Designer Spotlight: Onerary

Like something seen only in movies, friends and designers Katy Parnello and Danielle deRoberts, first met in Telluride, Colorado and became instant friends. Noticing the uncanning similarity in their appearance and style of dress, the two designers who had independently been designing, decided to return to Telluride a few years later and participate in an AIDS benefit fashion show. From there Onerary was born.

Despite the huge distance between them (Danielle resides in San Francisco and Katy in Brooklyn), the two appear magnetically connected in both the way they design and their take on life. Combining their backgrounds in painting and theater, Katy and Danielle create beautifully deconstructed clothing that are simultaneously whimsical and practical. With the concept of dreaming evident in each piece, Onerary inspires and promotes creativity not only through clothing, but also in the way you live.

I caught up with the pair and picked their brains about their line, fashion, and other fun facts. This is what they had to say:

What does your label name mean? How was it chosen?
Danielle: We wanted a name that defined past, present and future and could encompass all of those ideas in one; a name dedicated to my mother, but not so literal. My friend Erin Rockmore, who was my first roommate when I moved out here from Brooklyn three years ago and has since then been a really close friend and big help to Onerary, was throwing around some words and ideas.

We were thinking of when you dream–not just when you dream at night, but just the daily things people think about–you come to terms with past, present, and future. So, we heard the word oneraria, which originally is from the Greek word to be in a dreamlike state, and in English it means to carry a burden, which we think is an interesting play on the dreamlike state because people carry a lot (of burdens) with them daily and it’s hard to release it. Katy and I feel it carries a lot of what everyday life carries on. We have a lot of people who have passed on that were close to us, our parents and our loved ones, a lot of things that carry on. For us, it’s not just a word, but a lifestyle.

How would you describe your clothes?
Katy: Wearable Art is a phrase we use. Like Danielle said before, we’re not doing it for the fashion or clothing aspect. We take everything that is a part of our lives and try to share it with everyone through this medium. It’s a reflection of how we see the world or ourselves. What’s going on inside of us, and what we want to share with people around us. It’s art, more than clothing.

What was the theme for this collection?
Oneironauts–explorers of the dream world, which is another word from the word Onerary. It’s a very open word for a collection because I don’t think our collection could just fit under one.

Where do you grab your ideas from? What inspires you most when you create?
As people we’re constantly evolving so it’s naturally going to turn into our clothes. We grab our ideas from our lives and what happens. A big part comes from the loss of parents; it opens up your world in such a different way. We have a very holistic view of the world that we come from. It’s about becoming a woman, approaching 30, and how the clothing wakes your spirit. About being more comfortable with who you are and how you are, dealing with emotions and learning how to push through things.

A lot of our clothes have a layering look to them, we like to pair all of our pieces on top of each other. For example, you can have a jacket to defend you against the elements, especially if you live in a city with pollution and noise, but underneath you have a pretty, sexy dress where once you’re inside and feel safe, you can take off the jacket. The clothes can take you through the work day, but you can also go out at night. In that way, the pieces portray the different ways that you can feel throughout the day.

Also, music is a huge part of our lives. For this show, I’ve selected music that I feel represented the line well. In our clothing, a lot of writing and certain songs really speaks to us, and many of the silk screens that Danielle will make have lyrics or paintings titled after lyrics. Everything is just connected in a very roundabout way, down to the song.

Who would you love to collaborate with?
Katy: If anything, we’d like to collaborate with musicians and kids where we have some sort of fashion/music show–a theatrical event. I also love drag queens, so I’d love to costume a drag queen show.

Danielle: Most of the things I’d like to do and collaborate with are people we know personally. We have friends that are amazing, and that’s why we started Heavy Hearts. Lara Grant being one of those people; her vision is the same as ours, but she has her own elements.

What’s your favorite piece that you’ve created to date?
Katy: The Poet/Quilted Dress and the Woodland Dress (designed by Katy).
Danielle: The Men’s Jedi Jacket, which is reversible and made by hand. My heart and soul is in that. Also, the A&D dress.

