A PEN FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

I had the most normal upbringing for a child of two artists. I was born and raised in Bucharest, my mother being an illustrator and my father – a painter. So my fascination for drawing started early and was actually expected from me.

Attending a non-artistic secondary school actually pushed me towards arts, so I applied for the Nicolae Tonitza High School of Fine Arts and after that I graduated from the University of Fine Arts in Bucharest, with a BA in graphic design. After graduation, I worked as a graphic designer and illustrator in advertising agencies and for local magazines.

I later decided to change fields with fashion, very much influenced by the environment I grew up in and by my inherited passion for aethetics. 2007 was the year I switched activities, starting to build my personal label until I met my future partner in what was to become the fashion brand 109. My experience as a graphic designer and the initiation in fashion at Central Saint Martins in London led me to 109.

about

It all starts with a catchphrase. You know, that word or those expressions that come to you almost randomly, in the most unexpected situations, like when you hit a furniture corner with your bare foot and just say: “Oh, shit!”

Then you repeat the words in your inner circle of friends until the expression becomes an inside joke, one that catches flight as it starts to be applied to other, unrelated situations. In this way, the words become language games, their meanings extending because they are lacking determined boundaries, until they become funny, redundant or even absurd.

These word games are then filtered – through simple use or according to personal, subjective or even subconscious criteria – and the ones that stick, that still have a nice sound to them can be applied to a larger array of situations.They are then transformed into hand written, calligraphic texts printed on miscellaneous objects.

After this, the text is finally free, defining other interactions or feelings, living completely on its own, having an altogether different meaning. Thus, the Skin Deep philosophy finds itself on the fine line between conceptual and deco-rative art, between the intellectual and the superficial.

about skin deep

First written on paper, the words are adapted to a digital format keeping, as much as possible, the spontaneity of the initial gesture.

The resulting texts are then adapted to products like T-shirts, hoodies, jewelry, underwear, tote bags and/or are used as such on social media, resembling the omnipresent witty quotes that everybody shares or likes on the internet.

This is the ultimate stage of the game, when the text finally went from documenting a deeply personal state of mind to being applied on real, tangible objects.

the process

1 - writing & scanning

2 - editing

3 - the result

The target -

People enjoying Skin Deep products are men and women with ages between 18 and 40in love with art, design and fashion, with an averge income.

The now -

First products available: digital postcards, printed T-shirts, hoodies, silver jewelry, under-wear for both men and women, and tote bags.

The future -

• Collabs with artists and designers are one of the most important goals• Designing customized shoes & leather products as well as other design objects• Collabs with local and worldwide press - customizing magazines, windows, shops and all related• Developing a small luxury product line which uses high quality fabrics and materials

target & products

Skin Deep is intended as a small local business with widening horizons for the near future.

Selling points -

• Online Shop• Local high fashion stores - The Place Concept Store, Victoria Gallery, Raionul 4 • Local online stores - molecule-f.com, bandofcreators.com• Worldwide - U.S., Asia - near future All fashion garments are intended as an on-going, off-season collection.

Wholesale Prices range between 30 and 80 USD.Retail recommended prices range between 75 and 200 USD.

selling & prices

Marina Moldovanmarina@touchskindeep.com+40745 386 367skype - marina.moldovan1

touchskindeep.comtouchskindeep.tumblr.com@touchskindeep

contact