If you could design an outfit for a celebrity who would it be?
Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf. Yeah, I said it.
What will differentiate your line from others participating in FAT?
Hmm, hard to say since I haven’t seen everyone else who is presenting, but for my part, I put a lot of thought into each of my pieces. I try really hard to make them cohesive as a collection, yet still interesting and unique from one another. There is tons of time-consumptive hand-work in each piece, whether it’s couture stitching, hand-painted fabrics, knitting, beading, etc. I also really wanted to make sure that there was a good balance of wearable pieces mixed with show pieces.
What three trends do you love? What three trends do you hate?
I love it when people mix wildly disparate pieces and carry it off with aplomb. I love Chucks (Converse All-Stars), and skinny jeans.
I hate – HATE – bubble skirts. I don’t know how this trend has lasted so long. Every time I see another one I freak out. I’m getting pretty bored of leather jackets with hoodies under them, or those Yasser Arafat scarves.
How would you describe the fashion you will be showcasing at FAT?
Party dresses, mostly. From high-street to glam. I was going for edgy and gritty this time – more wearable than last year, but still things you’d definitely get noticed in.
What music would be the best soundtrack for your design?
My ipod’s name is Agamemnon and he has a pretty eclectic mix on him, from Emmy Lou Harris and The Black Keys, through Sebastien Tellier and Fenech Soler , to Boy Crisis and Bag Raiders. Sometimes I need some mellow, and other times I need to kick it up and have a five-minute solo dance party to get the blood going.
Your inspiration comes from….
... the ether? The ideas usually arrive suddenly, fully formed, out of nowhere. And most often when I’m right about to fall asleep, so that I have to get up and draw them down and get all woken up and alert again. The other way I get stuff is when I’m out, I’ll think I see someone wearing something amazing out of the corner of my eye, and when I turn to look at them it’s nothing like what I thought. But whatever I thought it was now exists as a new idea. It’s extremely rare for me to sit down and decide to design something. I sort of just collect and catalogue constantly, and then choose which pieces to put together.
What do you spend your time doing when not designing clothes?
I don’t remember. My life is kind of one-dimensional at the moment. Dancing? I love playing video games also, though rarely have time.
If you could apprentice with any designer, deceased or alive, who would it be?
Vivienne Westwood. I love John Galliano and Marc Jacobs, but I think I’d learn most applicably from Vivienne.
