time. The ponchos and scarves that I designed until now can show these facts.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
LD : “Lut” poncho, which in my opinion is the most significant work in this collection, I have tried to present a new image of the desert to the audience. To achieve this goal, I have used various bright colors and the motif of animals such as camels that live in the desert and are reminiscent of the sunny and hot days of this pristine habitat. Every people can find something in that Lut Design. I design that poncho to describe the people in my country.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
LD : A poncho that I designed and inspired from Qashqai carpets. Old Persian motifs. Persian art or Iranian art has one of the richest art heritages in world history and has been strong in many media including architecture, and painting. I sold that product for only 30 USD. But that money was very valuable to me.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
LD : My favorite is Silk and mohair in materials. The Adobe softwares are very usable and user friendly for every designers. I use the mostly in my designs. And motifs. Here exist lots and lots of stylized patterns in Persian art. However, whenever somebody speaks of Persian textile art and embroidery, the image that immediately comes to mind is that of Paisley (or as Persians call it, Boteh Jehgeh). This motif opens a window to an endless garden of trees, flowers, and leaves. Speaking of trees, another ancient motif is that of “the tree of life” which tells the story of creation and how everything is connected in the vast universe. Such designs either cover the whole surface of the fabric or were sewed on the borders of clothes, shawls, linens, and tablecloths.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
LD : When i wake up with my cat in morning and face to face with him. I have a good relation with animals. Also they inspired many ideas in my designs and my persoanl life. I feel motivated, inspired, calm and happy. My mood is boosted. All in all, I feel amazing! And i'm more likely to repeat this creative activity since i know how much better it makes me feel.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
LD : As a designer, we focus on users’ needs in their interactions with our products. It’s logical that the functionality our design should help them achieve their goals as efficiently and effectively as possible. Thus, I feel so cool and excited when design my products. And I am so excited when the designs are completed and i feel like my dreams get in to reality.
DI: What makes a design successful?
LD : It is very variable, but when the people's feedbacks are very important to a design get successful. A decent plan is viable and effective in satisfying its motivation. It depends on as not many outside variables and contributions as could be expected, and these are not difficult to gauge and control to accomplish a normal other result. A decent plan is consistently the least complex working arrangement.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
LD : My work has shown the appeal of eco-friendly fashion and the market viability of female-led businesses. Creators have an expert commitment to perceive the social implications they produce and to foster a moral position and models by which they can assess not simply the tasteful and monetary parts of their work, yet in addition it's importance and application in the public eye.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
LD : It should be most sustainable and eco friendly. We can use better materials to harm less our earth. Design future incorporates tools and techniques coming from key prescience and future reasoning, for example, situation arranging, pattern planning, framework thinking devices, and so on which not just further develops client experience with his ongoing stream yet directs the client into a superior client experience stream utilizing the actual plan.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
LD : Oak Collection was in FW-2021 at Zaafaranie Art Studio in TEHRAN/IRAN. I think according to my plan, the next exhibition will be in the fall or winter of 2022-23.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
LD : At the beginning of this route, my attention was drawn to Qashqai paintings and carpets, which are a combination of animal and plant motifs. And the latest was from nature. I researched these works and after talking to the women of this great tribe, I realized that in the past, all stages of carpet production from design to weaving were done only by Qashqai women. In my opinion, the independence and freedom of Qashqai women in presenting the art of carpet weaving has been the most important point of this process.
DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
LD : In Tehran, Iran. Of course. Our culture (Iranian) is affects my designs and ideas. Cultural heritage frequently infers antiquities (compositions, drawings, prints, mosaics, figures), verifiable landmarks and structures, as well as archeological destinations. In any case, the idea of cultural heritage is much more extensive than that, and has bit by bit developed to incorporate all proof of human imagination and articulation: photos, records, books and compositions, and instruments, and so forth either as individual articles or as assortments. Today, towns, submerged heritage, and the regular habitat are additionally viewed as a component of cultural heritage since networks distinguish themselves with the normal scene.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
LD : The most important thing is trust. trust the designer for at least 1 project. There are also times when you get slightly annoyed with a designer as a result of what you had unreal in your head hasn’t been a reality. Before you discredit their work, check if you gave clear and skillful directions before the project begins. Designers don't seem to be mind-readers, and the maximum amount as they get pleasure from their style freedom, they’d rather understand what their boundaries are, what the necessities of the comes ar and the way their style work is used.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
LD : At first, I draw my sketches on paper and then make them in photoshop and illustrator. Then print the designs because hand-woven products need to be printed and knitters need them to calculate and execute the designs. Every poncho need 3-5 weeks to be produced. Yes. 1 poncho need this time. Or a scarf take 7-10 days to be knitted. And i think because of that i named my works just not a fashion design. They are art.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
LD : Persian carpets, Iranian Paintings, Painted plates, Wooden arts, Sialk designs pottery.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
LD : Get ideas from designs but do not copy them at all. Copying will destroy their creativity and artistic course. Be patient and do not be disappointed if they fail. Layout your goals, short and future, and put your all into to form them happen. this could mean additional work, learning a replacement ability, or pushing outside your temperature. don't wait around and expect and chance to come back to you. It will not happen.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
LD : The positives: They can make decent money, Use of creative and analytical brain parts, Can work from home, Can be Self-Employed, Good job prospects,.. And The negatives are: Most Designers don't get rich, Health Effects, Working all day on computer, Competitive job,...
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
LD : My Golden rule in design at first is I feel excited about my designs before put on the market.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
LD : In my opinion these skills are most important for every designer. Design Principles, Creativity, Problem Solving, Visual Communication, Ideation, Design Software. Ability to put clients in an informed position so they can make evidence based decisions. The ability to generate many different ideas for the same project.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
LD : I will rest to my self and slice my day into shorter parts. Because you can not look to monitor for 10-14 hours. Play with my cat give me some energy in the day. Music help me to focus on works. Prioritise my tasks and also set time to complete each of them is very helpful for me. And finally take 7-8 hours of sleep each day is very important thing to help me manage my day.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
LD : It's very variable and depends on how much the designs are complicated or simple. The fashion designing of a product follows one process after the other as the development of design requires rigorous involvement.Each process is a course of action that will help in reaching the end goal easily. The product development process in fashion stems from an idea that is visualized in an expressive form to reach the goals without constraints. The fashion design creative process involves several steps that take atleast 12 to 18 months to reach its goal.
DI: What was your most important job experience?
LD : When I had an individual and created my brand, Lili Dchi. This is my most important job experience. Because It pushed me into the international fashion world.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
LD : Most clients are inside Iran and most of them are artists or feel my designs as some kind of art. The most of them are women. But in other way i have some international clients.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
LD : I enjoy minimal designs for myself. Because I choose simple designs and I believed the best style is the simplest one. I can not wear or use complicated designs. keep it simple! Streamlined shapes, a small selection of colors and even a bare minimum (gasp!) amount of clothing in your closet. Simplicity is the key to pinpointing this style.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
LD : I plan to exhibit at the gallery in new york. I want to partner with some artists there to publish and design a project in some kind of art aspects. I usually live in the future, not the past. I think this is helping me to see the world in a better way.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
LD : Yes, I have a very professional team. LiliDchi was created because I had this team. We work separately on our duties and this is our advantage that we are a team. Kiavash Pooladi, Zohreh Doroodchi, and Zahra doroodchi are my team and we work together and develop LiliDchi from zero to this stage.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
LD : Not for Now. But It will be start in a few weeks.
DI: How can people contact you?
LD : They can be in touch with my website: www.lilidchi.com Email: Leila.doroodchi86@gmail.com and my social media on Instagram and facebook.
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
LD : No. Thank you for your attention and for making this beautiful interview with me.