One of the most successful Bulgarian designers has a philosophy that touches the heart of any sensitive person thirsting for beauty as only Virginia Zdravkova can create: “In the busy world of today, every one needs a pinch of magic, a little miracle. And these are somewhere around us. We could discover and enjoy them. It is enough to open our senses, follow our intuition. It would make our life more beautiful, colorful, harmonious and flooded in light.”

Virginia Zdravkova is two-time winner of the most prestigious distinction in Bulgaria, The Golden Needle in the category Designer of the Year, winner of the special prize of the program Produced in Bulgaria for fashion boutiques in the country and abroad, of the award for successful presentation of Bulgaria at the Slavyanka Festival in Crocus City Mall, Moscow. She is official designer of the world contest Mrs Globe, traditionally held in America. She also makes the dresses for the Miss Bulgaria and Mrs Bulgaria contests competition and for the Bulgarian participants in Miss World, Mrs Universe, Miss Earth and Miss Europe. Designer of the Lavazza fashion collection 2005 and Rocca 2006.

Mrs. Zdravkova, I would like to take you back to the not distant past, because your success is really lightning and dizzying, to tell us how you started.
I started my career by opening a boutique in my native town of Pazardjik. I remember it, and I am not the only one, as the most chic shop in town. This happened in 1999. I went on maternity leave for about two years, because we had our second child Isabella. Then I opened the boutique in Sofia. But I have this vocation since an early age. I still remember how eagerly I sucked in everything my grandma said. I tailored by first dress in seventh grade.

In every collection of yours, I would say in every dress, you put in a philosophy dressed in refined taste. What woman, real or abstract, do you imagine while making the designs?
My primary desire is to underline femininity. To create garments for women who appreciate high quality and expensive materials and perfect make. I think there are ever more women who appreciate it and are satisfied. Besides, we women want to feel as if we have an opinion but are reluctant to express it. We are beautiful and want to look elegant but at the same time attractive and sexy. I want the women who buy my clothes and accessories to have the feeling they acquire a special status – the status of luxury, success, high rank in society.

There are tit-bits about you and your work – a fashion show in the United States on a luxurious yacht full of celebrities, where Kevin Costner asked an autograph of you, a dress for the Oscars… How do you take this world fame?
These are events that go together with hard word. They could not happen if one is not ripe for them. Also, it is such events that show you how capable you are, they make you strike a balance of your achievements and what efforts you have to make further to keep proving yourself and provoking the audience… As for the presence of my dress at the Oscars, it was my dream fulfilled. It is true that my dresses appear at many places in the world and many people know the mark Virginia Atelier, but it is too early to speak of world fame, because I still have a lot of plans which, God Grant, will be fulfilled and a lot of hard work ahead.

You created a celebrated “diamond dress”. Would you tell us a bit more about it?
Maybe nobody knows that the price of the dress surpasses the announced price, but the diamond company did not want to make it public because the insurance did not cover the real cost of the dress. This happened because in the last moment before the show I put on it more diamonds than were envisaged. It was a great challenge to me. At first I thought to myself: “This is a job for me”, and started working. The memories that now come to my mind are how I went to the Israeli Diamond Center, how I saw the biggest diamond exchange in the world, how I chose the diamonds for the dress, my thrill at what I was going to do. Later I selected the suitable material – silk satin of couture in a very elegant hue – cocoa and milk, organza and ostrich feathers. When it was ready the dress weighed much more than a normal dress because it took in about 130 m of fabric – satin, organza, tulle and other auxiliary materials, many hours of hand work, and finally the diamonds. Thus I created the most expensive dress on the Balkan peninsula. A queen’s dress with a 7 m train.

You have many boutiques worldwide. Where is your mark received best?
Virginia Atelier enjoys success wherever it is present – Las Vegas, USA, Dubai, Germany. But the fact that makes me happiest is that we managed to open a boutique in Moscow. In my eyes, this is one of our biggest successes. I shall never forget the welcome of the audience on December 14, my first presentation before the Moscow elite. It is incomparable to anything else that I have experienced the world round. The guests from the Bulgarian Embassy said: “This is a tremendous success, congratulations. We can’t believe a Bulgarian woman did what we saw with our own eyes. Bravo, we are proud of you.” We were offered to make a grand show in the Kremlin – this is what moves me to tears at the thought of the scale of it.

Why did you decide to expand your activity with handmade shoes (Virginia Shoes) and jewellery (Virginia Jewellery) and what is their success?
It is reasonable. Without them the mark is incomplete, the vision I want to set forth is unfinished. A couple of days ago, they called us from the PR agency in Moscow and said: “You must stock your boutique with a lot of shoes and boots, because at the moment it is very trendy to go to parties wearing Virginia Shoes.”

Your dresses strike with the extraordinary quality of their fabrics. Where do these come from?
From the same places as those of the world-known masters of couture and the elegant line – Paris, England, Italy, the Arab world.

Virginia Atelier takes in individual orders not only for wedding dresses. For what occasions can the ladies count on you?
For all occasions when the woman wishes to impress with a perfect vision – wedding, cocktail party, evening party, Vienna ball…

Apart from a famous designer, you are the mother of two wonderful children and wife of a very charming and dedicated man. Tell us a bit more about your family.
I don’t like to talk about my family but I will just say that I am extremely happy with what I have got. I have the immense support of my husband Mitko, who is general manager of the mark Virginia Atelier and of my two sweethearts Krasimir and Isabella. I thank God for giving us health.