9 MAY 15 MAY 2011

THE BUDAPEST TIMES

Designers in Hungary Part X: Natali Rideg and

her labels Es-tu un Ange and Dudu&T-rex
lean
lines,
muted
colours and bright
accessories define the
style of Natali Rideg.
She makes clothes for
active women who know what they
want, just like her. The Budapest Times
caught up with her in the Pazicski
showroom, where her designs are sold.

Natali Rideg has

two labels with very
different personalities,
Es-tu un Ange
and Dudu&T-rex

How did you discover your passion for

designing?
My family contributed greatly to that.
They owned a textiles factory so I
always felt an affinity with clothing.
Then I began my training as a stylist.
During that time I was selected for a
three-month internship in Paris, which
gave me a good insight into the world
of design at Pierre Cardin and Jean
Louis Scherrer. It was a very inspiring
period although it only lasted a short
time. After I graduated as a stylist I
attended many further education and
design courses. Today I would say that
Im neither a stylist nor a fashion
designer but that I simply design
clothes.
What kind of clothes do you make?
I create wearable, comfortable clothes
from natural, light materials such as
linen, cotton and silk for full-blooded
women who would like to wear something unique rather than mass products. I would describe the style as
casual, or rather as luxury-casual and
as basic at the same time. My clothes
dont wear the wearer. They put the
spotlight on the women wearing them
and their femininity, rather than
limiting them in the expression of
their personality. The designs dont
just appeal to one age group; everyone
from 18-year-olds to my mother-in-law
can find something for themselves
here. The pieces are also very adaptable; they can be worn with simple
accessories during the daytime or be
dressed up for more formal evening
occasions. Thats why I would describe
them as basic. The women wearing
them can run riot.

Pazicski Budapest
District V, Henszlmann Imre utca 3. Tel. (06 -1) 411 06 31/32
Open Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday 10am to 5pm
Website: www.es-tuunange.com Webshop: www.etuashop.com

red accessories. I like playing with

strong, intensive colours. We recently
shot the photos in Pula (two photos
on the right), near the Valley of Arts,
and it was a lot of fun. The good
thing about such photo shoots is that
Im a stylist myself and can always
imagine the big picture. That enables
me to tell the professionals exactly
what I would like and how, which
makes things easier for both sides.

How do such collaborations work?

Well, such collaborations normally
happen while the collection is being
designed, which widens the possibilities. Last winter, for example, I worked

Photo: Otto Klmn. Model: gnes Cinke, Make up: Veronika Alcs, Hair: Kata Ternyk (2)

CULTURE

For the full-blooded woman

BZT/Aaron Taylor

16

Where do you get your ideas from?

What about your other label Dudu&T-rex?
Old film stars inspire me a lot. Divas
like Marlene Dietrich, Zsa Zsa Gbor
and Elizabeth Taylor. They had incredible personality and aura. I combine
that sophisticated, glamorous style
with the needs of working women in
my collections. The Rothschild Klara
Salon in Budapest, which had and has
a great tradition, is one of my sources
of inspiration as is the haute couture that
I experienced in Paris.
What are your collections like?
They are capsule collections that
consist of around 15 to 25 different
designs. Around 12 to 15 pieces are
made of each, with sizes running from
36 to 42. I always give my collections a
name. This time for Es-tu un Ange its
Village Romance in the Big City.
What does that cover?
Village Romance in the Big City means
clear forms, prints and a lot of white
with powerful orange and paprika-

The T-shirt label takes its name from

my two hairless cats Dudu and T-Rex,
who inspire me every day. Its a much
bolder and more playful line than Estu un Ange with a lot of colour. With
Dudu&T-rex everything goes. It helps
me to develop my whole personality.
Everyone has two sides to them, and
Dudu&T-rex is the counterpoint to
Es-tu un Ange. Having said that, the
pieces from the two labels can be
combined really well.

together with Rka Vg, who

designed shoes and bags for my collection (pictured). I think collaborations
are the future of design. I try to get
someone new on board for each season
because it strengthens both brands.

What are your plans?

A webshop. It seems that more and
more people are shopping online.
Thats why Im working on a
webshop, where people will be able to
buy pieces from my own collections as
well as pieces designed by other asyet relatively unknown Hungarian
designers. It will go online in two to
three months. I also work together
regularly with other designers, which
is something that I enjoy a lot.

Thats what I hope, at least.

Unfortunately I didnt find anyone for
this spring but in the autumn I will
probably work again with someone
whose name I dont want to reveal yet.
In any case its good to be open to
everything.
Do other countries also attract you?
Of course I would like my designs to be
sold in other EU countries. I suspect

my designs are rather too wearable

and not artistic enough for Paris,
though. Germany would be a possibility and in Asia theres an open
market thats curious about everything.
But Hungary will always be my focus
and my clothes will continue to be
made here exclusively. I always want to
work in a way thats reconcilable with
my life, my family and my heart.
Ines Gruber