Arkadius Weremczuk

Art essays and research papers often overview the rise of important artists and fashion designers. Paper Masters custom writes art research papers for use in college classes around the world.

Arkadius Weremczuk is a Polish-born fashion designer who came to London in 1994 to study at the famous Central St. Martins and build a reputation in his field. He is known in the field simply as Arkadius. While still at St. Martin's, he started putting out his own fashion label and developing his own list of impressive clients. One of these was Isabel Blow, the influential fashion critic of London's "Sunday Times" newspaper. Within a few months of graduating from Central St. Martins, Arkadius showed his latest collection which he called "Lucina, O!" in London during Fashion Week. Although his show was not one of the ones officially scheduled by the London Fashion Council, which sponsors the Fashion Week, it attracted a large audience. With his "Lucina, O!" show, Arkadius made his mark on the fashion world. Some critics and buyers found Arkadius's designs shocking or offensive, while others were delighted or even excited by it.

Arkadius's Fashion Week Show

The centerpiece of the Arkadius's Fashion Week show was his Fall and Winter 2000 collection named "Queen of Sheba."

• Queen of Sheba was a line that made imaginative and ostentatious use of thick, wintry white wools, sheepskin, and even crystals.
• Queen of Sheba line from Arkadius Weremczuk used natural fabrics and related ornaments
• Arkadius's designs show a New-Age influence.
• The designs can be seen as more art than fashion.

Besides natural fabrics, Arkadius also made use of natural materials. One of his designs was straw sprouting upwards from the upper thighs of the model. The straw covered the upper part of her body. but nearly all of her legs were exposed. Most of the Arkadius's designs of the "Queen of Sheba" collection teasingly or directly exhibited parts of the models' bodies, including breasts and buttocks. The show was sensational and controversial. Arkadius moved fashion in the direction of pure theater.

Arkadius's Interview

Not long ago, I had the opportunity for a short interview with Arkadius. In this interview, he discussed his ambition as a fashion designer and his views on the field of fashion over the past decade or so. Individuality and independence are important for Arkadius. He is critical of how the "French and Italian conglomerates" have come to dominate the structure of the fashion business. "Fashion is more and more dependent on the larger structures behind it," he believes. Nonetheless, Arkadius believes he can make a name for himself and be successful without becoming tied in with any particular larger structure behind the field.