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Theatre of dreams : This dramatic portrait of Vesselina is a print of a photograph by Merwelene van der Merwe. -
Theatre of dreams -
Theatre of dreams : The studio's luxurious look was inspired by Vesselina's European heritage -
Theatre of dreams : Original 1940s At Deco mirrors are set above this antique couch, which Astrid had reupholstered to compliment the theatrical setting. -
Theatre of dreams : Rich velvets and jewel tones remind the fashion designer of her childhood in Bulgaria. -
Theatre of dreams : The ready-to-wear range is a chic tapestry of black, white and teal. -
Theatre of dreams : Vesselina Pentcheva used her studio renovation as an opportunity to reinvent her corporate branding, which incorporates the Bulgarian crown and her beautiful portrait. -
Theatre of dreams : Astrid used objects such as this perfume bottle to create the ambience of a chic, feminine boudoir. -
Theatre of dreams : The creative sanctuary is rarely without vases of roses, especially those picked from the garden.
PHOTOS: Merweline van der Merwe | PRODUCTION: Annemarie Meintjes | WORDS: Jacqueline Myburgh Chemaly
To mark her label’s 10-year anniversary, fashion designer Vesselina Pentcheva turned to a kindred spirit to carry out a dramatic renovation of her creative space.
Tenth Avenue in Parktown North is a long way from the chilly, forested hills of Bulgaria. But for fashion designer Vesselina Pentcheva, who moved to South Africa 17 years ago, building a creative space of her own in the cellar beneath her family home has provided the perfect link between the old and new worlds that inspire her.
A self-confessed romantic, Vesselina says her moody and modern workspace has been transformed into such an intimate and personal environment that she is often reluctant to leave its textured and vibrant confines.
From its early life as one of those awkward areas created when a house is built on a sloping property, the space is now a slick, elegant atelier that spills into the garden through a wall of north-facing Parisian-style doors, allowing the dogs and Vesselina’s two young daughters, Milla and Bella, to come and go as they wish.
2010 was always going to be a big one for the designer: The year kicked off with the Audi Johannesburg Fashion Week, when she unveiled her Autumn/Winter collection and committed to staging biannual fashion shows, launching her own ready-to-wear label and creating a range of off-the-peg wedding dresses. She also rebranded her design studio and the image of a Bulgarian crown in earthy colours is now an iconic representation of her classic-contemporary signature look.
However it is the renovation of her studio by lifestyle designer Astrid van der Heim that has sealed this as Vesselina’s year of renewal.
Stylish but fun
The two women already knew each other and related so well that Vesselina felt there was no need to provide a brief for the job. She describes herself as an old-fashioned, sentimental soul and wanted Astrid’s ideas to be a surprise, knowing the connection between them was so meaningful that the results would be just right.
Astrid, who felt privileged to be entrusted with creating a beautiful final look, firmly believes in getting to know her client, finding out what makes the person tick and ensuring that these needs are reflected in the spaces she creates.
In this case, Astrid knew Vesselina’s heritage was important to her but also that she wanted to work in an environment that would suit her life as a contemporary fashion designer, a woman, a hopeless romantic and a mother.
The result is an area that is stylish but fun, relating comfortably to the rest of the house yet remaining sufficiently separate.
“As I watched it happening I found that I loved every single thing. On some days I was so happy I cried,” Vesselina recalls. “I love the balance and harmony: the dark and the bright, the sleek and the old – it’s quite romantic.”
The design begins long before the doors to the studio, at the street entrance, where visitors receive their first taste of the colourful feast ahead when they open the grey-and-red striped gate. A gentle sloping path guides guests to a fountain, an exact replica of the one that Vesselina played in when she was a child.
Theatrical yet functional
Astrid’s vision for the studio was to design a theatrical space without losing sight of its function as an area for work. Aware that Vesselina had grown up in a classical European environment – she had attended every Verdi opera before the age of 10 wearing a velvet dress – Astrid wanted to use this heritage to add depth to her sleek, modern canvas. The result is an harmonious blend of modular lines and luxurious trimmings.
“I knew the space required drama and started out wanting a black floor but decided that would be too harsh,” Astrid explains. “By painting the floor, walls and ceiling in the same rich grey colour, I made a single backdrop on which to build.”
When she discovered the studio’s unusual ceiling of corrugated shuttering, she chose to expose this texture and also painted it grey. Dramatic, colourful splashes of colour in jewel shades were then added, together with rich velvets and brocades to create a studio that accurately reflects Vesselina’s warm personality.
The interior features a retail area where Vesselina’s designs are sold, a dramatic wedding-dress display cabinet, as well as the bridal changing area with gilded mirrors and velvet curtains. Stage lights overhead add to the effect and the 100% pink bathroom is a playful fantasy.
Outside, the fashion designer says she plans to hold intimate fashion shows in the paved piazza under the trees. The courtyard and its fishpond have been planted with only bright pink flowers and water lilies in order to create a riot of colour when summer comes.
Welcome to Vesselina Pentcheva’s theatre of dreams.
• Vesselina Pentcheva: 011 442 7501, 082 377 4365, vesselina@vesselina.co.za, www.vesselina.co.za
• Astrid van der Heim: 072 477 4400, vdhinteriorsintcc@vodamail.co.za
