About the Designer

About the Designer

Johanna Urbais, the designer behind Me dic al, makes handmade garments with a futuristic, sporty edge, combining 3D worldbuilding with fashion to create pieces that exist somewhere between clothing and a whole other universe.

A few questions, answered in her own words.

Portrait of the designer

Seoul, Germany, Thailand — that's a lot of places shaping one person. Which of those feels most like home to you, and how does that show up in what you make?

Since I have been living in Seoul for a while now, I must say Seoul, South Korea. But I surely miss my family in Germany. I have looked at being multicultural and biracial always as a positive thing. Knowing more cultures ultimately enriches you more and it taught me that the world is a very big place and that borders are often just constraints in your head. I guess that way of thinking is definitely applied in my designs as well. I don't like to constrain myself. I like to be open and often during the creation process let the idea develop naturally rather than following a strict concept.

You started your first brand at 19. What was that like — were you scared, or did it just feel like the obvious next step?

I was just very excited. Rather than not knowing what I should do, I felt like I already had a good grasp of what being a business owner entails since my parents have run their own Asian grocery store for as long as I can remember. I just had this idea that I wanted to share, and it was a big motivation for me. Rather than going further to university, I decided to try for a couple of months selling that product, and surprisingly it went well.

You taught yourself everything — garment making, 3D, graphics, photography. Was there a moment where you almost gave up on one of those, or does the self-teaching process actually excite you?

I think all of these skills came out of desperation or disappointment. I learned that I can't always rely on other people, so instead I taught myself. For photography and music, those were truly hobbies of mine when I was younger. I played guitar in a band and used to do small photoshoots with my sister. These were definitely just creative outlets at the time but have now become very useful. I believe that with photo editing or 3D rendering, in today's day and age you kind of have to be able to do it, since everything is online and pushed through social media. So rather than excitement, it's a necessity.

What do you want someone to feel when they put on a Me dic al piece?

I always feel a bit transformed when I put a Me dic al piece on, because it is a bit more than just an everyday item or something you put on as a daily look. So I hope that people who wear my items feel something similar. With Me dic al I always try to build a small world, with the images and designs, almost as if I'm trying to create a separate space that is inspired by the movies and music I grew up with and also reflects the cultures I live in. So what I'm trying to offer is not just a clothing item, but a piece of a whole made-up environment, if that makes sense.