Highly localized: A discussion with Amanda deLeon

For those of you who have been long-time readers of kOs, you may remember a time when a new interview seemed to be posted every month or so. I miss those days. To me, the most fascinating part of fashion is the minds of those behind it all. Knowing the story behind a dress and, more importantly, the story of the person behind the dress somehow makes the dress more magical, more a piece of art and a historical record than just a pretty piece of cloth. And with kOs focusing on younger designers, it's incredibly interesting to watch a designer grow into their own and develop both their craft and a following. New Orleans-based Amanda deLeon is one such designer, who I first met through Etsy and am now watching via photos from various Fashion Week events and online press. Amanda's passion and commitment to her work is immediately evident in even a short email conversation, so I was happy when she agreed to do a follow-up interview to share with you. If you haven't yet, pour yourself a cup of something wonderful, read the first interview here (from over two years ago already!), and then continue to get to know Amanda through her answers below...

***

You've moved from selling on Etsy at a lower price point to selling on your own web shop at a higher price point. Do you feel Etsy was a good starting point to get your name out in the online world? Or is Etsy more of a self-contained world that is best for those not looking to create a long-term sustainable label?

At the time I was selling on Etsy, I was trying to begin my transition from producing one-offs to developing a line that could be manufactured in a larger quantity.  I was also using Etsy as a way to fund where I wanted my brand to go.  It helped me to afford luxury fabrics and begin my relationship with a production pattern maker.  Those two things alone are huge investments.  I knew that Etsy wasn't the correct venue for my brand, but it was a starting point.  It forced me to ask myself questions that I wouldn't have if I had started with my personal online shop.  

I was having to cut my prices so low, to compete with the other sellers, that I was practically paying people to take my pieces.  It seems that with Etsy's efforts to create a world for artisans and crafters to sell there goods to a larger market, they have involuntarily created an indie sweat shop.  It is also a breeding ground for copycats and price cutting wars.  I also feel that Etsy forces you to have a certain aesthetic.  It is not a venue for high end products, for sure.

My new interest is Kickstarter, and I've noticed some designers using it to either start new labels or fund future collections (such as George Bezhanishvili's 'Reasonable Luxury' project). What are your thoughts on using Kickstarter to fund your own label, what goal would you want to set, and what would you offer your backers?

Kickstarter is an avenue that I am in the midst of exploring.  I'm just trying to figure out how I need to approach it.  I want to have a hardcore game plan on how I would use the money.  I wouldn't want to get overzealous and spend on frivolous unnecessities.  Every cent will count.  I would like to offer backers something worthwhile.  I expect that I would give pieces from my collection to larger donations, but I would also like to offer something interesting and special for smaller donations.

Still on the thread of Kickstarter: Amanda Palmer raised over $1 million with her Kickstarter. After receiving countless questions/comments on where the money was going, she posted a breakdown of how the funds would be used to show that she wasn't walking away rich from the whole thing. Could you give us a breakdown on why the price of that gorgeous Aqua Sack Dress is $1280? After designing a high-end piece, do you ever consider creating a more affordable version to offer as well?

1 million dollars!!!  That's amazing to see that there are so many supporters that are willing to give to see others succeed!   

As for the retail value of my Aqua Sack Dress, there are so many elements that I have to consider in my pricing.  I use premium fabric, and that in itself comes at a premium price.  In the case of this particular dress, there is a lot of yardage of silk used.  I also produce my pieces locally, here in New Orleans.  Labor is the most expensive calculating factor, but it is extremely important to me to manufacture locally and to pay a fair wage.  Sewing is a dying skill and deserves to be revived in a healthy way.  My goal is to not only sell my pieces, but to help the growth of local manufacturing and create jobs.  The manufacturer that I have been working with has quality sewers and are paid a quality wage.  It's not only very important to me to produce locally, but it is also imperative that I work with a manufacturer that understands the importance of their workers and work environment.  Production patterns are also a huge expense, but well worth the cost because fit can make or break your brand.  All of these pieces would not exist if I didn't have good equipment and tools.  This equipment also needs TLC...regular cleaning, maintenance, and repair.  Now, the list gets to more of the behind the scenes expenses. I'll just list them below with notes.

