Pikkpack Shoes at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2016

Anna Gyurkovics Photography

Meet Sara Gulyas, a creative Hungarian shoe designer who lives in Budapest. She graduated as a leather-designer from the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in 2013. In the same year she introduced her brand Pikkpack, which is a Hungarian play on words meaning “it’s a piece of cake”. Pikkpack is a flat-packed footwear that the wearers assemble themselves.

You can see Sara Gulyas’ work at the Heritage Exhibition. Friday July 1 open at 18:30 and Saturday July 2 open at 16:00 (free entrance).

When did you realise you wanted to be a designer? How long have you been designing? 
I went to a secondary school of fine and applied Arts when I was 15. I was admitted to the ‘leather-design’ department, this is when my story with and love for leather started and this is when I started designing leather accessories. At the moment, I work with shoes but it’s possible that I will get back to designing bags in the future. I have never been particularly interested in clothes and I would not call myself a fashion designer. I prefer just the term ‘designer’.

What are your main achievements in your career at this moment? 
Two years ago we ran a successful Kickstarter campaign, that was the point when my shoebrand ‘Pikkpack” started off. It has been the biggest success in my life so far. The shoes have been showcased at several exhibitions and we are getting more and more exposure.

Anna Gyurkovics Photography

In what projects are you involved at this moment? 
We are working on the official launch of the Pikkpack Sandal, the second model of the collection.

Who are your artistic influences or inspirations and why? 
I do not specifically seek inspiration, I rather kind of bump into it accidentally. Often it’s the stories and the people that really inspire me and give me strength.

Finding your own voice is difficult, where and how do you find your personal creativity (before you start designing; during the design process)? 
It was during the final years of university, while preparing for my graduation, when I started defining who I was and and what my work’s main characteristics were. I tried to sum up with only a few keywords what elements were identical or similar in my previous designs. I came to the conclusion that these main ‘principles’ are: colours, variability and function. Easy to notice that these leading elements are defining my work up to now.

Anna Gyurkovics Photography

What do you want to communicate with your designs in general? 
Above all, I would like to communicate that ‘fashion’ is not only about something being good-looking or let’s say comfortable. What really interests me is how I can involve the customer in the creation process. I would like to design interesting objects.

Can you tell us something about the project you will present at the FASHIONCLASH Festival? 
At the FASHIONCLASH Festival we will present the Pikkpack slip-ons. These pieces are actually flat-packed DIY shoes, that can be assembled by the wearer.

What does your collection try to communicate (what is it about)? 
The main message is that you can be part of the manufacturing process, you can actively influence the look of your shoe, such as its colour or materials.

Why have you decided to participate at FASHIONCLASH Festival? 
We applied because of this special topic of heritage. The basic inspiration behind Pikkpack is a traditional Hungarian footwear called ‘Bocskor’. It was also made of only one piece of leather and could be assembled by the wearer . Pikkpack is the modern version of the ‘bocskor-shoe’.  

Anna Gyurkovics Photography

Describe yourself in three words. 
Always smiling, energetic, sentimental.

What's a standard day for you? 
Wake up at 7, go to the studio at 9. Work till 6 or 7 sometimes.

Vegan, vegetarian, healthy diet or any food will do? 
Especially healthy, because now I’m expecting a baby.

Are you a people's person or a loner? 
Obviously a people’s person.

Anna Gyurkovics Photography

Do you have a pet? 
A cat, but at my parents’ home.

What’s your favourite city? 
Barcelona, because I have amazing memories from my Erasmus time.

Are you going on holiday this year? 
If so, where are you going? Croatia! Always Croatia!

For more information about Sara and her brand Pikkpack: http://pikkpack.com/

Film is made by: www.videoprotfolio.hu