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ARKADIUS (real name: Arkadiusz Weremczuk) was born to a family of teachers in Poland in 1969.
He graduated with BA honours in Fashion Design with Marketing
from St. Martin’s College of Art and Design in London in July 1999.
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During his second year at college, he met fashion impresario Isabella Blow,
who introduced him to Alexander McQueen, whom in turn offered him a work placement.
While being a student, already in his second year at College, he launched his own label, ‘Arkadius’.
The list of stars who wore his creations is quite extensive and includes such names as: Christina Aguilera, Ashanti,
Bjork, Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, Pink and Adrien Brody.
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In Spring 2000 Arkadius was awarded the New Generation Award by the British Fashion Council.
In 2001 the industry experts chose Arkadius as one of the 10 leading designers in the United Kingdom.
A year later he was a recipient of the highly prestigious NESTA
(National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) fellowship award.
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Since 2005, the new strategy of Arkadius as a designer was based mainly on licensing with a few companies.
The first product launched in January 2005, were sunglasses under a name of: ‘Arkadius Goggles’.
The brand philosophy: ‘Dare to be different’ has found its niche market around
the world among the young rebellious, non conformists. With an appox 70,000 hits per month,
arkadius.com is the window to the world of the unique design philosophy of Arkadius.
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Apart from working in fashion, Arkadius made his debut as a costume designer when
an Opera Director Mariusz Trelinski together with Placido Domingo, the Artistic Director of the
LA Opera House appointed him to design costumes for the production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
The opera received its premiere in December 2002 in Warsaw and in May 2003 at the Los Angeles Opera House.
He has also designed interior for the Farol Design Hotel in Portugal in 2004.
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In 2006 Arkadius left fashion business and decided to concentrate on his
own artistic development outside of Fashion under a new artistic name of Afkaa (Artist Formerly Known As Arkadius).
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Afkaa is now living and working in Brazil. His artistic vision is applied onto architecture,
interior design as well as furniture design. His unique vision once again proved to be recognised
immediately by the press and clients. One of his projects was a private residence in Brazil,
which in December 2010 has been chosen by The Times as one of the 20 Best Villas in the World for the Winter sun!
Afkaa’s private artistic work is the one of photography, painting, installations and writing.
His first artistic launch is scheduled for 2016 with a solo exhibition and his first Art Book.
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SELECTED PRESS COVERAGE:
Arkadius was featured in over 4,000 press pages from all around the world.
His work was included in top Fashion publications such as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar,
New York Magazine, ELLE, i-D magazine, Dazed&Confused and photographed
by Karl Lagerfeld, Mario Testino, Sean Ellis, Michael Roberts to name but a few.
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SELECTED PRESS QUOTATIONS
‘Some say avant-garde young designer Arkadius is, like Byron, mad, bad and dangerous to know.
Others think he is a fashion great genius’ (Colin McDowell for Elle UK, May 2002)
‘… think of Arkadius as the Alexander McQueen…. dresses with complicated cuts…’
(Sarah Mower, American Vogue – Style.com, September 2001)
‘…a powerful and poetic show… that demonstrated London’s ability
to produce designers with unbridled creative energy and passion’
(Suzy Menkes, The International Herald Tribune, September 28, 1999)
‘Fashion’s latest fairy tale… His designs tread the fine line between
die-hard glamour and raw-edged avant garde.’
(Philip Utz, Harper’s Bazaar, US, September 1999)
‘Arkadius generated buzz the way Mr McQueen did …
One comes to London for… people like Arkadius’
(Cathy Horyn, The New York Times, September 29, 1999)
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STATIC EXHIBITIONS
Browns Windows — London (June 1999)
Judith Clark Costume Gallery — London ( July – September 1999)
„Fashion in Motion” at the Victoria and Albert Museum — London (January 26, 2000)
„Out of the Closet” at Sotheby’s, Bond Street — London (February 11-17, 2000)
Design of Christmas Tree – Invitation by Marie-Christiane Marek at in Centre de Pompidou — Paris (December 2000)
Design of Christmas Tree – Invitation by Marie-Christiane Marek at the Espace Pierre Cardin, Paris (December 2001)
Fashion of Architecture – curated by Bradley Quinn, Hoxton Gallery (February 2004)
Malign Muses – Mode Museum Antwerp, Belgium (September 2004 – February 2005)
When Fashion Turns Back – at the Victoria and Albert Museum London, curated by Judith Clark (March-May 2005)
‘Fashion vc Religion’ – at the Mode Museum Hasselt, Belgium, (26/06/2010 – 09/01/2011)
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