• So, now we have fabric yardage, labor, patterns, equipment and tools.
• Photography - To create a look book, it takes hours of time setting up lights, background, etc.  It also takes several hours to shoot.  But, what takes the most time and energy is the days of editing.  I am lucky that my husband has helped me with photographing my look books, but he pays a big price for that service.  Hours of setting up, shooting, editing, filing, all on the dime of his equipment and technology that isn't going to pay for itself.
• Model, makeup, hair - I need all of these to create a legitimate look book, and if you don't have good ones, it can reflect poorly on your brand.  I work out a trade, for one of my pieces, if I don't have the cash to pay them for the session.  However, that traded piece costs me money.  And people cannot pay their bills with a dress.
• Sample fabric yardage - If you want to design a piece out of a certain fabric, you have to by a certain amount of sample yardage (depending on what company that you are ordering from).  Then you have to test that fabric for shrinkage, bleeding, and overall quality.  You may not even use that fabric, depending on the quality after testing.
• Sales Rep - The sales rep needs to be paid a certain percentage for their time spent selling.
• Marketing - Traditional and web.
• Small stuff that no one thinks about - Studio rent, electricity, internet, insurance.  All of these are needed to run my business.
• And last, but not least, my time, and my creativity.  I know my pieces are expensive, but they are also built with an artful mind and integrity.

I am starting to make some one-offs again.  The price point is significantly smaller because the pieces will be made out of discontinued fabrics and some fabrics I have collected over the years.  Also, the designs are not pieces that I would normally place into a collection.  These pieces will be most likely placed under a different label, but I haven't decided that just yet.

You mentioned that you use local labour to manufacture your pieces. Do you still sew any pieces yourself? Into what part of the whole process do you devote most of your time as a designer?

For now, I still sew most of the garment, but I leave the finishings (hemming, buttons, etc.) for the manufacturer.  I do, however rely on them when orders are too much for me to handle on my own.  But, I really enjoy my time at the machine.  It's very therapeutic.  I spend lots of time developing my initial patterns to send off to my production pattern maker.  It is important to have a professional pattern maker edit any issues that arise from my errors.  It is also important to have a pattern that is able to be read by anyone that is a sewer.  It's like blueprints, everyone on site needs to know how to build it.  Also, much of my time is spent researching ways of getting my name in front of more customers.

If you could change one thing about the fashion industry, what would it be?

I feel that there is lack of education on the dirty underbelly of the fashion industry.  It's not all about outsourcing to get a cheaper made product...That's not what burns me up.  Everyone, no matter what country they live in, deserves to have a job that pays a fair wage.  The real problem is that when you are getting your products for cheap, someone is paying the price for it.  Whether it be that manufacturers have to close down their factories because of lack of cash flow from having to repeatedly put in low bids for jobs, or that manufacturers are paying their employees an unethical rate.  Everyone has to be able to afford to live.  

People that have the money, are the ones with the power to turn the industry around by supporting sustainable businesses, but they are just not educated about it.  It's just a shame that the ones that respect and adore the art of fashion are usually the ones that don't have the money to support it.

*** 

To keep up to speed on Amanda's goings on, 'like' her Facebook, follow her blog, and check out her website. While her Etsy shop has now been closed, remember that Amanda's online shop is up and running!

Interview with Becca McCharen of Chromat

One of the things I love about New York is the people. And, perhaps especially during Fashion Week, it's rather amazing to have such incredible style walking all around you. So it wasn't too surprising that I met an extremely friendly (and brand new) New Yorker that had incredible style. It was, however, surprising that I met this person in the darkest of dark basements, surrounded by people who feel more comfortable talking from behind a keyboard (of the QWERTY persuasion) than in person. Also, our initial conversation was sparked by things we were wearing, mine being an Artlab harness, and hers being a design of her own making that I had recognized from the Internets. Turns out, a blog post I had read by Queen Michelle unknowingly put me in the path of Becca McCharen, designer for the label Chromat. While we both eagerly awaited Susie Bubble's appearance on stage, Becca handed over a couple of her previous Chromat lookbooks/zines, and I immediately wanted to take out a pen and grill her on her fantastic designs. But instead, I enjoyed our brief (and very dimly lit) encounter and followed up online with the following interview, as well as some brand new photos of the Chromat S/S 11 collection. Enjoy. 

