FAST DESIGNER INTERVIEW: VITA

Today we're featuring the first of several interviews with FAST student designers. While the show isn't for a few more weeks, we thought we'd post one today for kicks!

/VITA NEWSTETTER/

1. Why did you choose to participate in the Fast fashion show?

I’ve been sewing since I was 10 and I taught myself to sew on a really janky, old sewing machine. I’ve been slowly progressing and getting better but I’ve never put in a concerted, long term effort where I’ve sat down and made a bunch of things all at once. It’s been a very meandering process and so I heard about the event last year and then I just thought, why not? It’s a great excuse to make a bunch of things for yourself, well not for me to wear—but maybe—but it’s just a good experiment to have a big project and stick with it. It’s 8 to 12 pieces and you have to make them. I figured this is a really low stakes place. I feel like there’s a good community of people where no one’s trying to judge me or vet me or hire me or whatever. It’s just a space where I can experiment. Like there’s this skirt or jacket I’ve always wanted to make and I can do anything.

2. How did you first come about designing and making clothing? What were your inspirations?

I like to collect used clothes. I have 185 dresses. I really like having clothing where no one walks up to me and says, “Oh, I tried on that shirt at Urban Outfitters”, y’know? I like it to be very ambiguous where things come from, so whether that means they’re super plain and normal or there super weird and practically unwearable. Both of those things are what I like to make: very normal, well structured, tailored things and then really wonky, all over the place, colorful stuff, and that was just conducive to sewing my own things. And I just like to make things in general, I’ve always liked to make things.

3. What inspired your collection in the show?

I guess I was thinking a lot about how, when you look at runway shows, they’re cohesive to some extent: the fabric, the concept, or the styling of the models, or how the models look—usually how the models look--and I wanted to just not do that. I guess I understand what it does to have a cohesive collection, it can be really great, but I also just wanted to be like…well why not? Why not make something where none of it goes together and purposely make it so each thing is totally different? None of the models look alike, they’re all different heights. All my fabric is from junk stores so none of it goes together. They’re all scrap pieces that I’ve been collecting and yea, I just wanted it to as non-cohesive as possible and so I’ll see how that comes together.

4. What would you describe your collection as?

Uhm, it’s very colorful, it’s a lot of matching pieces. Like I do a lot of this skirt matches the jacket matches the shirt matches the headband. I like lots of different things together. It has a lot of jumpsuits and some colorful BDSM styles going on. I have a lot of grommets and lace up things. But it’s all colorful, black is great, but color’s so much more fun. Im really inspired by the fabric, like I said, it’s all from junk stores. I have a plastic, clear beach ball that I’m melting into a dress and I have some equestrian themed things and ABC corduroy, and just all sorts of weird fabrics.

5. Who's your style icon?

Susie Bubble, I love her. Her real name is Susie Lao and she's a style blogger from London and her blog is called Style Bubble. She is brilliant and writes about fashion brilliantly and she also puts things together in the most non-pretentious, creative, out there way. So she’s not like, “Oh look at me, I’m so on trend” but she just puts everything on top of each other and each day is a total masterpiece and it never matches but it’s really thought through and she knows about fashion more than anyone else and so, I love her.

6. What kind have music have you been digging lately?

I listen to a lot of R&B and funk. I think that lately I’ve also been digging things like Chibo Matto and Portishead. I don’t know what the genre is but like really dark, punk, R&B feelings.

7. Describe one of your go to outfits?

My go to outfits are severe color blocking. Like a bright yellow sweater, bright orange pants, bright green shoes, and a bright red coat with red lipstick and a hairpiece. I also have a collection of my go to rainbow dresses where they immediately have every color of the rainbow in them, so I have about 7 or 8 of those that are definitely go to outfits because they’re easy and beautiful.

8. What's a staple piece everyone should have in their closets?

I think everyone should have a fabulous winter coat. I really like coats. I have about 10 in LA and it’s not even cold here so that’s embarrassing but I wear them because I’m always cold. I just got this Armani, pink wool, XXXL, giant coat for seven dollars and it’s amazing. So huge statement coats, even if it's tailored and black, as long as it’s making a statement.

9. Tell me some of your favorite movies and why.

My two favorite movies are Heathers and Brazil. I like them because they’re very dark but also really funny. The visuals and fashion is amazing in Heathers, whoever directed or did the photography is awesome. The Terry Gilliam film (Brazil) is super long, super creepy, but really beautiful and funny.

10. What are some of your other hobbies?

I make things. I like art a lot. I spin yarn and I like to knit and I like coding and making projects.

11. Where do you want to be in the next 10 years?

I want to be in New York doing creative consulting in some way. I’m interested in translating mediums, taking one medium into another. Possibly film work, publishing, coding, and interactivity...so something creative in New York.

Make sure to check out the Fast Fashion Show on May 22 and Vita's funky collection!

Peace out,

Christine.