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‘V4K brand is for brave people who aren’t afraid of having a deep connection with themselves, their features, sexuality and strength.’
Model: Angela Steiner
When it’s hand-made, sometimes you can’t predict how it’s going to look: you can only feel it .
V4K is a hand-made clothing brand founded by Viktoria Masalova in 2020.
Viktoria finds inspiration in feelings, emotions, thoughts, making the brand’s products more sensible and soulful.
From the heart straight to the customers.
Creating a single item takes approximately 2-5 days of work. With the support of the team, V4K is able to increase production, but the process remains entirely handcrafted. This dedication to handwork injects every piece and each garment with unique energy, making each creation one-of-a-kind.
'When it’s hand-made, sometimes you can’t predict how it’s going to look: you can only feel it .'
L: Who has been the biggest influence on your journey as a designer, and how have they shaped your approach to fashion? Is there a designer/artist you feel specifically inspired by today?
V: I think that I have never looked up to someone and thought: ‘Ohh I want to make something like this.’ Instead, I always think: ‘Ooh I want to wear something like this AND create it.’
I just always know what I want to make and it comes directly from me: I try not to watch a lot of designer shows so that I don't unintentionally replicate their ideas, as my brain might see something and mistake it for my own concept down the line.
When I get an impulse to make a certain piece, I can’t be still until I make it a reality!
I love vintage fashion. It is really inspiring that in those times designers dictated fashion with less rules, with more sensual and creative marketing. This is why it’s also interesting for me to watch younger designers, too. I love Ann Demeulemeester, McQueen, Gaultier, Tom Ford for Gucci, YSL, and so on. From a young age, I’ve also loved Ottolinger, KNWLS, Panconesi, and many others.
L: What do you find so special about knitwear? What drew you to it in the first place?
V: I wanted to make a crazy jumper for myself so I asked my mom to knit the idea I had. Later on, we started to knit more, and as I began to understand yarn and kept getting more and more ideas, my mother couldn't follow them because they were too crazy, and it was hard for her to understand what I had in mind.
So, I had to learn how to knit on my own, and over time, knitting became an expression of my feelings, my views on life… and that's why I love it! You can do whatever you want with it.
And when it’s hand made, sometimes you can’t predict how it’s going to look: you can only feel it.
L: Growing up in a small town in Siberia must have shaped your understanding of fashion in specific ways. Where in your upbringing have you found the most inspiration? Was it in everyday moments, your relatives, magazines or something else entirely?
To be honest, growing up in a city that has no fashion at all was hard and lonely, but thanks to social media and TV, I was able to connect to the fashion world.
I loved pop culture, Lady Gaga, of course was my inspiration, and other stars of those times. Also, I bought VOGUE magazines, thank god they were in my city! And of course, the biggest inspiration was coming from Tumblr and Vimeo, too.
But you should know that I didn’t spend all my time on a computer! I would go out and create things like photoshoots, videos, and art in real life.
However, I do think that my little town helped me to stay sensitive and kind. I want to believe that this helps me in my work, too, as it allows me to stay true to my own vision without being influenced by others’ ideas.
L: When did you know you were ready to launch your own brand in 2020, and what gave you the confidence to take that step? Is there any advice you would give to young people wanting to create a brand of their own?
V: I knew that I was ready to launch a brand since I was 9 years old, but then something went sooo wrong...
I really thought that I would just come up with a great idea, put it on the internet, and everyone would see it, and I’d become a huge brand that everyone would want—V4K. But, of course, it didn’t happen on such a scale instantly, I made progress in little steps. I just didn’t realize the process would be so difficult and take so long. But I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
I had an education and a job in design, knew enough information about sewing, I even had a local brand for three years (It was the first try, wrong place. Two green and insecure girls on a tiny budget. Some strategies worked, some did not). Also, I worked not only as a fashion designer but a graphic designer, video maker, makeup artist, content creator and sooo on. All of this has helped me do a lot of things for V4K on my own, and it was especially useful when I first started. I still do some of these things now.
An advice for young designers is to go and work in fashion, get to know everyone, everything, and see if you still have the need to have your own brand: if you feel that this is still your path and your soul (and not just a desire to to have a brand to make money or gain popularity), then go for it. Get ready to be confident, to think, analyze, try, believe, be very patient, polite and respectful, dream, and enjoy your journey.
L: Why do you believe sustainability and craftsmanship is essential in fashion, and how do you incorporate it into both your work and everyday life?
V: I really believe that craftsmanship is something so warm, so creative, and so outer-space. It's real art and real love, and when you put it into anything (not only clothes), that energy is transmitted with it. And in this fast world with so much progress speeding up everything around us, I think it is a real joy to feel things that are endowed with live energy.
At V4K, we work with deadstock Italian fabrics, which promise the best quality and long-term durability (hopefully forever, with proper care). Because of this, we can’t produce large batches and instead work on a made-to-order basis, catering to individual wishes. Isn’t it magical to get your own unique piece?
Then you value and love it because you know that it is rare and made special just for you.
We also use yarn that passed our time test before putting it on sale.
I believe that designer pieces should last forever, so you don't have to buy something new every season to be trendy.
In my life I don't go shopping at mainstream retailers. I prefer to choose designer pieces, second hand, local fabrics, brands for basic clothes, make it on my own, and wear V4K .
I try not to use a lot of plastic in the packaging.
And I want to create a new collection with vintage buttons!
'I really believe that craftsmanship is something so warm, so creative, and so outer-space. It's real art and real love, and when you put it into anything (not only clothes), that energy is transmitted with it.'
