There was never a definite ideal of beauty that I concentrated on. Having said that I am a huge fan of Hollywood’s golden era of cinema. Mostly absolutely obsessed with Katharine Hepburn’s beauty and her style. With her being named as lady of menswear. For the way she used to style herself by wearing “men shape” clothing which didn’t hide her femininity but enhanced it and made her stand out of the crowd.

The beginning was a long time in the making. First as an idea which was brewing for several years. It was only when our co-founder Anna Mchedlishvili planned how and where to start. Thanks to her, the whole process became a reality. I think it takes definitely more than one person to build up a vision. She navigated and turned all my sketches into reality.

It seems world’s apart for the past three years. We realized how much we’ve learned but how much there is still to learn. That is the beauty of it. It is a never ending process of learning and creating.

By never being satisfied with what you’ve done. There is always more and better to do. By constantly sketching the ideas and educating myself on the subjects I have absolutely no knowledge on. It shouldn’t be just about fashion because fashion is itself not about just clothing. Being curious is the best way to challenge myself

The future of fashion goes hand in hand with the future of humanity, meaning digitalised. I would call it digitised fantasies. I am very excited about it, I think new technological innovations will and already are absolutely changing the approach of creativity and its reflection onto reality.

It is always a pleasurable torture! Never being fully satisfied. When we start shooting the new collection I am already into the development of the new one. It’s a beautiful race where I enjoy the ride

Beauty is a fluid concept changing its shape and meaning with time and from person to person. I don’t define it. I think it is rather felt through your individuality.

My dinner guests would be: Ernest Hemingway, J.R.R Tolkien, Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill.

Dressed all black, wearing sneakers, long dark hair, big dark shades.

Anyone is an ideal Liya customer as long as she/he feels that way. I don’t put my customer in any box and set limits.

Success is a tricky thing. I think you feel it just for a second, when you have accomplished your goal and then the next second you are already back to new goals, struggle and hard work.

I would rather call it the support system and my greatest motivators — would definitely be my family. People who I trust the most and who are there every step of the way.

Any Italian city! Especially any city in Puglia, Tuscany, Calabria!!!

Maybe, depends, I guess. But I don’t think that being comfortable leads to any good results. We have to challenge each other, motivate and question. Come out of our comfort zone to achieve and move forward.

There are so many: always out of time; realizing that you are part of the industry and there are rules applied to it; challenging to create with limited supplies, thus not always being able to fully realize your vision…

With family, with friends over dinner, in my atelier working, traveling for work and pleasure. Especially now when I know that all those people are healthy and safe-that all makes me especially happy.