#BASICLYGEN PRESENTS JULIA HORVATH

As a kid my dream was to become an ‘inventor’ or an architect. I’d say I’m pretty close. I’m working as a designer in fashion, jewelry and multimedia, but in all of these fields what I feel like what I really do is building concepts. Currently, I am the Designer and Creative Director of ZYPHR, a sportswear brand from Hong Kong founded by Jason Yau. A year ago I also founded a new generation platform with Gennady Oreshkin, called GAHSP Media and as for now, I have been working on the launch of my jewelry line, INFINITY 20 CONCEPT. I am Hungarian but thanks to my family I had the chance to live across various places from an early age. Hong Kong is my second home. I went to a German school, then did my BA in Budapest, then went back to Hong Kong for my MA, and then had the chance to work in New York. These multi-cultural experiences shaped who I am and what I’d like to create for this world. 

Covid turned all my plans upside down. I was supposed to work in New York but when the virus hit the city I decided to return to Hong Kong, and later in the summer to Hungary. I have been working remotely since then. I have always loved how outgoing the creative industry is, so it has definitely been a challenge for me to accept the change of lifestyle. Three things that help to keep me balanced are  music, driving and working on projects that I feel are building me up day-by-day. When it comes to my work, I love being a mediator between people, but at the same time I like to observe the world rather from a 1-step distance. This duality helps me to make the most out of the current situation. I am using this temporary setup to distance myself from any distractions. I am taking time to align my ideas – which come from many different directions – with the goal to create an ecosystem for all my ongoing and future projects. On the other hand I am still enjoying being online 24/7 and working across different time zones. 

I am more interested in people and their ideas than in fashion trends, or would rather use the word Zeitgeist if so, as it refers more to the relationship between trends, people and time. I believe the best way to be upfront is simply through connecting with people. The scale between the individual and the collective is fascinating to me. One of the reasons why we have started GAHSP Media is to understand more about how this interconnectivity could be emphasized systematically. We are experimenting with conversation and content creation methods that give equal measure to the voices of Creatives, which then add up to a 365 degree perspective of the current creative landscape.

When it comes to designing products or garments, I think the key is to follow new production and manufacturing technologies. I don’t see innovation as the sole purpose behind creating, it serves rather as a tool than a principle to me. However technology has the power to define new quality standards and generic features which then affect how markets and  consumers’ preferences evolve, so I think it is crucial to stay up-to-date.

How do you see yourself in the future? / what are your hopes, your aims?   

One of my friends shared a nice line a few days ago. It stated “The real flex is how many people’s lives you can positively impact.” 

To be more specific, I’d love to keep doing what I am doing, working in various design fields, on an international scale. My goal is to create design methods that could be applied across disciplines and cultures. I truly believe that design has the power to improve people’s lives in a way that nothing else does. I’d love to explore how products and content can be simplified to an extent where they appeal to the most. Through the process I am planning to master how people perceive ideas and how they connect with each other, as my ultimate life goal would be to innovate the education system.