We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lenka Padysakova a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lenka, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I never finished learning. There is always something new to learn or being curious about. First I started how to make my clothes. Very early in my teenage time. Then I learned how to draw by constantly drawing fashion models from magazines, objects, figure drawings. At my Secondary Art School in Slovakia I studied fashion design, drawing and painting human anatomy, history of costumes, fashion, how to make sewing patterns, perfected my sewing and computer skills, and even learned how to make bobbin lace with our traditional Slovak technique “paličkovanie”.
My education continued at The University of the Arts London where I dig even deeper into fashion design and creating collections. More experience in designing and costumes making I gained while working in theaters in London- The Royal Opera House, The Young Vic…
When I was hired to design my very first feature film, I was actually learning on a job everything else that I didn’t know about. Everything you know is essential . More you know better the job is done.

Lenka, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a Costume and Fashion Designer. I design costumes for films, Tv shows, Music videos, Short films, Commercials. I also design and make custom-made outfits that include wedding and evening dresses.

I was born in Slovakia but since I was 21 years old I lived and worked in Berlin, Rome, London and now in Los Angeles.
Just to name few clients I worked with: BBC, CHANNEL 4, HARVEY NICHOLS, HARPER COLLINS PUBLISHER, SUBWAY, JENNIFER SAUNDERS AND DAWN FRENCH, TONI & GUY, TOYOTA, ACADIA, CHEVROLET, PARLIAMENT( Philip Morris ).

Some of the Actors I worked with: Morgan Freeman, Cole Hauser, Stephen Lang, Alison Doody, James Cosmo, Rose Byrne, Wendie Malick, Whitney Cummings, Domhnall Gleeson, Marisa Tomei, Vincent Regan, Will Forte, Mireille Enos, Judy Greer, Giancarlo Esposito, Natasha Lyonne, Martin Kemp, Steven Berkoff, Danny Dyer, Shia LaBeouf, Jason Momoa…

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

As a Fashion Designer what makes me fulfilled is to see satisfied client wearing my design. To see them happy with the pieces I created for them. As a Costume Designer I love to see my character designs on a big screen. Bringing the vision of writers and directors to life. Telling a story through costumes.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Creative work is not 9-5 job. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a never ending research and study of new things. Anything and everything can be inspiration. Sometimes it takes long and many times even longer to finalize your project you working on. Each project have different approach. Nothing can be forced. You need to let your muse speak to you in her own terms.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lenkapadysakova.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lenkapadysakova/

Image Credits
1. Photo by Joshua A photography 2.-4. Photo by Jon Gee 5. Illustrations by Lenka Padysakova 6. Photo by Jon Gee 7.Illustration and photo by Lenka Padysakova 8. Photo by Anna Smoronova 9.Illustration by Lenka Padysakova