***

What is your background in design?

I studied architecture design at the University of Virginia School of Architecture. What I learned in architecture school that I have since applied to fashion is definitely the process and rigor of design. Architecture school was very process-oriented. We did a lot of research about the context of a building before we designed it. We made many iterations of a single idea and then we edited them. And that is exactly what I do with when I am designing clothing.  

While I was going to school I also worked in the costume shop for the Drama Department, where I learned how to sew while making big Victorian bustles and corsets and crinolines. 

What is your first fashion memory?

My mother used to sew (from store-bought patterns) matching outfits for me and my little brother when we were young. One Easter when I was about 9, she sewed a floral jumper dress with a white lacy pinafore for me, a matching miniature version for my doll, a matching bow tie for my brother and a hilarious 80's teal and white dress for herself. So I guess you could say I get it from her! Although it wasn't until college that I learned how to sew.

I know this one since I met you wearing your cage bra, but do you wear your own designs?

Oh yeah, all the time! Chromat samples and backstock are currently threatening to completely take over my wardrobe. It's fun to wear my own stuff out, and lately people have started recognizing them before they know I made it (like me)! That is a fun and surreal experience.

What is your favorite experience as a designer thus far?

Easily the fashion shows. It is so exciting to finally present a project after having worked on it for six or so months. To see 25 girls all wearing clothes I designed all together at once is like being in my own fully realized dreamworld. And hearing feedback from the audience and feeling the excitement is such an exhilarating experience. 

In the past I have organized fashion shows with friends, so the shows end up being a big party and celebration of all the hard work from everybody - the hair and makeup, the DJ, the other designers and models too. I love collaborating with other artists and doing fashion projects. It's so fun to join forces and create events and environments and images that are bigger than anything I could come up with myself.

A close second is the feeling of actually being inspired and sewing and draping for hours without looking up from the table. I love going into that creative zone where time stops. I just wish I could do it more often.

What is the inspiration behind your S/S 11 collection?

The Chromat spring/summer 2011 cage collection was inspired by samurai warrior armor, folded origami cranes and gridded shoji screens found in traditional Japanese environments. I looked at the rhythm of lines in the shoji screens and the sharp silhouettes created by the folding of hard paper for the structural cages this season. I wanted to do something very simple and controlled as well - in black and white. And of course a constant inspiration for me is architectural scaffolding. Developing new techniques to apply exterior structural scaffolding to the surface of the human body is something I am always thinking of. 

What is your favorite piece from your S/S 11 collection?

I think the weirdest thing I made this season - and therefore my favorite - are the leg cages on the corset crane pants with the two way zipper (below left). The wearer can actually zip her legs together down the knee. It looks pretty awesome and it feels like you're wearing a tight fishtail dress. 

And then there are the more simple pieces I will probably end up wearing the most: the bamboo belt (below right) and the shoji necklace.

Do you listen to music while you work, and who/what band inspires you the most?

Yes, always! Working and sewing and draping is mainly a solitary practice for me, so I'm always listening to music or podcasts to keep myself entertained. While designing the most recent collection, I listened to a lot of Maluca, Crystal Castles, new M.I.A., Major Lazer and La Roux. Lots of fast, happy beats.

Who would you most like to design an outfit for?

I'm very inspired by the fashion game of some of my musical heros like Bjork, M.I.A., Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Lady Gaga. When I am making clothes, I usually design with them in mind - that encourages me to make crazy bold strange garments and not worry about wearability at the outset. 

What do you picture a Chromat wearer doing while wearing one of your pieces?

Going to fabulous crazy parties and tearing it up on the dance floor!

You just recently moved from Virginia to New York. Does being from Virginia influence your style at all? What is your favorite part of living in New York?

I think living in Virginia definitely influenced the first collection I did for Chromat in 2008. I had just moved back to Virginia from living all different places around the world and I was fascinated by what I perceived as sort of an indigenous uniform of southern American redneck street style. I used lots of denim, camo, biker leather, and plaid flannel but cut it into more modern shapes for younger, more creative wearers. Since then I think my designs for Chromat have evolved and become more about formal concepts that change from season to season. 

