Andrea Vytlačilová

Petra: What is the story of Ambrosia Farm?

Steve: In 1987, my wife and I bought a restaurant at Lansvale, NSW, and we named it ‘Ambrosia Seafood Restaurant’. We remained there until 2009. In 1998 we decided to buy a farm and we purchased 100 Eltons Rd. - 40 acres of Eucalyptus with a little old house. We cleared the land and built our new house. Then we started planting olive, fig, macadamia and lots of other trees. We ended with 4000 olive trees and bought an olive press to press the olives. That’s when we called the farm Ambrosia Olive Farm.

Petra: I loved seeing cows, goats and sheep among the trees. Do the trees and animals happily coexist?

Steve: We have cows, sheep, emus, chickens, and beehives at the farm. All happily coexist with the trees, and I feel all benefit from this togetherness.

Petra: What can people experience in your fine dining restaurant. I’ve heard everyone loves it when you are cooking.

Steven: We opened the Ambrosia Restaurant on the farm in 2014. So now, people can not only enjoy the farm and purchase some of its outputs, but also a fine dining experience overlooking the unique scenery the farm provides.

Visit: https://www.ambrosiarestaurant.com.au/ Images: © Petra Jungmanova

DAY 3

I’m excited to share this fairy tale story of one talented Bohemian fashion & textile designer. Her pieces are being collected and adored by people around the world and the best part is you can book a visit to her studio which is under the Prague Castle! I love folklore stories in any shape or form, so Andrea’s magical style is right up my alley. Andrea has lived and worked in some incredible places during her career, so I’m glad she’s found time in her busy schedule for a yarn with me.

Petra: Where do you live?

Andrea: After seven years in London and all over the world, I recently moved back to the Czech Republic, to a beautiful old studio in the very heart of Prague in the neighbourhood surrounding the Prague Castle. It has been my dream for the longest time to live and work in this magical area and since my work intersects with my life (and my life intersects with my work), I am now able to breathe in all of the history and inspiration every minute of the day.

Petra: What is it like living under the Prague Castle and being surrounded by the wonderful history and magic?

Andrea: Simply magical, Malá Strana is a very special neighbourhood - overflowing with history, each house hides its unique story. As artists and writers have lived here always, you are constantly embraced by its mysteries and beauty. Back in the Habsburg era, alchemists resided in the area also (including the famous Master Kelley) which only adds to the quirky charm Malá Strana has to offer. Our house’s name is “Golden Apple” - finding that out for the first time sparked so many ideas!

Petra: How would you describe your work?

Andrea: My work is about stories: listening to them; interpreting them; creating new ones; & sharing them with the world. I am fascinated by legends, tales, folklore or fables and this transcends my work too. My work is colourful, full of joy, and usually tactile as I tend to work with all sorts of textiles such as silk, cotton or linen, and also handmade paper. Were I to frame my work within the creative world, I would say I am a fashion and textile designer; sometimes an illustrator; sometimes a jeweller; but always a creator.

Petra: When did you start to be interested in creativity and fashion?

Andrea: From as long as I can remember. I recall being in kindergarten and already sketching dresses for my friends, and later attempting my first actual garments in fabric. One of my first ones was a dress for my mum which I hand painted and embroidered. It took forever as I did not have a sewing machine back then and made everything by hand.

Petra: What inspired you growing up?

Andrea: I grew up in a tiny village in Eastern Bohemia, close to the mountains. My mother worked as an eco-toxicologist, so nature became a big source of inspiration for me organically. Later I discovered real treasure in our house’s attic - lace made by my great-grandmother and tablecloths embroidered by my great-aunt. Each gem I found, opened a new perspective and it was perhaps here that my obsession with folklore and traditional techniques blossomed.

I read also lots of books; visited a lot of museums and galleries; as well as botanical gardens, parks - always with a sketchbook in my pocket. Through this I honed my style and began to understand what I like and what I don’t like.

Petra: What was it like studying in London and having a family in the Czech Republic?

Andrea: I don’t think I fully grasped it back then. My studies in London were really intense, so I hardly ever had time to think about my life back home. I did however travel back to the Czech Republic quite often – for all major holidays. Thanks to technology, I was able to be in touch with my close ones daily while creating a new life for myself abroad. For example, when I lived and worked in New York City, I would always call my grandma on my daily walk to work, and we would chat about anything and everything. The journey took 40 minutes so we had plenty of time to discuss everything important and some unimportant bits too.

Petra: What are your most important and interesting creative experiences?

Andrea: I am very blessed to have had so many. Each year in London, or more specifically each term, was rich in creative encounters. Meeting my wonderful teachers for the first time was definitely important as they would form me in the coming years. If I had to pinpoint a few, I would say: meeting Grayson Perry and making a dress for him; starting in my first bigger fashion design job in Stockholm; moving to New York and working for a fashion house there; moving to Paris and working for a fashion house there; starting off with my personal work whilst working in Stockholm; expanding my work during the pandemic; meeting my husband and being constantly inspired by one another (he is also a designer/artist); opening my studio in Prague; … and I could go on and on . I cherish all past experiences, even the ones that might not seem creative at a first glance. There is always something to take away from it, to learn from or to discover.

