<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ksilksoul/">Silk and Soul</a> is a New York based brand, was founded five years ago by Ukrainian Illustrator Katya Krenina, who moved to the Empire State 20 years ago.

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With a long track record of success in the illustration world, Katya&rsquo;s inspirations go way back when she grew up in Eastern Europe.
Her elevated line of silk pieces, from scarves to kimonos, tops and dresses is a tribute to tales with mesmerizing forests, mysterious landscapes and fantasy animals. More than a conversation starter, Silk and Soul line is an enchanting story you will be spelled to wear.

L&rsquo;Officiel: Who is <a href="mailto:katmir@msn.com">Katya Krenina</a>?
Born in Germany, <a href="mailto:katmir@msn.com">Katya Krenina</a> grew up in the now-Ukrainian town Lviv, close to Poland.
Surrounded by a rich architectural culture, she got inspired by this heritage at an early age. &ldquo;I loved to draw as a kid, I was constantly focused on my drawings for hours. I knew I wanted to do something with art since I was little&rdquo;.
That love rapidly intertwined with her love for books, Katya crafted her first artwork that would later become illustrations and her whole career.
L&rsquo;Officiel: How did Ukrainian illustrations influence your brand? 
My first love was History, different culture of costumes and clothing. I would go to the Ethnography museum and sketch there for hours. I felt like absorbing so many stories and learn various legends, that would only fuel my imagination and creativity even more!
Illustration came out naturally, but it was hard to enter an illustration program in Ukraine. So I decided to go to Lviv School of Applied and Decorative Arts after 8th grade to be in the Arts program. There, I learned how to weave and textile design and fabrics, and silk painting by hand.
Then I went to the Lviv Academy of Ar for a year, became a tour guide from Ukrainian, English and German. Then, my dream of becoming a book illustrator inspired me to move to America in 1989.&nbsp;

L&rsquo;Officiel: How did you transition from Europe to the United States? 
I went to a Community college then Syracuse University in the nineties, worked at the library, then a sewing factory, worked as a social worker with immigrants. I started painting silk scarves in Ithaca, NY and sell them at local markets to support myself. Money was tight so that really helped a lot, I then went to study for my Bachelor&rsquo;s at Syracuse University and completed my Master&rsquo;s also at Syracuse University, and later received my MFA in Interdisciplinary Studies at Goddard College. I kept on illustrating. Nowadays, I teach art at Le Moyne college and teach drawing and painting.
&nbsp;L&rsquo;Officiel: Where does your love of accessories come from?&nbsp; 
This love for accessories comes from my mother. Back then, we did not have much. We had to do things out of necessity because they did not make things worth buying. My mother did not have a lot of clothing but she was excellent at accessorizing. I learned from a young age you can do so much with so little. My mother is my muse. I also remember my grandmother - people would pass clothing from one generation to another &ndash; my grandmother had a silk dress, a green polka dot dress - my mom took it to a tailor and got it remade for her. She also had a jacket where she would put flowers or a brooch on it. She was natural at it. In general, not just accessorizing, she taught me &ldquo;You should surround yourself with beauty regardless of how much of your money you make or where you are in life&rdquo;, that enjoyment for life and enjoying from the present moment and&nbsp; life.

L&rsquo;Officiel: How did you incorporate this knowledge in your brand? 
The core value my mother taught me is quality over quantity. She used to tell me &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t buy cheap shoes, we can&rsquo;t afford bad quality&rdquo;. So it&rsquo;s one thing I carry : the value that quality is very important to me. Every piece I create for my brand, I check the finishing of the scarf, how things drape and the lining. Thanks to her, I have a deep knowledge of fabrics and different kinds of silks. We would go to fabric stores, sewing things our own. Nowadays, I use only natural fabrics because they are attracted to the body. Especially after a certain age, you want to feel comfortable. You want silk, cotton, linen, something that feels good next to your skin

L&rsquo;Officiel: What is your color palette? 
I want my pieces to last and be timeless. Something that is not going to be thrown out the next season. I really believe in &ldquo;buy less, buy better&rdquo; - we do waste a lot of things and something that is wearable art is not going to be thrown out. It can be passed from one generation to another and it can be worn by women of different ages and in different ways. It surpasses trends, being worn by trends and current styles. This is why my color palette is a lot of Earth tones, a lot of colors that are lighter - unbleached linen, warm gray, it has to do with the fact that I am surrounded by nature. I enjoy it, I photograph it, and I get inspired by my garden. I like muted colors that are not crazy bright. They are inspired by nature and climate - I love darker days in the fall.
L&rsquo;Officiel: Can you please describe your pieces for our readers? 
I view my scarves as clothing, because historically when you would make clothing on a loom, when you would weave, people would not want to waste fabric by cutting it up, so there were not a lot of leftovers unused. I like the idea of designing with squares and rectangles, it has to do with History. The big scarves can be used as dresses, skirts and more shapes: they are about 135X135cm - almost 4.5 feet -&nbsp; long and have painted stories on them, just like my book illustrations. So I think of draping scarves and innovative ways where you can loop things through and can make a bag with scarves. I started out with basic cuts that would fit anybody, so it&rsquo;s size and gender&nbsp; inclusive. I use symbols that resonate with me: peonies, dragonflies, the tree of life and paper cutting traditions. They share values and a universal message that speaks to my multicultural audience. I keep on being inspired by nature constantly and this summer will definitely have my inspiration peak! Lilly of the valley and poppies have my interest this season and I am looking forward to showing my new pieces to Paris Fashion Week.

Credits:
Journalist &amp; Writer: Annabelle Azad&eacute; KAJBAF
Photographer: Juliette Zyg
Hair and Makeup: Alexandra Banashkevich
Model: Kristina Tarasevich
Follow Silk &amp; Soul 
Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ksilksoul/">https://www.instagram.com/ksilksoul/</a>
Etsy Shop: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/SilkandSoulStudio">https://www.etsy.com/shop/SilkandSoulStudio</a>

Elevated Silk & Soul Collection Embodies the New Journey of Delicate Luxury

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