Tag Archives: interview: designer
Lindsay Jones in Silhouette
My Q&A with the designer of Outlaws of the Border
Lindsay Jones radiates an ethereal and delicate quality as well as a quiet inner strength. It’s this juxtaposition that makes her interesting as a person and an artist/fashion designer. I first met her at the Zac Posen party for Target. We’ve since found out that we both live in loft buildings in a decidedly unhip area of Brooklyn and we’re beginning our own collaboration -more on that another time. In the meantime please click below to read my interview with Lindsay and learn the details of her upcoming show.
I’m working on the next Outlaws of the Border Collection, of course, but I am also showing work at the Chelsea Museum in the project room on June 21st with a musical composer and a film artist. My pieces will be larger than life art/fashion pieces that I will execute with a very conceptual approach. They are part of the installation that fills the space of the room and links the various elements together through movement and fabric. I am very excited and hope you all can make it out!!
That sounds great. I personally love the Chelsea Museum. And this leads perfectly into my first question! You were originally studying as a sculptor and then got into fashion design. How did you go from one to the other?
I feel most mediums translate into each other, It is a blurry line where one medium shifts into another, be it sculpture or film or writing…the more you learn of one it bleeds into the others. The focus is what makes it grow into something strong. And Fashion in a sense is wearable art/ sculpture, that is collapsible and functional on a daily basis. I love that it can say so much so quickly and be gone. Like a series of thoughts.
So you see fashion design as creating something in 3D space. Because obviously clothing on a body is interacting with space in all dimensions and isn’t flat…
One of the key things I like to pay attention to is the silhouette. I like the idea of a silhouette being interesting or modern or having a unique approach but not in a overly constructed way that restricts movement of the body. For me it’s kind of like a tension between the super constructed silhouette and the natural organic approach to shapes that are more along the lines of a woman’s body and the freedom that exists there… that point of intersection is what I find interesting. Silhouette has for many years reflected culture. Through fashion, sculpture and architecture. It is rather revealing about a cultures ideas of what is happening on a larger spectrum and the future motion of the whole, although harder to see when in the midst of it. That is why I think it is good to find things that are interesting without being tricky or overly trendy. So that the end result is classic although modern in its approach.
You worked for some other designers before you began your own line. How did that experience inform you?
Well first you start as an intern and you have to do a lot of tasks and it can get quite complex. But I think that was kind of the best transition, because what it did for me was better than school. It forced me to be organized. It also let me see firsthand where an idea comes from, how it’s communicated, translated, executed: the whole thing through a team. It’s really exciting to see how it all culminates.
Speaking of teams, do you work with others on Outlaws of the Border?
I’ve had up to 4 interns! Seriously I have two other people who work with me now. Maria Sharpe and Sheyna Imm. They do more of the business marketing/ P.R. side which that allows me to focus on design. They are also close friends of mine so we have a very open/collaborative relationship.
Ideally how do you see your line developing?
I would like to move Outlaws forward in a way that includes more people into my vision while I remain true to myself.
Are there any women you’d want to dress?
Are there any women you’d want to dress?
Honestly, Kim Gordon, maybe even Grace Coddington. People with individual style: to see how they translate the clothes into their own style.
Andy Warhol! I even have a little hair piece that I’ll wear sometimes. Seriously I love Warhol and his work and his effect on popular culture.
What do you like best about New York?
I like the hidden places. And how everything is interconnected, I like the mix of cultures and mix of rich and poor and how everyone is so close together and I like the industrial aspects and places further out. Little Russia, Brighton Beach, the bridges, all the parks…
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever given or received?
Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide whether it’s good or bad. Whether they love it, or hate it. While they’re deciding, make even more art.