Petra: Can you share your collaborations with fashion houses?

Andrea: Certainly – I have been very lucky to have worked for 3 big fashion houses so far. I worked for Acne Studios in Stockholm (in a house which once served as the Czechoslovak Embassy); for Marc Jacobs in New York; and for Kenzo in Paris. Each of these periods was incredibly demanding yet rewarding, and it is rather difficult to select the most influential one. Perhaps Acne Studios was the one where I had the steepest learning curve as it was my entry ticket into the “big world of fashion”. Luckily, I had done a lot of personal fashion and illustration work prior to moving to Sweden, so I was equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to jump-start in such company, but still over the course of the first few months I was constantly being fed new information, new processes, or the company’s workflow, and I loved every minute of it. Apart from that I also did a number of projects through my university with various fashion houses such as Kenzo, Versace, Balenciaga, and Alexander McQueen.

Petra: Where are your studios and showrooms and what would a visit look like?

Andrea: I currently have two studios - one in Prague where my showroom is based, and the other in the countryside where I have my lovely seamstress and where most of the bigger production takes place. Anyone is more than welcome to visit me in my Prague studio – to see how I work; to try on my pieces; to buy them; or simply to have a chat. The studio itself has some charm to, plus a beautiful view of the Petřín Tower. So should my work not be of enough interest, the view might. I sometimes accept visits in my countryside studio too, but that one is more of a workplace. Since I spend most of my time in Prague, it is much easier to catch me there.

Petra: Who are your clients and what kind work are they usually after?

Andrea: My clients form a very diverse group of people. My scarf is even owned by the queen of Malaysia! But generally my client is someone who loves originals and supports local and sustainable fashion; someone who cares what materials they wear. Usually, my relationship with a client starts through a scarf they either bought or were gifted. If they like my work they get in touch, meet in the studio and the relationship progresses through more items for their wardrobe or their home.

Petra: What is the story of your Tapestry ‘My Bohemian Faith’?

Andrea: The Tapestry accompanied the dress I made for Grayson Perry which won me the “Golden Claire” Award. The dress was made as if it stepped out of the tapestry. “My Bohemian Faith” is about investigating people’s relationships with faith, but not a particular religion or anything, more with faith in the wider sense. The story is told through tokens of Czech cultural and natural heritage. I have hidden a great number of Easter eggs in the piece which I believe only a Czech (or someone who has lived and engaged with the country for a while) could understand.

The work was acquired recently by really good friends and clients of mine who actually live nearby in Malá Strana, so the piece will be living in the most amazing home and also in the area that inspired it.

Andrea: Everything starts with a meeting, if possible. If I am working on something long-distance, I resort to a good old zoom call or a simple voice call. We talk about the client’s preferences; what music they listen to; what books they read, etc. Really, it depends on whether they have come to me to work on something personal, for example a dress or a handbag, or something for their company. I have collaborated with hotels, music bands, a zoo, … the list is very diverse. The most important thing to me is that what we create benefits both sides. It is a collaborative process most of all and both the client and I should be in tune with the outcome. So far I have had wonderful experiences. The fact that someone comes in from a completely different background is incredibly enriching as they have a unique point of view, a new perspective to look at ideas and how to interpret them. These are what makes the work super exciting.

Petra: What do you love most about your work?

Andrea: I have said it probably already a number of times, but I love the diversity of it! Usually everything starts with a drawing, but then it can take so many different routes. There is never one right way to do it. Collaborating with people from different fields and areas pushes me out of my comfort bubble and allows me to widen my horizons.

I also love that my work makes people happy. What can be better than seeing a client with a big smile on their face when they open my pink box with a purple swallow on it (my signature packaging)?

Petra: What brings you joy?

Andrea: My work and the people around me. Also, seeing someone wear a piece of mine, or being asked to create something very personal for a client’s loved one. Creating something meaningful makes be eternally happy. Sharing joy with other people only multiplies it.

Petra: Your husband is an artist, do you create in one space?

Andrea: Yes! We share a studio and showroom, and we would not have it any other way. Our work is very different, but as the main medium (drawing) is mutual, we are constantly engaged in discussions about art, design and our respective approaches to it. Recently Josef has been working with concrete which is a nice counterpart to my soft silks. He also keeps a special workshop for that nearby.

Petra: What are you working on at the moment?

Andrea: I am working on a number of projects to be released in the second half of the year –more specifically for the colder Christmas and Autumn (in the Northern Hemisphere of course) Seasons. I am delving a bit deeper into other branches of design as well as some familiar routes.

Apart from that I am also preparing pieces for clients – both one-offs and collaborative works. Right now, I am working with a hotel, a winery and a women’s initiative, so my workload is very diverse which keeps it the more entertaining.

Vistit: https://andreavytlacilova.com/ Images: ©Andrea Vytlačilová