Every piece I make begins before the dress: with a fabric that did not exist until I designed it.
Zlatina Zviskova · Textile designer & founderIt never starts with store bought fabric. The fabric is designed first, the dress after. Controlled at every step, clothing has no limit to what it can become.
Small samples, made by hand: knit and print.That was the first time I made my own fabric instead of buying it.I understood that owning every step will set my work apart.
Thirty or more fabric ideas a project. Normal yarn gets boring, so I knitted with…
tapeplasticropecablewireor any material I could experiment with.Every metre was made, not bought,Which is why you will not find it twice.
I was experimenting with texture at Central Saint Martins in 2021, exploring crystallisation, water droplets, glowing beadwork and sand formations.Two ideas stood out the most: the sand ripple…
This signature texture catches the light and glistens almost like water does in the sun.It’s been a staple in my work since I created it.Used as an embellishment or to create standout pieces that are unique to the 3LATO brand.
In 2022, I interned at Maglierie Montegrappa in Italy, where they produce knitwear for Chanel, Armani and Prada.Seeing how the wider industry worked helped shape how I wanted to build 3LATO, developing my own fabrics and keeping the process hands-on.
Over the Christmas break in 2022, I made a black sand skirt, my first piece.On Christmas Day, my dad told me I should list it on Depop, so I did.At the time, I hadn’t really imagined I could sell something like that.It sold the next day, so I kept making more.I was still in my third year at Central Saint Martins, but by then I already knew this was what I wanted to do once I graduated.
In April 2023, I interned at AVAVAV in Sweden, sewing pieces for their collection and seeing firsthand how an independent fashion brand handled rapid growth.At the same time, I didn’t want to completely stop taking orders for my pieces, so I pre knitted my materials and packed them in my suitcase, just so I could keep fulfilling orders while in Sweden.
Back in England, I created my graduation collection entirely from my signature textures, while continuing to fulfil orders for customers.
The brand grew out of those fabric samples.It began the night the first skirt sold, and it has grown piece by piece, carried by the people who wear it.The fabric came first.It still does.