ZSIGMOND in the Museum of Applied Arts Budapest
ZSIGMOND IN THE MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS BUDAPEST
Less than 10 years into the existence of the Hungarian fashion brand, ZSIGMOND was selected by the Museum of Applied Arts Budapest for its own collection. With this acquisition, ZSIGMOND garments joined the ranks of the over 140,000 artefacts in the Museum’s collection, the earliest of which go back thousands of years all the way to Ancient Egypt.
The Museum of Applied Arts Budapest was founded in 1872 as the third museum of applied arts in the world that also had a library and school attached to it. It was partly due to this educational function that Judit Horváth, PhD, Head of the Contemporary Design Department, felt it important to preserve ZSIGMOND garments for future generations.
“Through these pieces, we can tell a story and, in addition to the story, teach an approach to people, which is one of the fundamental values and elements of the brand. It carries the message that they know who they are, and it's very rare that someone is this aware of themselves: that they know where they come from and don't deny that, instead, they reaffirm it. It's such a rarity and an important value that should be taught, in my opinion”, shared Judit Horváth.
Dóra Zsigmond, Founder, Creative Director and CEO of ZSIGMOND, grew up in rural Hungary, which eventually became the founding inspiration for her brand. Enamoured by folk dancing, Dóra found herself immersed in the world of Hungarian folklore at a young age. Over the years, her profound respect for traditional garments led her to a long exploration, where she became close to the elderly, who continued to live their rural lives unmoved by the increasingly globalised world around them. Slowly building trust in the community, they gradually shared their stories, and with it, a vast knowledge going back hundreds of years. Dóra soon realised that with the indifference of the next generation, this inherited knowledge not only of traditional costumes but of Hungarian peasant culture was not being passed down, and it became her mission to find a way to reinterpret her heritage in a contemporary context. Thus, she founded her brand at the age of 21 with the motto of “Inhale the past, exhale the future.” In her REMADE line, she repurposes 60 to 100-year-old textiles in modern garments in a literal attempt at preserving the past for the future. She incorporates the old garment-making techniques she learned, bringing back a pre-fast-fashion approach that, due to its very nature, is inherently sustainable. Being recognised by the Museum of Applied Arts Budapest was a confirmation that her work plays a part not only in the contemporary design scene but in the broader context of history.
“Throughout the design process, I like to think in systems. Having my garments chosen for the Museum’s collection also means that they will become part of a much larger system, which doesn't only last for the lifespan of a brand, or while a designer can create, rather, they can make an impact for a much longer period”, said Dora Zsigmond, Founder, Creative Director and CEO of ZSIGMOND.
ZSIGMOND is also on its way to bringing Hungarian rural heritage to the rest of the world. The brand’s items got into stores in Berlin, Milan, Rome, Tokyo, Shizuoka, New York, Portland, Boston, Ontario, Gothenburg, Valencia, Moscow, Perm and Krasnoyarsk, as well as online retailers such as Zalando.
