Laima Jurča is a fashion artist and designer living and working in Latvia. Born and raised in a small town in the countryside of Eastern Latvia shortly after the country gained independence, her childhood was marked by the thrilling 90s period. This era, with its remnants of the past and new capitalist opportunities, created a stark contrast between the wild nature surrounding her and the bright trinkets that became instantly available. This vibrant and controversial background naturally shaped Laima's personality and influenced the concepts and stories of her creative work. Each collection she creates addresses specific cultural or social topics she observes. Her main tools for bringing her ideas to life are experiments with mixing colors, prints, and bold patterns. Laima views fashion through the prism of art, while maintaining wearable functionality in her designs.In 2013, Laima entered the Fashion Design department at the Art Academy of Latvia (AAL), graduating from both the Bachelor's and Master's programs with the highest distinction. As a student, she participated in and won major prizes in several fashion shows and young designer contests in the Baltic states and Ukraine, including the 1st prize in Poland at “LYFA” and being a finalist at the USA “Arts of Fashion Foundation” festival. After graduating from the AAL Master's program in 2019, Laima joined the "Magnetic Latvia" creative industry business incubator for fashion branding, business development, and support. Some of her recent achievements include working as an artist-in-residence at the "Cité Internationale des Arts" in Paris in 2022.As a finalist at the 36th International Festival of Fashion, Photography, and Fashion Accessories in Hyères, France, in 2021, where she collaborated with the prestigious Maison Lesage. This collaboration was part of the festival and led to her current participation in the "Lesage, 100 Years of Fashion and Decoration 2024" exhibition, celebrating Lesage’s century-long legacy.
Laima has completed her Professional Doctorate in arts and design at the Art Academy of Latvia (AAL), earning the title of Art.D. Her doctoral project, "Fashion as Gardening: Developing Fashion Design Processes Towards a Reparative Strategy of Care," explores a new approach to designer practice that emphasizes care, sustainability, and the reparative potential within fashion design.
