Dolled Up
Every woman had a doll when she was a little girl. Being like a doll probably is almost every little girl’s dream. Twenty-seven-year-old designer Tatyana Merenyuk was no exception.
Every woman had a doll when she was a little girl. Being like a doll probably is almost every little girl’s dream. Twenty-seven-year-old designer Tatyana Merenyuk was no exception. The official launch of her Chicago-based label, Red Doll, this year was a dream come true. Ever since she was a child, Merenyuk’s mother would dress her up like a cute, life-sized doll with handmade clothes that fit her perfectly. That was when Merenyuk and her family still lived in Kiev, Ukraine, where every woman knew how to sew and make their own dresses, which they wore even on a small trip to a grocery store nearby.
“When I was growing up, even like my mom and everybody, even myself, we always wore dresses, and it was not jeans-and-T-shirt kind of life there,” Merenyuk says.
That was the kind of environment Merenyuk grew up in, and she took that experience with her when she moved to the States with her family at the age of 10.
Having been away from her birthplace, Merenyuk is a girl who treasures her roots. The way she reminds herself of her origin is by naming her label “Red Doll.”
“Red is the color of U.S.S.R. and that’s where I’m from,” Merenyuk says. “And doll is associated with a woman. The style and the design [are] kind of like a doll.”
The birth of Red Doll gave Merenyuk a new direction in life, which she says was rather dull for her before she stepped into the world of fashion design.
“I was working in the pharmacy industry with computers and stuff,” Merenyuk says. “That was boring as hell. That was just totally not for me.”
Encouraged by an artist she met at a gallery opening in Chicago, Merenyuk discarded her old self and turned a new, unexpected page.
“I just tried [making clothes] and just really liked it,” Merenyuk says. “One sale led to another and things just started happening. I just can’t stop doing it.”
One dress after another — long or short, dark or light, sassy, elegant, playful, or springy — Merenyuk creates garments that speak to every woman’s desire of becoming a doll, delicate and fragile, cherished and wanted. Besides being a woman herself, what else inspires the designer when she cuts and sews?
“Fabrics, colors, and textures, and then just really playing with fabric and see what I can come up with,” Merenyuk says.
Elements of tulle, florals, ruffles and gathers are intertwined in each of Merenyuk’s pieces, forming an aesthetic that is youthful and romantic. As much as the designer hates to admit, she is undeniably attracted to the so-called “girly and feminine.”
“I just really love that kind of magical, fairy-tale [things] … I just try to make it somewhat nicely done, nicely fitted on your body. … Flattering, that’s the word,” Merenyuk says.
While one might think this penchant for the fairy-like would certainly influence the designer’s daily wardrobe, Merenyuk gives a surprising answer. Working in her studio or at home, the designer is often overwhelmed by work, not parties.
“I don’t really go out too much,” Merenyuk says. “But I just like a basic black skirt and a T-shirt, really, and a nice, cozy little jacket and a shawl, because I’m cold right now. I like my little schoolgirl outfit.”
As an up-and-coming fashion designer, Merenyuk does have people she aspires to. Her list includes Valentino, Karl Lagerfeld, Doo.Ri, and Marchesa.
“[Valentino and Karl Lagerfeld are] out-of-this-world. They’re like old-school amazing … [Marchesa’s] dresses are just ridiculous. They’re gorgeous. I love them. I wish I could be them,” Merenyuk says.
Before she could become an A-list designer, Merenyuk would probably have to think about how to combat the recession even though it seems like she hasn’t been hard hit by the economy.
“I’ve actually gotten very busy, and I think it’s because of the holiday season. So I’m very lucky and I’ve been getting some orders overseas,” Merenyuk says. “We’ll see what happens. So far so good.”
(Photo credit: Red Doll)
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I had a conversation about being forced by my mother to wear dresses for a while. By the age of 11 I stopped, and went through my Tom ages. Now!!! I love dressing in pretty dresses. I even catch myself wishing our culture here would take it back to the old days. We’re lacking romanticism..:(
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