How do you feel about the recent focus on greener/organic methods of design?
It’s great. It’s amazing. We want to start moving more towards that direction because the way we create our clothes is so organic and comes from such a raw place, so having fabric that also comes from something organic is really important to us.

Why choose San Francisco over more highly recognized cities in the fashion industry like New York or Los Angeles?
When we did our Heavy Hearts show here before, it was such a great crowd of people, such a great support. They’re so open and really want to see what you have to offer. People are really about coming together in San Francisco and helping each other out. The design community is really open and loves to collaborate.

Fashion can be very intimidating, which is not what we want to do. We want it to be an experience for everyone; very inclusive.

What direction would you like to see your line develop towards?
Danielle: I would personally just like to keep going. I want to teach people through our art. I’d like for us to do more of our own shows and teach people with our stories through our shoes and clothing.
Katy: I really love the shows we create, like the Heavy Hearts show we did. Just being able to reach out to our audience with what we’re trying to do would just be amazing.

Advice you’d give for people trying to break into the industry.
Do what feels right to you. Make sure you know what you really want to be doing. Make sure it comes from a pure place inside you and that you really want to do it. Make it yours. Everyone has something to offer to the world, just make certain you’re offering what is really true to you.

Typical day in the life of Onerary.
Katy: Since we’re just starting this, Danielle and I both teach children during the day. I’ve been taking acting classes at night and just finished doing a play, as well as rehearsing for another one. We both just want Onerary to become a bigger part of our lives.
Danielle: I’m working on a zine for asIwouldsay and painting. Katy teaches children at a Montessori school in Brooklyn, and I teach preschool gymnastics here in the city. Both of us are running around the city all day doing our other things.

Just where the word Onerary comes from, it’s important for us to be out there living life. As an artist, you can’t just keep creating you have to be able to actually live and breathe for a while, so that you can evolve and see what you want to give back to the world.

Favorite thing to do when you’re not working.
Danielle: Sitting in the Panhandle, painting, traveling.
Katy: I like to act and going to see music. Traveling–I think that would be my ideal thing to do.

Right or Left-handed?
Danielle: Right.
Katy: Left.

Favorite time of the day.
Katy: Right in the morning or sunset.
Danielle: Sunset. Also, the time of day that makes me think of my grandfather, which is around 11am.

What’s an object that you could not live without?
Katy: Sammy, which is a stuffed animal I’ve had since childhood.
Danielle: g

If you were to create a “Soundtrack of My Life” compilation, what songs would be in it?
Suzanne by Leonard Cohen
Just Like a Woman by Bob Dylan
Something by George Harrison
Winter by Tori Amos
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) by Arcade Fire
The Beatles
David Bowie
Throw some Frank Sinatra in there for Grandpa

Take away message for your line?
Danielle: “You’re doing better than you know.” I think the clothes will just speak for itself.

Where can we find your items?
On the website, we’re getting a shopping cart on the site, so you can order online. Also, EcoLogiQue in San Francisco. You can always come by the Minna Studio or Katy’s studio in Brooklyn to set up a customized order.

In the Press!

Just when you think SF Fashion Week has rested for the year, more press coverage comes rearing its head.  Here are a few more sites that covered that events:

 Fab Sugar

 Stylehive

Also, stay tuned for Designer Spotlight Interviews with Onerary and Pink Elf!

SF Fashion Week Press Coverage!

It seems that we at Fashion Week weren’t the only ones impressed by this year’s display of fabulous designs by our talented array of designers.

Check out other exciting coverage:

New York Cool

7 x7 Magazine

SFBayStyle 

SF Fashion Week 2007 – Final Night

Closing off a fashion-filled week at the Galleria were an eclectic mix of designs truly representative of what San Francisco is, was, and could be.

The night commenced with Velvet Leaf showing 100% certified organic cotton bubble shorts and dresses, slim-cut high-waisted pants, pants and dress jumpers, and tri-slit, vented sleeve blouses in a soft color palette of sea-foam green, pale yellow, oatmeal, and burst of royal blue, purple, and charcoal.

Velvet Leaf

Vindyco burst into the runway with bold dresses of lace, brocades, chiffons, sequins, and tulle. Strutting down the runway models paraded an assortment of bubble coats, ruffle bodices, and lace bustle skirts, while sporting elaborate hair pieces and jewelry by Peachy B.