-Andy Warhol
All photos from Outlaws of Border Spring/Summer 2010 Lookbook by Yana Toyber
Q + A with Helena Fredriksson
The further I get from the age of 24 (the age it seems so many designers are designing for) the harder it is for me to find fashions that resonate with me. Because I’m relatively small I deplore wearing ruffles or florals or anything too sweet. On the other hand I get bored with black and all the shredded and deconstructed stuff going on. (although that I do own) So if you’re somewhere in the middle what is there to wear? H Fredriksson is one answer. Designer Helena Fredriksson’s clothes are a brilliant combination of sophistication and sex appeal. Born in Sweden and now living in Brooklyn, her beautiful hand batiked silk dresses and other clothing made with materials such as bamboo and hemp are currently part of the Ecolux Pop-Up Shop at Grand Central. She’ll also be having a trunk show this Thursday at Trunk in Dumbo. So I encourage you to check out her work at either venue. And learn more about her below!
What is your background? How did you become a designer?
I started making clothing as a young teenager, it was something that made sense and happened very naturally, I went to art school where I painted and did a lot of photography, and designing was more of a fun side project… that I did at home. I moved to New York in 97 and continued working on and studying art but with the fashion design as a constant sideproject. A few years later I got invited to do a collaborative runway show, and that’s when my first collection and H Fredriksson was born.
What do you see as the intersection of fashion and fine art?
My process when working is the same as during my years in making art, adapting thoose ideas to a fine art context is very possible and something I would love to explore more. The prints I make are made from photography and drawings that I manipulate. I sometimes make screened and painted canvases with the prints as a work on its own.
I read that you have designed for dance. How did you get involved with that? What did you like about doing this? Are you still doing this?
I love collaborating, and dance is a great way to work together to realize a vision. To design for movement and performance where a different intimate experience is possible, is something I really thrive on.
What’s the inspiration for your most recent collection?
Thie S/S 2010 collection is inspired by the history of film. I draw from the lightness and sensitivity of imagery, the movement and subtleness of the camera and imagery within the framing. The garments have a strong presence while still feeling light and understated. The movement and draping in the shapes creates a subtle drama that draws the eye without being loud. I believe the pieces to be timeless enough to be relevant for a long time, just like the old great films.
What do you love most about what you do?
Making the fabric prints, draping the shapes, and creating the evolving identity for the brand is what I love the most with my job. And of course to get to work on different Costume and Art collaborations is always super fun.
What do you find to be the most challenging aspect?
The hardest part is to be the designer, the business manager, the strategist, the creative director, the owner and founder of the business all at once. The necessity to keep creative focus while dealing with day to day business is a hard balance to sustain. This is why I would love to find a partner in crime at times.
What inspires you about NYC?
I love New York because it is filled with people and culture from all over the world. It gives the city a very open minded energy that is hard to find anywhere else. And that is very creatively inspiring.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever given or received?
To learn from everything we experience and realize that the hardest things we go through are the ones that make us grow and understand the most. And that keeping an open mind at all times is how the wonders of life appears.
Meet Brian Stanziale of SLOANE
I originally met Brian through our mutual friend Niko Liakaris. We were all doing the “end of fashion week party” at the Soho Grand and Niko was telling me what an amazing store Brian has and about his designs – so of course I had to see for myself!
Brian’s store is called Sloane and it sits unobtrusively on a corner on the edge of Chinatown. Walking into it you get the feeling that you’re not in NYC 2010. It feels more like Berlin now or maybe NYC circa 1990: it’s cavernous and racks are on wheels or hung from the ceilings with chains.
The mannequins are old and from various time periods and the desk is a sculpture that looks like haphazard stacks of wood. In short there is no polish or self consciousness to the space -which is refreshing!
And then there are the clothes. Brian’s creations always begin from another garment -something that has been found at an estate sale, on the street or brought in by a friend. He works with what is there and transforms it into something else by adding and subtracting elements from the original piece, until it’s a custom creation with wit and a touch of theatricality.
His clothes are like the best dress up box ever but with the fit and craftsmanship that take them beyond merely play. -Although playing is an important part of Sloane as well! It’s not just a store it’s a magnet for creativity. There is frequently a party or event taking place there and the vibe is friendly and welcoming to all comers. (the first time I went to his store Brian apologized for the disarray stating that the night before there had been a boxing match in a ring right where I was currently standing!)
