Zoltán Herczeg we asked the fashion designer how he continues his life, what he has changed, whether he is afraid of being put back behind bars again, and whether he still feels like politics.
How are you lately, has your life changed since prison?
I feel the best I can, I invest all my energy and time in positive, creative and constructive things, in my hobbies, sustainable architecture, my profession, fashion and home renovations that generate a side hustle. From here on, I don’t waste my time on unnecessary things, here I’m mainly thinking about politics, but I use it for creation, so things go amazingly well. If a person just does his job, for example, designs good clothes, which is born from his heart, soul, and pure inspiration, then everything will fall into place by itself.
You wrote a book called Fashion Monkey in the Cage, are you still touring the country with it?
To this day, I travel the country and tour. I recently presented in a cool restaurant in Szombathely, I gave a sold-out lecture to a very open and receptive audience about my experiences and the book. I felt good among people, we filled each other with positive energy, these moments are worth living for.
Zoltán Herczeg and his partner managed to sort out their relationship, their tragedies born of necessity were resolved by time, and the wounds were patched up
Photo: Márkó Kis
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After that, I turn to Lake Balaton to shoot a video, because recently I am also interested in sustainable architectural technologies, as a result of which, for example, there will be no monthly utilities for the house at all. This has become my new hobby, maybe soon my profession. I was completely captivated by the fact that it is possible to live in an environmentally friendly, carbon neutral, comfortable and healthy way, without utilities, while – among other things – this technology could save the planet.
What happened to fashion design that brought you national recognition?
I wanted to get rid of it after twenty-eight very active years, but my customers and fans wouldn’t let me. I didn’t even want to organize fashion shows anymore, because it’s very tiring and stressful, and it’s hard to get back the money and energy invested. But I just received an invitation for September from the same restaurant in Szombathely to create a big Herczeg fashion show, which I couldn’t resist.
According to Zoltán Herczeg, if a person just does his job, for example designing good clothes, which is born from his heart, soul and pure inspiration, then everything will fall into place by itself
Photo: Kriszta Lettner
Didn’t your creative self disappear after six months in prison?
If a person is an open creator from birth, then this will never fade away, and a little forced break can even be good. The biggest problem for creative people is rather burnout, which is the consequence of the fact that the favorite hobby turns into a kind of compulsion, industry, money-making, a squirrel wheel instead of the joy of free creation.
The compulsion is to create something new season after season in the field of fashion. If there is a forced break, such as a six-month prison sentence, it removes the constant pressure. In this way, my creative energies were not lost, they even multiplied when I got out, while I was also designing a collection in prison in addition to writing books and poems. Over the past many years, I no longer wanted to feel the pressure of having to come up with a new collection just because the new season is here.
Zoltán Herczeg believes that he needs to be very alert in order to focus on his own things and to be able to give as much as possible to his audience, which he also receives in return
Photo: Márkó Kis
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Today, if I go into a thrift store because, for example, I have an order for a wedding suit and I see something, I buy it impulsively because I like it, and not because I have to make new clothes. As a result, my collection consists of “only” hobby pieces and clothes that were not born out of necessity, and this also works very well, customers and clients feel.
What happened to the interior design?
I will also continue, I just finished an apartment furnished in a minimal style, the client really liked it. I’m also beyond making my first decorative wall, because I recently completed a decorative wall workshop, which I received as a gift from my partner. I designed a two-meter mural twice, it turned out to be a miracle.
Zoltán Herczeg was completely captivated by the fact that it is possible to live in an environmentally friendly, carbon-neutral way, comfortably and healthily, without utilities
Photo: Márkó Kis
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Did your girlfriend wait for you after prison?
We managed to sort out our relationship, our tragedies were solved by time, born of necessity, and patched up the wounds. The bumpy road didn’t separate us, it forged us together. In an alliance of protection and defiance, we continue our lives together in great happiness.
Have you lost friends, has your company changed since you got out of prison?
There are two of us in the drug case with my accomplice, with whom I have maintained a friendly relationship for more than twenty years, was once my regular customer, and even my favorite model several times. Those who believe his stories are the people who have rubbed off on me the version of me that corresponds to reality, because they have known me personally for several decades and know that I am innocent and that I was not imprisoned because of drugs, my friendship with them has strengthened.
Ninety-nine percent are the camp of those with whom I became closer, maybe one percent crumbled from my company. I received an incredible amount of support, feedback, love and care from my wider audience as well, I got a lot of new customers and supporters. A significant part of Hungarian society testified to me of their solidarity. I think of them with gratitude, I feel that human kindness has not been lost.
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Have you changed spiritually?
I have become much more thoughtful, collected, disciplined, perhaps quieter, and certainly much cleaner and healthier. I acquired many positive qualities that I would have liked to have practiced before. The anger and rage caused by public conditions, and my revolutionary nature born from this, were definitely in the foreground before, and this is why I ended up running into the tragedy.
I don’t want to run into anything like that again. I really have to keep my vigilance in order to focus on my own things and to be able to give as much as possible to my audience, which I also receive in return. I want to deal with life and not with politics, which unfortunately is about destruction instead of construction and creation.
Aren’t you afraid of going back to jail for anything?
The trial will only take place in November, fortunately the charge is only possession and consumption, which I admitted at the preliminary hearing, even from the very beginning of the case, but for some reason the prosecutor is asking for a very high sentence, two years and 8 months in prison. I trust that the truth will prevail, so I am not afraid.
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Fear is a negative energy and I am sure of my innocence and that the heavenly power that helped me in the cell will stand by me again and I will stop at the smallest punishment. I’m sure they won’t be charged, but I’ve already sat through the charges for possession and consumption several times, and I don’t expect anything bad.
Your Instagram account was stolen recently, did you manage to get it back?
I couldn’t do anything for now. I was the stupid one, because many times I just ended up falling for an obvious scammer. I’ve lost thirteen thousand followers, but I’m going until I get them back somehow, I’ve already written to everyone. So far, they haven’t contacted me or blackmailed me to return it. I hope this will be resolved soon.