I love living in NYC now! I can walk 4 blocks from my studio and pick up materials instead of having to order things like zippers online and wait a week until they were delivered! Living in NYC has also given me the great opportunity to actually meet in person all the people who are buying and wearing Chromat. That is so great. 

You work together with Emily Kappes on Chromat. What role do each of you have in the label?

Emily and I have been collaborating on fashion, art and architecture since 2006. She works full time for Allied Works Architecture - a super hip architecture firm in Portland, Oregon right now and may soon also be relocating to NYC. She does all the screenprinting for the prints we have incorporated into past collections, but her main role is of conceptual collaborator. I do most of the design and production, but I go to her for her opinion on everything. 

What's up next for you and for Chromat?

Chromat fall/autumn 2011! I am hoping to weave the structural techniques employed in spring/summer 2011 into garments that actually keep you warm for the winter! I think it will look like a mash up of cages and soft warm things. 

***

I'm sure it goes without saying that I ♥ NY and Chromat. Click on the following links to see more of Becca and Chromat: main website, blog, Etsy, Facebook. Thank goodness for the Internets.

Oh! And if you're in NY, make sure you visit Virginia at International Playground for your own Chromat piece.

Interview with Shinwon Yoon of SHIN

I have surely been in a New York state of mind these past few days/weeks/months. Since booking my trip eons ago, I've noticed that New York is in nearly every movie/book/magazine/website I look at. And now it's hard to believe that I will be embarking on this adventure in a mere 36(ish) hours. As I don't know if I'll have access to a computer during my stay (and my loaner flip phone is not very smart), I can't promise you any posts next week. And so I thought I'd leave you with the last interview of the summer (or at least of summer proper), with none other than a Brooklyn-based designer. FIT graduate Shinwon Yoon is the lovely lady behind SHIN, a fabulous drapey essential line which I am very much looking forward to seeing up close and personal in a few days. And as you've seen some of these SHIN pieces already here, I've intermingled some photos of places I shall be visiting during my stay. So it's almost like you're there with me, no? 

***

How did you get into fashion design, and do you have a formal educational background in design?

I studied architectural design back in university and did an associate degree program for fashion design.

Do you wear your own designs?

Yes, all the time.

How does living in New York affect your designs and personal style?

I have to say everything around me in New York inspires me.  I am constantly affected by art, buildings and even people on the streets in New York.

What is your favorite thing about New York/Brooklyn that you would miss if you moved away?

Diversity. Of fashion, people, food, etc. 

What is your favorite experience as a designer so far?

To meet someone who actually loves my clothes and wears them a lot!

Which designer inspires you the most?

Yohji Yamamoto.

What album/musician has inspired your work the most?

Philip Grass; Massive Attack's "Heligoland".

Who would you most like to create an outfit for?

Matthew Barney.

What is your most favorite piece in your current collection?

100% Merino wool coat with scarf, which can transformed into different styles.

What are your future plans for SHIN?

Expand line more and debut at New York Fashion Week on the runaway.

***

If you can't make it out to Oak on Bond Street, who should have the new F/W 10 collection as we speak, make sure you visit the SHIN online shop. Before I go, can anyone tell me what this building is in TVland? 

Have a great week folks!

Interview with Wolfgang Jarnach

The handsome face you're seeing here is that of Wolfgang Jarnach, my favorite fashion design grad student pick of last fall. After graduating from the Akademie Mode and Design in Munich, Wolfgang has been getting a lot of mileage out of his spectacular award-winning grad collection, 'fin de partie'. This delightful 23-year- old showed his collection at this past London Graduate Fashion Week, has already garnered numerous media features, and is in the middle of a three-week long pop-up shop that makes me wish I were much closer to Germany. While you've already seen the photos of his pieces here, I wanted to take the opportunity to repost them in the order Wolfgang intended. For the collection is purposely built in five outfit pairs or 'positions'. You may note that in moving through positions one through four, factors such as volume, details, and diversity increase, while in the last pair, the outfits are rather minimal and focus on the body, while still retaining an essence of the previous positions. I don't know about you, but I'm quite captivated by such a young designer who puts so much thought into one collection, especially as it's only the first one to be available to the fashionable public. I have a feeling I'm going to proudly revisit this interview often, as I can't help but believe that the name of Wolfgang Jarnach will be known outside of Germany in no time. 

