It took a few of our encounters with Úna Burke's work where we came across her impressive eye-catching leather pieces featured in the latest International summer issue of OZON magazine for 2011 photographed by Nikolas Ventourakis. So we decided that it was time that Úna Burke became a Yatzer guest talent.

Burke’s work is certainly unique. Starting from her inspirations and leading to the final creations, the whole process seems to follow a certain ritual of psychological expression, where each single piece made carries a story behind it. This story might originate from a coherence of feelings or an observation of psychological action and reaction.  Úna is undoubtedly a sought-after talent in fashion. Her work has already attracted major interest, including her pieces carried in editorials by David Sims and David Bailey and the Daphne Guinness type of client – an extravagant and powerful woman whose personality matches the mood of Burke’s creations, seem to be largely drawn to the brand.

Despite her current work load, due to the preparations for her SS2012 collection as well as her new collaborative project with the brand Unconditional, Úna managed to take time out to answer our ten Fashion Screening questions:  A short talk which intermingles fashion with art, for where there is art, there is always an expression.

When I first saw your collection, I admit that it made me think a lot about the origins of your inspiration. Would you like to tell us bit about your prompts and motifs for the particular collection?
I am intrigued by humanity and the human mind, in particular our mental capabilities and restrictions. I am constantly drawn to observing how we cope in the face of danger and use war armour, military uniforms and medical braces as physical representations of the emotional barriers used by us to protect us through restriction.

How would you describe your work?
My work is very structural in form, cleverly constructed, visually captivating and hand crafted in my studio in London to very high standards.

You are an alumnus of the London College of Fashion. Do you think that London has influenced your design orientation and techniques in some way?
For me, London is a place where I could be very open and experimental in my work because of the sense of acceptance and excitement for things that are different and new. I’ve always had this direction within me but I think that it’s easier to be understood when you’re away from your origins I suppose. It’s like you have a clean slate in a sense, so people take you at face value.

You mainly work with leather. What are the qualities of this material that attract you to it most and do you feel that there are any limitations?
 I love to work with leather as I have great respect for its natural strength and distinct characteristics. It is stubborn and strong willed, just like me, but if you respect its inclinations and learn to work with these characteristics, then it will reward you with amazing results.

What are your thoughts regarding today’s international fashion developments?
There is a distinct push towards nurturing new talent and breathing new air into the lungs of the fashion industry. On the other hand, seasons are getting busier as trends are turning faster, with designers producing more and more collections each year.  This need is enforced by the media and in particular, by the internet. I find it interesting how certain designers are using this to their advantage, delivering directly from the catwalk to the stores, while others are fighting it and acting out in opposition, inviting only certain media mediums to their shows.

What are the aspects that you embrace and what do you believe, in hindsight, could have been avoided?
It’s great to have such support and interest in emerging talent as this raw creativity is what keeps the industry fresh. Regarding the high trend turnover, I would hope that things start to slow down somewhat as I often feel that the very essence of creativity has been lost when it seems that nothing is appreciated for more than six months anymore. This is yet another expression of our throwaway culture and with such huge pressure on designer’s, I believe that it really isn’t any surprise that some of our top people have taken extreme measures to release themselves from the industry’s iron grasp.

You were recently on the cover of OZON Magazine and you have also received major coverage from the international press. What are your ambitions for your brand?
I’ve been really blessed with amazing international coverage since they day I finished my Masters at LCF. I was thrilled with the OZON cover and Nikolas Ventourakis, the photographer, is great to work with and really super at what he does. My ambition for the brand is to continue making strong architectural storyline pieces alongside a broadening range of high quality easily wearable and usable conventional and unconventional accessories.

We know that you have made a dynamic start with Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera as your clients, whilst Daphne Guinness modelled for the NARS Campaign wearing your structural leather bodice. Describe your target clientele and should we anticipate seeing more appearances with your creations?
It’s great to have this type of clientele as they are in the public eye and so they bring great interest to my brand on an international scale. My target customer would have a strong personality, a good sense of style and would be happy to stand out in a room.

What are currently working on?
I’m currently working on my SS12 collection as well as creating pieces for a collaborative project with the women and menswear brand Unconditional. This collaboration will show the possibilities of applying my leatherwork skills and signature construction to several really beautiful commercial pieces for both men and women.

Any exciting plans for the future? 
I am starting work on an exclusive collection for the E-Store of a Hong Kong retailer which will be on sale early next year. I hope to continue doing collaborative projects with both design companies and high-end stores as well as continuing to create commissioned pieces for shows, events and exhibitions, as these projects can allow my creativity to go to new levels.