NICOLE KUDĚLKOVÁ

Constantly on the road sounds better than constantly at work. What does it look like?  
I mostly visit Milan and Paris, often for work. The furthest in terms of distance I have been is Hawaii and the furthest in terms of altitude is probably Quito, Ecuador. When I travel, I get lost in space-time. I do not think about time, I guess I am escaping from the weight of the daily tasks, trying to find balance in contrasts. If my partner did not ground me and remind me of time, I would constantly be lost. He is the one who is always prepared, he has an itinerary, and I am more into being led by feeling. I travel for the feeling of distance - from everyday life. It keeps me in a much-needed perspective.

Some people want to taste the best food in every place. Do you have such a habit?
For instance, I take pictures of my handbag in interesting houses. I have dozens of them so far, might be hundreds one day, it may become a project one day. Next, I always try to visit fashion museums.

​Did you have a dream job as a child? How did it compare to reality?
When I was a child, I would always draw people in clothes, and I had a desire to design clothes for quite a while. But when I found out I am late in studying fashion design, I started to write about fashion and study it meanwhile. Blan B seems to be my life´s mission. I got to designing anyway, in 2020 by creating a handbag in collaboration with the PBG Studio, and various consultations.

​What is the typical quality of your wardrobe?
I buy the vast majority of my clothes second-hand, and I do not buy anything new until I need it. And I could count my luxury fashion purchases in boutiques on one hand, I'm always looking for second-hand pieces. Thanks to this, I am not easily lured by trends. Because I can wait for months for the pieces I want. I am, as a matter of fact, pretty conservative. I write about trends daily, but I try to bring them up in my way and with pieces I already own or find already in circulation. Once in a while I also choose a piece from a young Czech designer to invest in.

​You obviously notice every little detail of an interior. What could you not do without at home?
Adam and I share our seventy square meter space with more chairs and lamps than the average couple should own. He also collects books and I collect second-hand handbags.

​What if we want to follow in your footsteps?
If you want to taste and see things I do, visit places where beauty comes forward. Head straight to Prague perhaps to the New Stage of the National Theatre or take a tour of one of Loos’ interiors. For example - the Volman Villa from the 1930s by architects Karel Janů and Jiří Štursa, near Praguem, has opened to the public recently. You can even spend the night here and extend your experience.

​What does esthetics represent for you in your everyday life?
I would not exist without it. I am intensely aware of how the spaces that surround me, the places I visit, affect me. In the grip of aesthetics, I also idealize some places and see them as perhaps more beautiful than they truly are. But I do not turn a blind eye to the ugly. I find beauty in everything. Even kitsch can be beautiful, and so can be something seemingly ugly. Aesthetics accompanies me every step of the way. It is an important quality for me. I find it hard to get along with people who have no idea about aesthetics and the overall perception of beauty...

​Would you describe your relationship with scents?
I associate scents with specific people and memories. I do not use the same fragrances as let´s say, three years ago. That is when I started to dress myself in heavier, woodier scents. And there is no going back. I have had a nice life period since - and these fragrances represent it precisely.

​You are the Pigmentarium brand ambassador. What does it mean to you and which scent do you resonate with the most?
I am pleased to proudly represent Czech perfumes abroad. Where I go, I have a piece of home with me. At the moment, my mood is switching between Murmur and Ad Libitum - secretly I wish for guys to create a scent that smells of old buildings and that I might be the only person to like. I guess, I have an interesting appetite. 

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​How did you get into this role? Did you have to think long and hard about accepting it?
There was nothing to think about. We are so close in values that it was just meant to be.

​When you think about Pigmentarium in the context of all the values, qualities and feelings you have for the brand, which three do you have 100% in common?
The relationship to the distant and the near, to the old and the new, and the desire to connect it all in a new whole that we see with our eyes.

Photoshoot location: Vila Volman