Name Zoltan Herczeg Role Costume designer | Movies Black Soup | |
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Zoltán Herczeg (Szerencs, September 24, 1972) Hungarian fashion designer, brand and company owner, founder of "Herczeg Fashion House" – 1997 and "Herczeg Empire" – 2014.
Contents
- Childhood
- Beginning
- Fashion revolutionist
- International shows
- Local shows
- Movie TV roles
- Juror
- Awards
- Public life
- Private life
- References
His professional career sprung from early provocative party design and unique, custom-made stage costumes for mainstream Hungarian artists and musicians. As his name and status evolved and his collections began to be reckoned with, he was often asked to design and produce outfits for well-known worldwide brands. Spanning through a decade and a half his career elevated him to be one of the best known names in Hungarian design circles. Known for his zest and notoriously rampant creative drive he is in constant search for the truly self-defining path. His collections and fashion shows never lack in exuberance and shock value, re-inventing himself every time despite the unusually high number of events (3–4 shows per year).
His inspiration is rooted in various branches of art – music at the top – and in a famously hedonistic outlook on life often leaning towards sarcasm and self-irony. A favorite with reporters and journalists he needs no more than a microphone to open up on his views with often unvarnished bluntness.
An avid traveller he kept his fans engaged from London, Paris, Peking and Bangkok first through his personal blog, later on his own website.He is a frequent personality on TV, radio, in universities, in Madrid and Milano.
In 2009 he receives a surprise phone call: Michael Madsen is in his store and in urgent need of designer clothes to receive a movie award in Portugal the next day. The movie star is so taken with "Herczeg"'s unique style that they immediately strike both a personal and professional bond. A few days later on a business lunch in a Budapest restaurant their fashion brand is born called "Badass by Michael Madsen".
Childhood
Born September 1972 in Szerencs, Hungary. Growing up in a peaceful and loving family he preferred to dedicate his time to reading, drawing and creating at home rather than hanging out with friends after school. His first "fashion statement" is an outfit for a favorite Teddy Bear, followed by satchels for small items, small bags stitched together from scraps on his mother's sewing machine, later cutting up jeans just to create bags. He's an all A student. Later studies in High School specialized in Commerce, and falls in love with Rock music in all its then current shapes and forms. His favorite is Anthrax. He wants to dress like them and gets his girlfriend to make the typical Anthrax surf shorts and jeans then unaccessible in Hungary.
Beginning
Attends the Corvinus University of Economics. His wardrobe at this point contains little that he did not create or re-create himself. He loves to shock, to melt into the city life and nightlife. After a short stab at modeling he ends up on the creating side. As a childhood friend of the famous rock band "Hooligans" he lands his first commissions for designing stage-wear. He also creates new stage design for popular funk band "Back II Black". His name and his references quickly spread in music circles. Upon his friends' enthusiastic urge he takes a loan and designs/produces his first collection to be shown on a small town catwalk. In 1996 he rents a small store downtown Budapest, and his creations are finally showcased after lying around in bags on the dormitory floor. Soon he moves shop to a new location on Teréz Blv, where "Herczeg Férczművek" (Herczeg Stitchworks) officially opens under the still present "Herczeg Party Clothing" trade sign. 1998– he founds "BYB" brand, 2000– founds the brand "Herczeg Zoltán".
Fashion revolutionist
Hair-raising ideas and work ethics, active playboy lifestyle, unique marketing. He designs for himself and like-minded peers. Nominated at the 2005 "Fashion Awards Hungary as Young Designer of the Year", his acclaimed collections make it as far as the catwalks of Madrid. He explicitly designs for men, very seldom for women. He mainly uses musicians, singers, actors, dancers instead of professional models. He always strays from the usual and the expected. His shows always feature live music carefully picked to match the collection's image and feel. The show itself always transforms into an impromptu performance where the participants are free roam and express themselves in the clothes they personally picked, yet always achieving harmony and unconscious choreography despite the improvisation.
International shows
Local shows
Movie, TV roles
Juror
Awards
Public life
A simple misunderstanding from a Dutch representative at the European parliament deems a political campaign key-art "pornographic" and creates massive controversy, drawing unexpected attention to the so far diplomatically unresolved but environmentally critical pollution of Hungarian river Rába by an Austrian leather processing firm. The scandal forces the EU to change policy and draw stricter environmental restrictions.
Private life
His private life is an open book through his personal blog (launched in 2006), and social platforms, interviews, TV and radio appearances. His birthdays and anniversaries are marked social events with musicians, composers, painters, actors, writers, comedians, reporters, designers, stylists, businessmen, models, photographers, hair stylists, make-up artists, sportsmen, fans, friends, family. I'm doing this for you!. Is not just a philosophy of life, but everyday practice.