Novaliss brand (Latvia, Spain), founded by Laura Anspoka, defies traditional wedding fashion by offering original and multifunctional festive clothing suitable for a wedding as well as for a variety of life situations.

Inspired by art, romantic images and magical idealism, Scandinavian and Latvian mythology, as well as Mediterranean warmth and lightness, designer Novaliss combines philosophy and aesthetics in her creations. In an interview with L'Officiel Baltic, Laura shares the story of her brand's creation, explains its concept, and compares the fashion industries in Spain and Latvia. Laura also talks about her collaboration with the music band Tautumeitas, that will represent Latvia at Eurovision this year.

L'OFF: Tell us about the beginning of your creative path. What inspired you to take up fashion?
Laura: I have always been interested in art and beauty - not just in the context of creating clothes, but globally. I was lucky &ndash; as a child I realized that I wanted to become an artist and designer - and have been consciously following this path ever since. Already at the age of five I was sewing, embroidering and knitting together with my grandmother. Later in my life I attended clubs, an art school, an academy, different courses, exploring various art directions, fashion design being one of them. I choose not to limit myself to only one field of activity and define myself as a &ldquo;multi-artist&rdquo;. However, nowadays it is important to position oneself in a certain way and specify the niche in which you work, so I define myself as being engaged in making &ldquo;non-standard wedding dresses&rdquo;. In general, I work with everything that needs &ldquo;ethereality&rdquo; and aesthetics, an artistic eye and guidance in a creative way - pictures, sound, taste, space, composition and so on.

L'OFF: Why wedding dresses? Please tell us about your vision of non-traditional wedding fashion.
Laura: My journey into the industry began when my youthful maximalism urged me to agree to get engaged to my boyfriend. In my search for a wedding outfit, I discovered that the industry offers were extremely monotonous, and it was almost impossible to find anything non-standard. I ended up canceling the wedding, but my interest in wedding outfits remained. As a result, I got more than I had planned - a new vision of what creative value I could give to the fashion industry. While studying at the University of Latvia, I simultaneously participated in RFW events as a volunteer. This allowed me to start working with Latvian designers and start my own journey into design. Later I also collaborated with fashion designers from the USA, Australia, Italy, France, Great Britain, Spain, and other countries.
Why wedding design? I wanted to create something that would be a part of someone's &ldquo;special day&rdquo;. Being a hopeless romantic, I felt it was the perfect way to fulfill my creative nature.

L'OFF: One of the main aspects of your approach to fashion design is personalized customer service. Can you tell us what is crucial about it for you?
Laura: I don't like the system where a designer creates a garment and passes it on without seeing the client. I am directly involved in every step from creating a piece to communicating with the client, bringing humanity to a world of fast fashion consumption where everything is becoming so impersonal and digital.
L'OFF: After the University of Latvia, you studied in Spain. Why did you decide to continue your studies there?
Laura: When I realized that I wanted to complete my five years of experience and practice in the industry with a new achievement - another diploma, I started looking for a place that was applying a different educational approach from the Latvian one. I wanted to get as far out of my comfort zone as possible, because this is the only way to grow.
I set the goal of enrolling in one of the world's top 20 fashion universities. I used different criteria to assess whether the facilities and approach of a particular institute matched what I was looking for. The top 20 included Istituto Europeo di Design in Barcelona with a fashion design program accredited by the University of Westminster. It was the perfect combination of everything I was looking for: the warm climate, the Italian school with a British degree, the experiential and experimental approaches, and the fact that the program could be individually adapted, thus tailored to my previous experience.
Among other things, I was awarded one of three scholarships at this prestigious university, which was another sign signaling to me that I should go there. Also, the teachers at that university are important figures in the fashion industry, which meant that I really had the opportunity to learn from the best and move on.
L'OFF: Why did you decide to found your brand in Spain?
Laura: You could say that Spain is my second home. I fit in very well there. After graduation, I decided to stay there, and since then I have been balancing between the South and the North - both of these worlds are an integral part of me, and therefore of my brand.
Of course, starting a business in another country is difficult, especially if you don't know anyone, don't understand the local mentality and are not familiar with the laws. But I was lucky - I had the right contacts. Barcelona has a special atmosphere, and there is a community of creative people - designers, artists, models. There is no competition between us, we all help each other. Everyone is ready to share their contacts, so if you need to, it's easy to expand your circle of communication. It would be impossible to work in the fashion industry without this kind of support.

L'OFF: Can you compare the fashion industry in Spain and Latvia? What are their main differences?
Laura: I'm not sure that they can be compared, but, for example, when doing business with the Spanish people, you always have to try to "catch" the moment, because if they tell you ma&ntilde;ana, it doesn't always mean tomorrow. The main difference is the attitude towards made promises. In Latvia, they are taken very seriously, and people have a high degree of responsibility. In Spain, on the other hand, there is more empathy in the working area. But, again, not all Spanish people are the same. If we talk about similar aspects, people everywhere are looking for something new and unexplored, and I think this will always be the case.
L'OFF: What does the name Novaliss mean and how does it relate to German philosophy?
Laura: At the beginning of my career, when I thought about creating a brand, I didn't want to give it my name, because I value personal space very much and it would be fair to say that I tried to stay incognito. I wanted to draw a fine line between myself and my work, until I realized that my presence is like an artist's signature on a painting. I am the author and my work embodies my inner world. How can I hide?
Over time, my opinion changed. The name of the brand came about as a creative pseudonym reflecting my sincere interest in psychology and philosophy, which I have been fascinated by since I was a teenager. When I was still at school, I simultaneously was actively studying philosophy and literature, and in one of my classes I discovered a wonderful thinker and poet - as you may have guessed, it was Novalis.
I added the double &ldquo;-s&rdquo; at the end for reasons of graphic design and phonetics. Novalis' work focuses on German Romanticism, beauty, magical idealism, and the power of creativity allowing one to cross the boundaries of our world. This resonates with my worldview, and it's also a name that's easy to pronounce in all the languages I know.