Vindyco

Following Vindyco was an extravagant collection by Richard Hallmarq. Featuring patent leather corsets, neon and cheetah print leggings, sequined tights, and a full, multi-layered white tulle skirt, models were rock show ready on the runway.

Richard Hallmarq

The fourth designer of the night was Effie’s Heart with 1920′s style flapper dresses, jersey knit shirts with imprints of jazz singers and vintage phonographs, and wide-leg sailor pants.

Effie’s Heart

Kicking off Onerary’s collection was a spoken word performance to accompany the Men’s and Women’s urban, deconstructed pieces. The showcase included delicate dresses with string and ribbon accents, detachable knit hoods, hot pants in vibrant hues, jackets with hand-painted artwork, and felt accessories.

Onerary

Finishing the night and this year’s SF Fashion Week runway show was the 615 Project with jersey knit slip dresses that seemed to dance on the body, asymmetrically cut coats, and 1960s styled shifts with chiffon sleeves.

615 Project

Photo credit goes to Arun Nevader of WireImage.

Designer Spotlight: Wee Scotty

Fashion has no age, and with designers like Lynne Gallagher running Wee Scotty Fashion School and Boutique, children can begin designing and sewing their own creations as soon as they are able to wield a needle and thread.With a star-studded background designing costumes for bands like Kiss, the Rolling Stones, the Goo Goo Dolls, and more, Lynne created Wee Scotty in 1995 after the birth of her daughter Leah, to bring the vivacious colors and bold prints present in her earlier designs to children’s wardrobes. Inspiring creativity and self-expression, the Wee Scotty Sewing School sees children through the design process from inception to finish. Featuring designs from students participating in the 1st Annual Wee Scotty Project Junior Runway Contest, Wee Scotty presents at SF Fashion Week 2007.

I caught up with Lynne to pick her brain about her line, fashion, and other fun topics. This is what she had to say:

What does your label name mean? How was it chosen?
Wee Scotty can be defined as the following:
(1) A small Scottish person
(2) A collage of children’s style, from the Highlands of Scotland to the stages of rock & roll.

Tell me briefly about your path to becoming a designer.
I started designing interiors for my Barbie at the age of seven. We couldn’t afford the “Barbie House” I wanted so I began sewing for a shoe box house, making curtains and pillows on a toy machine that never seemed to work right. By the age of ten I made bathing suits for my entire group of neighborhood friends, and they didn’t fall off in the water! As an adult after two years of college studying graphic arts, I landed a job in an office. The biggest thrill of the job was bringing home alterations for my office mates. After five long years I realized I hated this job and the joy of it was the weekend work.

I began making custom clothes and continued alterations while starting up a custom leather business, “Leather on Wheels” (because I would travel). The business eventually developed into my role as an “on-call” seamstress at the local venue for rock shows. My first rock customer was Paul Stanley and I designed stretch synthetic leather pants with rhinestone studs. The requirements outlined were that they had to be tight and “no stones near the knees” to assure good guitar solo knee dives during the show. Gene Simmons was a piece of work and the second client. After costuming a growing clientele of rock star clients, I was given the opportunity to tour with the Rolling Stones in 1989. I continued designing for the rock and roll people and traveled Europe and America for three years, realizing that San Francisco is the most beautiful city in the world and fit my rock style.

After settling in San Francisco with my husband, I worked with a local designer who designed in wools and silks…very different than leather. I set up business here and had my first child, Leah. She was playing among scissors and pins by age three and while it might have scared visitors, it sparked the realization that if you are shown how to use such tools (and even a sewing machine) they can absolutely be used safely no matter what your age. I worked sewing and designing for myself and others but began to add teaching to the list. After three years of multitasking in the fashion industry, it hit me to open a sewing and design school for young kids and enhance that experience with my own colorful designs inspired by my experiences in the music industry, throwing in a young girls point of view.

How would you describe your clothes?
Handmade in San Francisco, designed like nothing else in your closet. Consistently bold, unique and retro, Wee Scotty clothes are the spark that ignites a child’s wardrobe.

