Author's word

          I am a romantic person and fond of loneliness.
I live in my own way. I have inherited the need to  create from my father.
 Since my childhood I have spent much time dreaming. Sometimes mydreaming keeps me awake at nights. If I have an idea, I make it real. Even my life, I perceive as a creation. A lot of different situations inspire me. Sometimes it seemed that I can make a doll formyself, a coffee cup from clay, design a torch or table, pond or house, to cherish a flower garden, to draw a painting, or to create a piece of clothing. However, lack of time prevents frommaterializing all of this. Many things remain as fantasies safely hidden in the lock-box of thoughs.
Though I believe, some day, they will find their way out. When I get tired of modeling, I concentrate my energy on the improvement of my home. When monotony threatens, I start painting oil on canvas. But time brings me back to the textile - I return to painting on the fabric. And once again I find myself designig clothes. Right after I create a collection I try it on. I pose to a photographer since I feel whoelse but me, the designer, can better understand and present them. I create only clothing that I would wear myself. Therefore my design has been alive for 20 years with different interruptions of my private life. I have avoided monotony because I create in different styles. I do not enjoy keeping to one theme for a long time just as I hate watching long soap operas. Illustrations from my artistic store are kept in a huge box. Here you will find only a small part of my work that stood the competition of other designs and time. Creativity is the doctor of my soul, the chord most often reoccuring in the blues of life

INDIVIDUAL: Ramute Stakeniene, born on 31-03-1960.

EDUCATION: Siauliai University (Siauliai Pedagogical Institute) Department of Arts, 1983.

MEMBERSHIP: A member of Lithuanian Union of Designers since 1989.

A member of the Designers' Association of Siauliai since 2005

WORKS: 22 exhibition collections.

PRESENTATIONS: Participation in 29 exhibitions, festivals, fairs: 6 personal exhibitions,

5 local exhibitions in Siauliai, 6 national exhibitions, 8 international exhibitions,

4 fairs – festivals abroad.

PUBLICATIONS: Publication of 33 articles concerning fashion in the Lithuanian press.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Author has been mentioned in 90 articles of the Lithuanian and foreign press.

EXPERIENCE: 10 years of practice in her studio with private customers.

Romantic. "Even though my first choice would be a romantic, secession style, I created other type of cothes as requested by my clients while managing my own  firm. I mastered the predominant at the time classical style, so prefered by bankers and clerks, as this style was predominating at the time. Around 1993 many clerks were fond of wearing classical jackets and and painting their offices in white. Simultaneously I was also working with the folk and sports styles. My folk style found an application not onlyin choir costume designs, but folk groups, individual dancers and exhibition personel as well. We remember how the sports style was widely accepted and turned into a kind of mass psychosis. I was making clothes for disco dancers, break dancers, and the music group "Vairas". This style was anathema for me. I did not like it but I faithfully carried out my duties".

Family of Creators. "My name is Stakeniene. My husband is the famous Lithuanian author and singer Virgis Stakenas. Virgis was and still is an excellent example of a creative person. I see him daily composing his songs and doing a publicist work. He has no manager, thus he does it all by himself. He is as work addict as I am. He consistently stimulates my creativity and self-expression. On the other hand, he needs my assistance as a designer in helping create his image. I will not make the mistake of saying that his understanding and influence virtually formed my own creative biography and gave me opportunities to create. We are a tandem of creators, though playing in different genres." Artistic Adventurism. " Interestngly, this case is a clear enrichment of the otherwise quite a boring creative period. I was "solving the Eastern theme" for ladies' clothes at that time. I found a really intriguing idea: holes as if made by teeth and ceramic decoration, imitating those made by large predatory teeth. The Panel of Art from the Vilnius House of Models, selecting pieces for an event, rejected my  collection ; that was the last straw! But I did not get flustered. I decided to make a collection for "Vilnius Days of fashion" and let it be demonstrated by the male models.Success, furor! It was something shamelessly new and fearless, never seen before, intriguing. This theme was analyzed timidly, furtively at that time. Thanks to this chance I advanced almost by a decade. The satiated society of today would have accepted it naturally".

Decoration.
"I like plenty of decorations. If it is acceptable in the fashion, I certainly memploy it. Applications, incrustations, Richelieu, knitting-in, decorative flounces, hand and machine made embroideries, diverse fringes, and hand-made decorative flowers are all things which I like to experiment with. Recently I started painting on the clothes."

Minimalist Fashion. The author was neither interested in nor charmed by it. However, in the storm of the world fashion trend, she was forced to observe the rules - fashion is devoted to people. Minimalism is too simple and easy for

Ramute as a designer. That's why there is almost nothing to say about plasticity or the forms of expression of minimalism.

Painting on the fabric. This is an "old innovation". Previously found in paintings on the shawls, minatures and other accessories. Adaptation of such technology for clothes is a very complicated process.
Painting on the fabric must be accomplished before sewing, taking into consideration construction of the future garment. The artist spent nearly 20 years learning this procedure herself. It is a very time-consuming work. Both natural and artificial silk may be painted on. It is difficult to forecast the future colors. The type of material or fabric as well as the makeup of the paint must be through.

The paints, in order not to be washed away, should be applied with heat. It is a very laborious and time consuming process. However, this is the artist's kitchen, enabling to "cook fashion dishes".

Mannequin for Her Creations. Both Ramute as a person and her means of expression are intriguing. Her clothes are her intrinsic passion, a kind of "complex of Carmen" that may be felt when the brunette's temperament is pulsing with a cold Nordic rationality. This is reflected in her collections, where professional style is obvious. Her character compliments her creations when Ramute decides to be a mannequin herself. Therefore, her works are truly harmonious, disclosing the author's artistic and creative abilities as well as her "ego" and deep level of sub-conscious intuition. The natural brunette's appearance is well matched or it is contrasted with coloring and silhouette of the created clothing. It seems that Ramute adds herself to her creation, presenting every time a different and stylistically consistent ensemble. To Stay Among the Best. One of the most essential credos of the author is to make woman look beautiful. Such a classical attitude enables her to remain upright in times of tempramental fashion; not to get lost in the short-lived trends, installations, and scandals. She features intelligence and good taste as well as an inborn sense of harmony between the fashion and style. One of Ramutes major inspirations is spiritual decency. This makes her an elite representative of the designers community.

Designer: Vilius Puronas