***

How would you describe your grad collection in one sentence?

Contemporary historia - reflecting my view on everything.

Do you wear your own designs?

Sometimes I wear my own designs, but I think my little brother looks better in them - he is like my house model!

What is the German/Munich fashion scene like? How has this affected your own designs?

The German/Munich fashion scene is constantly growing, with many creative and individual people, but the public is still too focused on the well-established brands to recognize and realize this. My designs are experimental and individualistic, with a sense of tradition in it. Maybe this is my response to where I grew up.

Does music inspire your work at all, and what album do you turn on first on a rainy day?

Yeah of course music is a huge inspiration! The rainy day album is definitely Rules from The Whitest Boy Alive - it brings me up again, but in a melancholy way...

Is your workspace calm or chaotic?

This depends on the project. In the beginning, it’s calm and proper, but with the times it will get messy and 'inspiring'.

What is your favorite fashion memory?

Well, my favorite fashion memory is failing the interim examination but getting the award for the best visionary collection concept at the end of my studies! The way of fashion is incomprehensible!

Who is your favorite designer?

I don't have one favorite designer. Each designer has special things I'm interested in - eg. I like Haider Ackermann’s draping, Neil Barrett’s masculinity, Kris van Assche’s layering and Riccardo Tisci’s beautifully crafted lace pieces...

What is your favorite piece from your grad collection?

My favorite outfit is the second girls’ position with the transparent silk chiffon blouse with its historical lace shoulder pads, the blue velours leather corset and the pocket hoops. But my favorite single piece is the leather jacket with the exaggerated shoulders.

If you could design an outfit for anyone, who would that be?

I would love to design an outfit for Jude Law and Olivia Wild as a couple. But I fear they don't even know each other...

And lastly, what are your future plans?

In September I will go to London to study for a Masters there for one year. But I want to bring my pop-up store concept to more cities. Maybe the next step is a temporary store in London. In the far future, I want to establish my own brand with 'real' stores, and maybe I will come back to Munich to start them here, again.

***

It's kind of nice having some fine young men around kOs, eh? Anywho, make sure to bookmark Wolfgang's website, and join his Facebook page for updates. Oh, and if you're around the Munich area, can you ask him where he got that gorgeous scarf he's wearing? I think they might be available at his pop-up shop...

(Photos by Mathis Leicht)

Interview with Tyler W

And now we interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for something equally full of awesome (or perhaps moreso). After such an incredible night last night watching one of my favorite bands (who are proudly local boys) perform live in the street, my mind is more on music than fashion right now. Also, I'm a bit too burnt to even think about putting on a proper outfit today. So here is a little interview I've been sitting on for awhile, which I had the pleasure of working on with a friend of mine from back when I lived in the most gorgeous part of Canada, which of course is Vancouver. Tyler W is an all around great guy who just happens to make great music on the side as well (music which I find is the perfect soundtrack for my morning walks to work...and walks in general). So while none of you know Tyler from Adam, I thought it would be interesting to get a little education on the finer points of creating electronic music, especially from someone who is rather stylish (even when wearing a Chapters vest). Oh, and also so you can all say you know what you're hearing when you fall in love with the music of my first runway show, because I'm putting Tyler in charge of that (assuming he's still able to do so when he's in his 80s, as it might take me that long to get there...).

***

Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get into making music, and what formal training do you have?

I got into making Music shortly after my last year of high school. So this would have been around 2000. I had previously studied Visual Arts at Langley Fine Arts School. Shortly after, I slowly started learning about how different gear works. I studied Recording Arts at the Art Institute of Burnaby. This was two and a half years and has certainly cemented my understanding of how to mix music. There were some courses that dealt with song composition and arrangement so I made sure to study those as much as I could, not having any other real training myself.