What was the theme for this collection?
Rip and Recycle. All our outfits this year have been produced utilizing recycled garments, natural fabrics, scraps, and end cuts.

There is too much over production of apparel goods. America has to wake up before our greed overcomes the basics of nature. We are killing our planet to produce goods that are simply basics in our lives. Lets learn to utilize the overproduced goods to give longevity to their existence and our planet.

Where do you grab your ideas from?
They’re generally sparked by deadline, but most specifically the kids. What inspires you most when you create? Nature and rock & roll, which equates to comfort and color in our line.

Who do you see wearing your clothes?
Children that want to express themselves. Our customers include the Rolling Stones (grandkids!), Sharon Stone, Madonna (bought one of everything), Talking heads, Simple Minds, Chrissy Hines, etc. Kids love the bold colors and textures of Wee Scotty clothes that really seem to invoke the San Francisco experience. In our boutique we sell to locals and tourists alike.

Favorite designer?
Coco Channel, because you have to be different to wear what looks good on you, and Emilio Pucci, the “WoW” of color.

Designers you love/would love to collaborate with?
Madonna could use our help with her children’s line, maybe Santino Rice and I could set it straight.

Mentors?
Mick Jagger. He settles only for the absolute best, and checks every little detail associated with his persona. He is an amazing business man.

What’s your favorite piece that you’ve created to date?
My daughters “Happy Birthday Piñata Pants.” Every girl loves them and they sell season after season! Certain things should repeat if it is a winner.

Where do you feel upcoming designers fall in Fashion?
Top of the list! How important are upcoming designers to be recognized in Fashion? How many artists have painted a portrait? Same question applied to fashion: “how many designers have designed pants?” What we see in these designer pieces is life experiences through their eyes. These innovative designs need to be showcased. They expose the public the world of fashion as seen through their eyes; there will always be a new pant.

What do you think the effect on fashion is of popular shows like Project runway, What Not to Wear, etc.?
We have our own pilot being marketed right now. See you on TV. Do you think see these shows as a negative or positive thing? Totally positive. Check our new pilot clip “Running with Scissors” on www.coldfusionproductions.com under promotional clips. There is nothing out there like what we offer at Wee Scotty. We backed by the Academy of Art College in San Francisco. These designers have a unique opportunity to learn at a young age.

How do you feel about the recent focus on greener/organic methods of design?
I think I have already stated my point of view on the over production of goods coming into America. The global shift in overseas production has also devastated the American apparel industry. We are still one if the top producers of cotton. Why are we shipping it overseas to mill? Who is controlling how these fibers are being milled? Has it been an environmentally friendly process? We have little control over how apparel and fabrics are being produced overseas. We must make a change in how materials are being produced and where apparel is manufactured. Our country was founded on the worker and creating jobs for all Americans. Since the manufacturing has shifted to cheaper labor overseas there has been so many jobs lost in the apparel industry in America. Simple habits that we have as consumers like, shopping for a new top, need to be recognize by the shopper and smarter more educated choices need to begin to become available to the public. The think green campaigns have begun with the larger car market and food production and waste disposal. It will hopefully cross over into everything we purchase even in our clothing. Young kids are more aware of global warming than we realize and this will show in future fashion designs.

This year we aim to address the issue of recycling and reuse and make a statement. We re-used everything, including end cuts from designers’ yardage and re-constructed new fashions from old garments. It was amazing fun and wait until you see what these young designers came up with!

Why choose San Francisco over more highly recognized cities in the fashion industry like New York or Los Angeles?
It is the most beautiful city in the world.

What direction would you like to see your line develop towards?
World domination with proper financing.

Take away message for your line?
WoW! There is only one Wee Scotty. Everyone wants a store in their town also to be a part in this enriching experience of learning and retail fashion.

Advice you’d give for people trying to break into the industry.
Make sure this is your passion and have an accounting background. Meet your deadlines, and remember, ”The show must go on!”

Where can we find your items?
ONLY at Wee Scotty, 2266 Union Street, San Francisco, Ca 94123. Or custom orders at contact@weescotty.com.

