He is a young man, who seems to have trained and tamed his talent, without turning into a slave to it. He is hard-working and believes in his ideas and in changes. Recently 24-year-old Nikolay Bozhilov became the winner of the Golden Needle fashion award in Bulgaria. This is his second Golden Needle after he won the prize in 2010.

I believe that a number of young Bulgarian designers deserve this prize. Everyone says how difficult and complicated the situation in our profession was, how the market was limited, but none of the designers gives up and it's great. Each of us continues to work and do what we love. I believe in the principle that everyone should do what they do best. Only then it makes sense, because you cannot do a mediocre job and you receive satisfaction. I always knew I would do something creative. 

© Photo: private archive

Nikolay is a graduate of the National High School "Sofia" where he studied "Fashion Design." We had an outstanding class with wonderful teachers who tolerated me and were first to notice my talent and pushed me to be more precise in any way, the designer recalls.  Later he continued his education in the National Academy of Art in Sofia, studying fashion.

“All lecturers in the Academy consider us a great class and all knew that in order to have success one must constantly work on various tasks and make them happen. This led to many projects that we made while still studying and which became for us a great portfolio and experience. The most important thing is to have experience of working with professionals in the sphere - make-up artists, photographers, models. We have established a network of acquaintances with whom to work professionally after graduation.” 

In the end of April 2010 at an international fashion forum in Ruse Nikolai Bozhilov won his first "Golden Needle" award for his collection "Recycling Fashion". He won competing with 37 students presenting clothes made entirely of recycled old clothes. I think the idea was very well received,” he says.

© Photo: BGNES

The designer remembers also 16 September 2010. That was when in London the international final of the "Triumph Inspiration Award 2010" took place. The award was won by the Bulgarian student in competition with students from 28 different countries. The secret to the success of his project was that it had a very clear idea. Always work with a specific and strong concept, he says. The award was 15,000 euro and the opportunity to work together with the designer team of Triumph in Munich. His lingerie model was also included in the market strategy of the company in 2011 and is sold in limited editions in more than 120 countries worldwide. 

“After the success I received many job offers. Of course at this point I was very excited with what was happening, but over time I learned that you have to think about your priorities. I wanted to finish my education and when I have the necessary experience I want to start my own company. Something that I hope will happen by the end of this year.”

In 2011, the tenth edition of the International Fashion Contest "Off Fashion" in Poland took place and Nikolai Bozhilov was again among the winners. He became second and his classmate Georgi Stoilov won the first prize.

The awards are not my sole goal but they surely mark the progress of my development, the designer says it is important to have a chance to prove your skills and talent. The young designer says he wants to work in Bulgaria and his long-term goal is opening his own fashion company. Nikolay Bozhilov adds he wants to create his own clothes and never fall into clichés.

English version: Alexander Markov