What are your greatest sources of inspiration for writing a song?

I'm usually inspired by hearing someone else's music. I spend a fair deal of time listening through the various layers of a track to try and figure how they've managed certain sounds. Otherwise I'm a kid at heart when it comes to getting new gear - outboard or plugins. Sometimes this is all I need to get really pumped about making a track on my own.

Blueberries by Tyler W

What is the process involved in creating a song? Do you start with a note/beat/sample and build around that, or do you have more or less a rough version of a whole song kicking around in your head before you begin?

The process for me to make a track varies dependant on what type of song I wan to make. If I want to make a more tribal or house beat, I'll start with drums or percussion. A loop of that, followed by some bass, a dash of salt, a pinch of sugar, etc. If I want something a bit more emotional in tone, I'll start with a harmonic phrase and build from that. When I'm doing that sort of work, drums and samples follow close to the end of the piece.

What programs/software/instruments do you use?

For the past 4-5 years I've used Logic Pro as my work station. I also use a couple of third party plugins - Battery, V-Station, PPG wave. Added to this, I run a bit of outboard gear. So that's a TL Audio Indigo C2021, Filter Factory, and a Joe Meek EQ. Also, pedals. Pedals are great for very quick and rich tonal changes. My pedals never leave my side. The best advice I ever heard about gear was to keep it simple. To make your workstation "invisible."  Such that you don't even think about what buttons you press when you're doing something in a session.

Is DJ'ing an essential/required/expected part to being a creator of electronic music?

Not really, but culturally they go hand in hand.

Can't Go Back by Tyler W

Has a piece of clothing or outfit ever inspired a song? Has a song ever inspired what you feel like wearing that day?

I can't say that I've never been inspired by clothing to make a track...but I will say this - Cash can rock the Man in Black look to a T. Also, his cover of “Hurt” was better than the NIN original. There. I said it. Deal with it. (BL: Was this ever really up for discussion?!)

If you had to write a song that symbolized and embodied the entire essence of one person, who would that person be? 

Not sure who to write a track for. Maybe Buffy Leigh? I heard she killed a shark with a dinner knife. Bad. Ass. (BL: Trust me, this is just an urban myth...) Honestly, because there are no real vocals in my songs, it's tough to create any sense of meaning, so I usually name my tracks for people who've meant a lot to me. They'd never be named after that person, but it might be something we've shared. In a way it's rather cathartic.

In the fashion world, the runway show during a fashion week can be the most important event of the season for a designer, and often a lot of thought is put into the music and theatricality of the production. How would you feel to have your music as the mood setter for a runway show, and are there any designers you know of that you'd like to create a soundtrack for?

I'm not someone who's followed the fashion world very closely, but I've often thought it would be very cool to have a guy like Karim Rashid play a track of mine at one of his showings. He's a product designer, who's also quite fond of the DJ world. Double cool.

Sharks Ahead by Tyler W

Who and/or what time period is a huge musical influence on your work? If you could pick only one album to listen to for the rest of the year, what would it be?

My favorite time period of music is right now. I've never had much of an ear for older sounds so that might explain why I love electronic the way I do. If I could listen to one album for a year solid - Evil Nine's "You Can Be Special Too". They're pretty well the kings of the rock/breaks sound. Everything they touch makes my ears melt into sonic goo. Fantastic.

Do you simply create music for yourself, or do you have any future plans for your music?

Right now I'm still enjoying the challenge of something I have no business enjoying.  If I can keep pushing out tracks for myself, I'll be happy. Sometimes it's the journey, not the destination.

What, to you, is the importance of music?

My only criteria for music has been that it's got to make you feel good. There's no point in kidding yourself into liking something, just because everyone else does. I learned this lesson the hard way at the age of 7 - "why am I listening to Vanilla Ice?"

***

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to go write a song or two...or at least listen to one. You can listen to (and download) more of Tyler's songs here on his Soundcloud page. And here's one more track, the first from Tyler's collaboration project (with his friend Tom Graham), The Devil's Advocacy Group. It might be my favorite track from Tyler in fact. And if you're nice, I might just be posting more from them in the future...

The Devils Advocacy Group - New Science by Tyler W