Wee Scotty is also a full service production Studio that has been in operation since 1995. We are offering rental space to designers to run their production and samples out of our studio. Leasing space and tools and sewers assistance by the month and by the hour. We also offer adult sewing classes on Monday evenings. This is a great time to get assistance with special construction details or even pattern drafting or tailoring. I am also available to assist in Product development of designers’ next line or season. Call for details 415-345-9200 and more information.

Typical day in the life of Wee Scotty.
Crazy, crazy, crazy…There is always something.

Favorite things to do when you’re not working.
Garden and get away weekends.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Right here.

If you weren’t designing, what would you be doing?
Designing for myself.

Book you’re reading right now, or last book you read.
The Smart-Mart Revolution / How local businesses are beating the global competition. Michael Shuman.

Right or Left-handed?
Right

If you were to create a “Soundtrack Of My Life” compilation, what songs would be in it?
“Get off of my cloud”

Favorite time of the day.
Morning

Piece of clothing or jewelry you could not live without?

A good coat

Best part about being a designer? Worst part about being a designer?
Best: sharing ideas, collaboration. Worst: enough funding to keep in up with my ideas.

What are you obsessing on these days?
Too much consumerism and Americans loosing jobs, where will this lead?

If you could choose between sleeping, eating, or being clean, which would you choose? Why? None of the above. It would be, designing and creating above all. I will get food and water later or as I go….

Favorite holiday.
I used to love all holidays. Then I opened the store and all holidays are work.

Five pieces of clothing every girl/guy should have in his/her wardrobe.
Five good coats or jackets.

If you haven’t had enough of Wee Scotty, check out their trunk show on Friday, August 31st at 2266 Union Street, San Francisco.

SF Fashion Week Day 2 – Friday, August 24, 2007

The crowds came out dressed to impress for Day 2 of SF Fashion Week. Dcepcion was first in the evening’s lineup showing their collection of Men’s and Women’s urban casual separates. Featuring plunging necklines, jackets with fun linings, and open back designs, the models looked just as good leaving the runway, as they did coming down it.

The runway lit up as the young models from Wee Scotty presented designs by Lynne Gallagher and her young students. The “rip and recycle” themed designs created from second hand clothes, organic fabrics, end cuts, and scraps featured fun and vibrant dresses, with a highlight look of a Dreyer’s carton skirt with matching hat and bag.

Next up was Kirribilla with old time Hawaii themed cotton and linen dresses with fun ruffle accents, coconut buttons, and a rich color palette of lavender, royal blue, coral, deep purple, forest and olive green, and coffee.

Shortly following the intermission was Evarize with her oil print pieces, denim wraps and dresses, and a special Measu(RED) line to support the fight against HIV & AIDS.

The night closed with the Missing Piece Artwear Collective featuring designs from four talented artists showing felt and feather pieces, eco-friendly gowns, and unique denims with stitch accents.

Photo credit goes to Arun Nevader of WireImage

Designer Spotlight: Missing Piece – Part II

I recently tracked down Missing Piece artists Jeremy Parr, Lara Grant, and Molly Rebuschatis to pick their brains about their line, fashion, and other fun tidbits. Here is what they had to say:

Missing Piece artist Jeremy Parr

So Jeremy…

What does your label name mean? How was it chosen?
My label is Martin and Magpie. Martin is me, my middle name; it represents my physical self, on the earth, doing the work: sewing, cutting, getting my hands dirty. I sew every garment myself. Magpie represents my imagination: flying around, getting into trouble, discovering pretty things, overcoming obstacles, battling good and evil, basically; also, it represents my link to other worlds, supernatural, etc…

Tell me briefly about your path to becoming a designer.
Graduated from college with a Biology degree, became a chemist, worked many years as a chemist, unsatisfied, unhappy, decided I needed art (was not exposed to a lot of art growing up), looked to my past, my family, asked myself: what do I want to carry on that’s been familial, what do I want to pursue that makes me happy? The answer was fashion, sewing, etc. My grandmother was an exceptional artist & seamstress. I love her more that anyone and I thought to carry that on would honor her and myself.

