STUDIO VISITS: LAR STUDIO

Who is Laris Alara Kilimci , shall we hear your story from you?

I was born in New York in the summer of 1993, I grew up in Istanbul. I was a dreamy child who liked to collect different selections from napkins to key chains, memorized all the lyrics and paid attention to details. Creating visual things has always been a part of my life. I think that objects have personality traits, and that's something that always interested me. At Central Saint Martins, where I went to study Graphic Design, I found myself producing my projects in very different media. 

What do you think is the biggest reason behind Lar Studio being in our lives today?

First of all, you, of course, our followers and customers. Its dynamic and eclectic state of mind. The importance we attach to the harmony of colors and the originality of patterns and our future plans that excite me are that we are not only a brand but also a pattern and design studio. The most important thing is to keep that balance between creativity and the real world. 

We admire the way he uses colors and forms. You have a unique mood, how do you manage to be original and free?

Thank you so much. Music is one of the things that impresses me the most because it contains different tones. My inspirations come from quite different places; 20th century a wide scale from the assertive objects of radical design movements to the textures of folk decorative arts. I think people's value judgments have a big impact on this issue, I'm in favor of being yourself no matter what. Being yourself is sometimes more difficult to explain because the work you produce is something that is made for sale at the end and people want to categorize it. I try to distance myself from these judgments, and I get what I like, I listen, I feel.

Do you prefer to create spontaneously or by planning?

At first, it sure felt like it. Then, of course, planning is required for the even distribution of the intensity level of colors, patterns and patterns. I can't say I'm very good at planning... :)

How do you motivate yourself in the creative process and how harshly do you criticize?

Every start is scary. We can call it the process of questioning why I created it. Then I say to myself "relax"; After a lot of research, pleasure coffee, museum visits and thoughts, I draw a shape or see a color, I establish an emotional connection and it becomes an obsession in a good way. At that moment, I enter a production process full of hope and excitement about how it makes me feel good or where I can imagine it. There is usually a period as "obsessive" as wearing the same colors every day. When it's been six months, I don't want to see the designs I've made, but I'm selling them, so of course I continue to see them.

Your designs give happiness, the patterns are always chirping. Aesthetically exuberant and balanced, both traditional and modern abstract patterns seem to dance in harmony. Is this a reflection of your personality?

I always go back to my childhood while producing patterns. For example, the sun symbol that I saw a lot in my grandmother's house as a child and settled in my subconscious... Maybe the reason why I'm nostalgic is that I emotionally position all the material things I take into my life and they are sometimes traditional and sometimes "contemporary". I am not afraid of feeling and the weight of feeling. The contrast of different extremes may also be reflected in my works and punctuate in a balanced way. 

What kind of a connection, what kind of dynamic do you have with your designs? For example, do they talk to you?

I definitely think they all have different characters. When buying people I know, I say "this is you" or "this is definitely not you" not just because of the color, but even because of the story. 

How do you use and customize your own products in your daily life?

I would like to have made more products, but the points are only textile accessories. I frame it and use it as a painting. Apart from that, a belt for my loose trousers, a bandana blouse... My most used products are my winter scarves, wool and cashmere ones. They are really warm and soft in winter.

How does it feel to have your own brand? Would we be exaggerating if we asked if it was like having a child?

LAR Studio became my home when I realized that there was no end to production and that I could do anything. If you want to be more free, you can be open to nature without building a wall, so you can always change, I think so, at least as a brand. You have to create your own boundaries to produce, and you can gradually develop this framework. In this world where our value judgments change every second, I think we need to adapt the brand to this. That's why owning a brand actually makes me question value judgments and life every second.

It's clear that you do your job with passion. In these days when we are far from consistency, you take a very strong stance. How do you achieve this?

Again, as I said, value judgments… It is necessary to think about why you do a job. If something sells little or doesn't sell well, people immediately turn to the idea of ​​closing the business. For me, LAR is more than a brand that seeks economic profit, it is a world of patterns. If I had no production budget, this project would have continued in the digital dimension because there are patterns that I want to get out of, and I learn and grow as I produce. I do it not for people's thoughts, but because I like to produce. I think, first of all, it is necessary to be honest, because the survival of non-own brands is only possible if they catch a gap in the market, if I cannot express myself, this is not a victory that will give me pleasure. As Anna Wintour said, "it's very important to look ahead, not to the right or left". 

You were born in New York, you studied in London. You have signed works and even exhibitions abroad. So why did you choose Istanbul to live and produce?

Production. If you're going to produce something physical, I think you should be here. If I had produced in a completely digital dimension, maybe I would have lived a more nomadic life, 1 year in New York, 6 months in London. Frankly, I envy such a life, but I think anyone who makes a tangible design should have a roof that they can return to, even if they go abroad for work 3-10 times a year.

When you say package design for the new collection of Melez Tea, collaboration with Network, animation for the video clip of the song "Gentle", you beautify every sector you touch. Tell us a little about the work you do outside of Lar Studio, let's open up!

I'm a BA Graphic Design/Animation graduate, I was doing analog animation since my first year of graduation and if such projects come my way, I would like to continue doing it, but animation is something that takes a lot of time. LAR was created when I wanted to do my own projects as well as responding to projects from brands. Obviously this pattern provided my world on a basis that helped me promote my designs. The video clip we made for Hemi's song Gentle consists entirely of hand-drawn and painted frames and received a Gold Award at EIFE. I am open to projects in different media, I like to work multidisciplinary. 

Are new projects on the way? Some teaser please for Petra lovers...

Yes. I'm working on the next collection and this time it will be a different medium on a different product basis. Apart from that, there are a few collaborations, without which I cannot share. Stay tuned!

What are your priorities in the design process (after a good coffee)? 

Good music. Discoveries on NTS Radio, Soundcloud or determining my mood and rhythm feeling from my own playlists help my production. Being in the right “state-of-mind” - I can't get into it, for example - I look at the pages of my favorite magazines and artists. In general, they do unrelated work (architect, industrial designer, etc.) than I do. I like the transition from dimensional visuals to 2d. Other than that, I like to surround myself with energy or inspiring objects. For example, the copper camel object my friend Emrah brought from Tunisia.

How often do you drink coffee during your time in the studio?

3-5 glasses. Everyday. I'm trying to cut down on weekends.

Have you ever been inspired by a coffee or a meal?

There is a design called Mırra Dinamico in the MIRAGE collection, my origin is Mardin. While walking on the road on a holiday I went there, a man - in an extremely touristic way - presented to us Mırra, which we can call “Arabic Espresso ” by approaching us with my friends. It was firm, with cardamom and had a more watery texture than Turkish coffee. Then I asked my grandmother why they never told me about Mırra. My grandmother took out the old Mırra glasses. Handleless, gold leaf and extreme arabesques, of course! :) Then I wanted to make a scarf for it, because that guy and this experience was pretty funny and surreal.

What is your favorite coffee and what is its place in your life?

Normally I don't like dairy products and I'm not a big fan of dairy, but Cortado. I generally like to consume less of everything, ordering it again when it's finished. To really savor it. For example, the Venti Latte at Starbucks is the last thing I drink. The first time I met Cortado was when I spent the entire summer in the Costa Brava, spending a summer of extreme humiliation with a local friend who was enrolled in a language course. I was enjoying everything, living less and less. What Cortado leaves in my mind are the sunny and pleasant days in Catalonia. 

If you had to choose 5 colors to describe Petra, what would they be?

Royal Blue, Dark Grey, Ivory White, Burgundy, Brown.