JOSEFINA BAKOŠOVÁ, GRADUATE, DEPARTMENT OF SCENOGRAPHY, DAMU

The trajectories of our life and career journeys can be straightforward, or they can be convoluted, with many sharp turns, nooks and crannies, and detours along the way. The changes and challenges that life has in store for us can be great. What matters most is that they eventually lead to a happy and fulfilled life – and not just in career terms. The following stories of personalities from among AMU graduates illustrate this statement.

Josefina Bakošová is our premier fashion designer. In addition to designing her own original fashion collections, she manages the Harddecore gallery and has also designed many film costumes. She was nominated for the Czech Lion Award for her designs featured in the film Occupation. Can she find use for a ‘scenographer’s eye’ in designing fashion? “I certainly can! Honestly, though, I have to admit that I have always felt to be a decorative artist of multiple styles. Even while a DAMU student, I didn’t just express myself through scenography – I tended to cover all the elements, designing everything from the show poster to the set design to minute embroidered details on a blouse,” Josefina explains, adding that she will used her ‘scenographer’s eye’ also when designing her fashion show booth and store interiors. For the time being, Josefina is focusing the most on fashion, specifically on designing her new collection. “At the same time, I am also designing film and theatre costumes. That makes me immensely happy and I really love it,” she says, adding that this requires a different mindset. Recently, she also returned to painting and drawing, activities that she did not have time to pursue for a long period. “I genuinely love the sheer range, the merging of things, inspirations, and learning new things. For example, something piques my interest in a painting, and then I use it in a fabric print design,” she explains the greatest advantage of having the opportunity to pursue multiple jobs at once. Despite that, she often thinks it would be nice to pursue one career properly and just perfect it. “But I can’t do that… I know that now. Ever since my childhood, I loved a bit of everything and was never focused on a single specific field or genre,” she admits, adding that she still has the desire to discover and try new things. “For a while, I stood still because of my family and children, but now I literally crave new experiences! There is one fine art technique that I have been lusting for a long time, which I actually pursued the most ardently at DAMU, and it’s woodcut. I would also like to travel more and get to know new cultures. And cuisines too, because I really love cooking and I love eating well!”