How would you describe your clothes?
Casual, street, urban, denim-based, raw, exposed, comfortable, trashy, divine.

What was the theme for this collection?
The Business of Madness

Where do you grab your ideas from? What inspires you most when you create?
TV, walking on the street

Who do you see wearing your clothes?
Artists, gays, tweakers, homeless, pimps, children

Favorite designer? Designers you love/would love to collaborate with? Mentors?
Galliano, Westwood, Ghesquiere

What’s your favorite piece that you’ve created to date?
This classic pair of blue jeans that fits my ass perfectly.

Where do you feel upcoming designers fall in Fashion? How important are upcoming designers to be recognized in Fashion?
I rarely look at other designers, unless I happen to run into them (if I’ve been drinking). I think it’s important for upcoming designers to be showcased in some way. It’s important for upcoming designers to be aggressive and try to showcase their own wares. It’s great that there are opportunities like Emerging Stars for upcoming designers to try out for. I think upcoming designers are getting a lot more chances for exposure, especially since the start of Project Runway. I started design school way before that show came out, but since it began, enrollment in fashion schools have risen a considerable amount…yea for art! But I think the show makes designing and sewing seam easier than they really are. Kids go into school and want to become designers, but they don’t want to do the work. In reality, designing is one of the hardest jobs out there. It’s blood and guts!!!

How do you feel about the recent focus on greener/organic methods of design?
It is something that has become a fad. I think it’s going to live beyond the fad stage and hopefully become a long-lasting trend. It’s great because it makes consumers and designers more conscious about how product choice can affect the environment. Plus, organics and natural fibers are so nice to wear and work with.

Why choose San Francisco over more highly recognized cities in the fashion industry like New York or Los Angeles?
I didn’t choose SF. SF chose me. Or I ended up here because of circumstance. I love SF, but I admit, I have a strong craving for NYC. Not LA though. Too dirty and spread out. I hate driving. I’d go to NYC if I had money.

What direction would you like to see your line develop towards?
I’d like to do more womenswear and childrens wear. I’d like it to become a lifestyle line. Well-made, unique, not mass produced.

Typical day in the life of Jeremy Parr.
Get up, work out, shower, sew 5am-7am, bike to day job: chemistry, ride home (I love my bicycle), make dinner, sew until 9pm, go to bed, dream (I have dreams every night!!!)

Favorite things to do when you’re not working.
EAT/DRINK/LAYOUT/Kung Foo

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
New York/Milan

If you weren’t designing, what would you be doing?
Playing guitar

Book you’re reading right now, or last book you read.
The Long Goodbye, Chandler

Right or Left-handed?
Left/ sometimes ambi

If you were to create a “Soundtrack Of My Life” compilation, what songs would be in it?
Deacon Blues

Favorite time of the day.
Nap time/Siesta: after lunch

Piece of clothing or jewelry you could not live without?
Comfortable shoes

Best part about being a designer? Worst part about being a designer?
Best: there are endless possibilities. Worst: not enough time to do what I want.

What are you obsessing on these days?
The TV show Rescue Me, Battlestar Galactica, tomatoes.

If you could choose between sleeping, eating, or being clean, which would you choose? Why?
Sleeping. If I’m asleep I don’t have to worry about the other two; nor about anything else.

Favorite holiday.
Kentucky Derby (My own personal holiday)—I get to go home; I love going home to KY

Five pieces of clothing every girl/guy should have in his/her wardrobe.
Soft footies, soft cotton tees and undies; on top of that, whatever else you feel. I love to see what people choose to where; it really says a lot about who they are.

Take away message for your line?
Use color to affect your mood; it can be as good as drugs.

Where can we find your items?
RAG Co-Op in Hayes Valley

Next up we hear from Lara Grant.

Lara Grant of Missing Piece

What does your label name mean? How was it chosen?
I design under my own name for now. I have designed under the name pickle for a year or so, that was due to an obsession I had. I am working on a new RTW line which will be the launch of my new label. the name has been undecided , but will get me back to working on transformable streetwear.