L'OFF: Could you define the main characteristics that set Novaliss holiday outfits apart from others?
Laura: I want my designs to be multifunctional. I think that in today's environment, the functionality of design in general is an important issue, as "fast fashion" affects the conscious approach to clothing. I am inspired by the clothes of the last century. Back then, one dress could be endlessly transformed for different occasions - a coat could be easily turned into a jacket, a dress into a blouse and so on. Modern fashion, especially wedding fashion, lacks this feature, and I would like to change this by creating dresses that can be transformed. For example, a dress from the latest collection can be changed by using ribbons sewn into it, which allow you to turn a tight-fitting model into a loose one, and the length can be adjusted from maxi to mini. Stylistically, Novaliss outfits can be combined with anything - this is what makes them universal. I would say that my design and outfits are aimed at fashion conscious people who are looking for something new in the fashion world.

L'OFF: Is your approach to colors and materials also different from the traditional one?
Laura: I believe that dresses of all colors can be worn at weddings, although of course it depends on each individual's preferences. The next collection will be made of different fabrics, not just the usual silk, satin and velvet. Innovative technologies, such as 3D printing, as well as undeservedly forgotten techniques - needlework, hand embroidery - a labor-intensive process, making products not mass-market, but unique, will be used in the creation process.
L'OFF: What do you think of sustainability and eco-friendliness in fashion?
Laura: It all starts with the understanding that the consumer does not need to have a full closet of clothes.
I create pieces that can be integrated into the wardrobe in different ways. In addition, I use natural materials, as they decompose better. Of course, synthetics is used, I purchase materials from places that distribute recycled but high quality materials. The way the clothes are cut is also important. In this sense, we also adhere to the zero-waste concept. I always make sure that the composition of the pieces I produce is as natural as possible. The way the garments are cut is also important. For these reasons, I have asked my team of craftsmen to adhere to the zero-waste concept. All fabric scraps are reused or recycled.

L'OFF: What role do images of dreamers and rebels play in your work? How can the connection with Scandinavian culture and myths be traced in your latest collection <a href="https://www.lofficielbaltic.com/en/fashion-week/riga-fashion-week-novaliss-spain-latvia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Last Lunar Dance</a>?
Laura: As I said earlier, I am inspired by the philosophical movement of magical idealism and all things supernatural, the seemingly unattainable, by the stories of Southerners and Northerners. This theme is also depicted in my new collection.
My personal life experience has also played a big role - I grew up by the water, as a child I listened to tales of mermaids and other mystical creatures, of women dancing in the moonlight to make their desires come true, and then I lived on the Mediterranean coast. All of this influenced my collection.
In fact, this work has become for me an exploration of feminine energy and its manifestations in rituals, in the female community and its power. I can say with certainty - nowadays people are too much afraid and fixated on the impossible, but if you let yourself dream and challenge your limitations, so much more is possible. Dreams are incredibly valuable, and my collection is a reminder of what makes us happy.

L'OFF: As for your other current projects, one of the most striking ones was probably the creation of costumes for the band Tautumeitas, which will represent Latvia at Eurovision. Please tell us about this amazing experience.
Laura: We started working on the costumes before Christmas, before I arrived in Latvia. As far as the concept is concerned, we decided together with the team and stylist Violeta Rulle that the costumes should be reminiscent of mythical creatures from the underwater world, while conveying the DNA of the band as much as possible. As a designer, I wanted to create images of mermaids, sirens and good witches, adding clear references to the water world. The band members themselves are such sincere and warm people that this warmth should also, in my opinion, be embodied in their costumes. It was necessary to emphasize the unique personalities of each of the girls, while simultaneously portraying the band as a single whole.
To implement the idea, I chose three elements: fins from frilled organza, my own draping technique, as well as transparent elements and crystals imitating water drops. In the end, we used more than 2,000 quartz crystals, and then another 2,000 Swarovski crystals to give the costumes an extra sparkle in the stage lights at the Supernova qualifying final.

Each image in this project is unique - smooth lines, no sharp contours, creating a feeling of warmth and water. The costumes can be combined with trousers, which are also made within the same concept.
Tautumeitas crowns were created by our wonderful stylist Violetta Rulle - I had drawn fins and scales instead of traditional crowns, and this idea was approved for implementation.
We made all the outfits and accessories in three very busy weeks. The materials were found in Spain and brought to Latvia.
Each costume is a work of art, where fabric turns into painting. For us, this was a big creative experiment, and, naturally, it would be impossible to reproduce exact copies of the garments.

L'OFF: Please tell us about your future plans. How do you see your brand in the coming years?
Laura: Firstly, the next collection will have more men's clothing elements, although men have worn <a href="https://www.lofficielbaltic.com/en/editorials/i-don-t-take-limo-to-church" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Novaliss</a> items before. Secondly, I am an ambitious person, and I want to expand the brand and go beyond the Latvian and Spanish scenes. I also want to continue participating in larger projects as a designer. I strive to develop the brand's concept and maintain an unconventional approach to art not exclusively in clothing design, and to expand the range of my activities in other art fields.

Novaliss: philosophy, mermaids and unconventional wedding dresses

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