KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID

Traditional motifs of folklore and folk costume reflect deeply rooted perceptions of beauty, identity, and corporeality. Yet the nude body and subtle eroticism are often hidden within them – like unspoken truths we hardly dare to voice. In the past, nudity itself was perceived as a bearer of magical power, bridging the visible world and the spiritual one. That is why elements such as voluminous skirts or vivid colors adorned with floral and fruit motifs were never merely aesthetic gestures. They carried layers of symbolism shaped over centuries, awakening fantasies and desires.

Themes of longing, eroticism, and love, which may appear suppressed in traditional contexts, nonetheless speak to us through the design of costumes, through dances and songs. In their metaphors, they respond to questions we may never have dared to articulate.

It is from these unspoken layers that the photographic series Unspoken Things emerges – a body of work artist Wlasta Laura has been developing for several years. Alongside folk songs and traditions, it draws on ethnographic texts that examine the body as a cultural phenomenon within folklore.

These very photographs became the initial inspiration for designer La Femme Mimi in creating her new fashion collection Keep it Simple Stupid – a collection in which the boundaries of worlds and cultures seem not to exist, and yet remain profoundly present. Like Wlasta Laura, designer Mimi moves between tradition and vision, between past and present, between diverse landscapes and worlds. Her work carries floral motifs, hand embroidery, flowing skirts, and an homage to both Czech and Vietnamese traditions, to family memory and storytelling. All of this is expressed in the spirit of a conscious approach to clothing – with an emphasis on ethics and care for nature. And yet Mimi approaches design itself with lightness and playfulness. After all, tradition can be mischievous and sexy – a point on which both women fully agree.

The entire Keep it Simple Stupid project is a playful dialogue between two authors who inspire and support one another, finding joy in both shared and individual expression. 

With joy, everything becomes simple.

Fashion designer: La Femme Mimi https://www.lafemmemimi.com

Model: Barbora Fialová