I’m thrilled to know about Sloane and to share it with you and hope you get a chance to check it out for yourself. Also, we will be putting on an event there on April 17th which will be a party/shoot for their Lookbook. I’ll be shooting it and the entire event will also be covered by Taff! an entertainment show out of Germany. So if you’re interested in being a part of this let me or Brian know.
Following is my original Q + A with Brian.
What is Sloane? A store? Your atelier?
Sloane is all that and more! It is my store, and design studio, but also one of the coolest places in NY to party as well!
Are you the only designer?
Yeah.
Why remake old clothes instead of start from the beginning?
Because I really never enjoy making the same thing twice. It loses its value. And in addition to that, each garment that I have in front of me has a past, a story… a soul even (I know that sounds a little corny!)
How do you see fashion evolving in 2010?
I see more people starting to realize that it is ok to experiment.
Where are your favorite places to go out to have fun in NYC?
Under Sloane… Aaron Genuth, one of my parnters in Sloane, runs the party space that we have in addition to the store, which pretty much always houses some of the chicest people in NYC.
What do you find the most inspiring or challenging about NYC?
The fact that the city is a living entity.
Best advice ever given or received?
In fashion, if your not hanging on by a thread, then what’s the point?
Q + A with Christopher Lee Sauve
As promised I’m posting my Q+A with graphic designer, art director and creative superstar Christopher Lee Sauve. So read it in the MUSINGS SECTION. The above video is not the interview. It’s just wicked cool ;)
Spotlight on Barlow: a new label from the left coast
Photo from the Barlow Spring 2010 LOOKBOOK
If you know me, you know I identify as a New Yorker with a certain sensibility and think L.A. fashion is a bit oxymoronic. Which is why I also love when I’m proved wrong. Designer Raquel Allegra opened me up to LA style last year, and this year I’ve discovered Barlow a new collection by Molly Girard Coonan. It’s tough, sexy and playful all at once. Some of it reminds me of early Daryl K (which is a good thing in my book) and it all feels imminently wearable on either coast…or somewhere in between! I asked Molly about her new collection and her thoughts on LA vs NYC…continue reading in Musings
Introducing the twentyten
The other night I was at a party at the Tribeca Grand when I spotted this girl in this amazing dress. She shared with me that it was designed by the twentyten. I then met another girl also wearing a dress by the twentyten. I had never heard of the twentyten but coincidentally earlier in the week had received an invite to a preview of their recent collection. The twentyten is a collaboration of 3 designers: Nina Zilka, Jeff Dodd, and David J. Krause and you can see images from their latest collection as well as read a Q + A with Nina here…nothing I love more then discovering new design talent…
Posted in Interviews
Tagged black, downtown girls, fishnets/tights, footwear focus, interview: designer, lbd, NYFW, shredded, tribeca grand
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Chris Habana – Designer to Know
Chris Habana is a kick a** jewelry designer with a style all his own. I caught up with him at the party for the launch of his secondary line – a collaboration with a.ok. Read about it in Musings.
Raquel Allegra: The girl who started the trend
I’ve been noticing so much deconstruction and shredding and running in fabrics lately. It’s like we’re having this group reaction to the times in which we live. But there is always someone who is slightly ahead of the curve. In my opinion, Raquel Allegra (that’s her in the photo!) is one of those people. She doesn’t just run her tights but carefully handcrafts individual pieces into works of art. I met her when she presented her F/W collection last spring. She has the kind of energy that makes you wish she lived on the East Coast so she could be your friend…but alas she lives in Los Angeles. Maybe if I went to hang with her I could actually visit the City of Angels and enjoy it. Anyways, please check out my interview with her HERE!
Feral Childe
Our second video on Brooklyn Designers features Moriah Carlson & Alice Wu aka FERAL CHILDE. You can learn even more about them here.