Tell me briefly about your path to becoming a designer.
I have used many mediums to build creations from , when I was 17 I decided I wanted to pursue fashion as a career, so then fabric and fibers became my medium. There are still boundaries that I feel I want to push, and as long as I have had that feeling I have been designing clothes.

How would you describe your clothes?
ummm….

What was the theme for this collection?
Home. In many ways this has been the theme. I have taken some outside details from buildings in the neighborhoods I tunnel most often, and the feeling of home within each of us that tend to travel from place to place as our physical bodies do.

Where do you grab your ideas from? What inspires you most when you create?
I research my themes for images and take my own when it applies. For my more couture pieces, such as this home line, I take more of an abstract , personal conflict , self therapeutic , approach.

When I design for RTW, I take the ever exciting functional, transformable, streetwear approach in hopes to inspire others to create their own presence.

Favorite designer? Designers you love/would love to collaborate with? Mentors?
Hussien Chalayan

What’s your favorite piece that you’ve created to date?
My most exciting pieces are always in the process of refining. Some of my favs are two resin cast purses i made, one collapsible, the other lit up on the inside.

Where do you feel upcoming designers fall in Fashion? How important are upcoming designers to be recognized in Fashion?
New designers making and breaking new boundaries. There is A LOT of talent out there that has never been publicized. let’s challenge one another.

How do you feel about the recent focus on greener/organic methods of design?
This focus has become mainstream, but has always been a concern. Anything highly publicized has two things going for it. 1- more people will hear about it, so they will be interested and want to know more. 2- thirst for knowledge sometimes leads to involvement which means exchange of papers, which then leads to the growth of a market.

I believe these are highly positive outcomes. although, on the other hand “green” and “organic” have become prized labels that you can buy into and meet minimum requirements on. In other words, it is used as another marketing tool, such as the next hottest trend or a sexy model.

What direction would you like to see your line develop towards?
A RTW line with interchangeable parts and exclusives every so months.

Favorite things to do when you’re not working.
Dance breaks, motor-pedding, felting, playing with buttons and switches, cutting hair, perusing flea markets, creating scenes, documenting, running to the hills, talking to my wife.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I have not been enough places to decide that yet!

If you weren’t designing, what would you be doing?
I would probably be doing industrial design or climbing Mt. Everest.

Book you’re reading right now, or last book you read.
I have a few in circulation…. “The Illuminatus Trilogy” by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson, “The Elegant Universe” by Brian Greene, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” by J.K. Rowling, and I always listen to “Barrel Fever and Other Short Stories” by David Sedaris.

Right or Left-handed?
Right.

If you were to create a “Soundtrack Of My Life” compilation, what songs would be in it?
O.K.. right now , off the top of my head I would choose:
“Heavyheart” by Jeffery Lewis
“Happy” by Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins
“Fish” by Mr. Scruff
“Strayed” by Smog
“Lover, You Should of Come Over” by Jeff Buckley
“If You Don’t Cry” by The Magnetic Fields

We know these things are ever changing, although I do think “Heavyheart” will be on the best of for sure.

Favorite time of the day.
Dusk.

Piece of clothing or jewelry you could not live without?
Ribbons.

Best part about being a designer? Worst part about being a designer?
Creating your own world/getting trapped in your own world.

What are you obsessing on these days?
The feelings you get inside when you walk down the street and see a light on in the window of your room knowing you switched it off before you left.

If you could choose between sleeping, eating, or being clean, which would you choose? Why?
Well, I already don’t take showers, so between eating and sleeping….. that’s hard, I would choose sleep cause my dreams are so vivid that I could conjure up all the flavors I would be missing out on in the waking life.

Favorite holiday.
Holidays are slanted and over-rated, but I do like all the food smells of holiday feasts and the twinkle of Christmas lights, and the dressed up debauchery of Halloween.

Five pieces of clothing every girl/guy should have in his/her wardrobe.
A nicely tailored suit jacket/vest
striped scarf
hoodie
battered, beaten 50/50 tee from the 70′s
sock garters

Take away message for your line?
Make it and live in your own.

Where can we find your items?
Check lara’s-home.com for updates.

And last, but most definitely not the least we have.

Molly Rebuschatis of Missing Piece

What does your label name mean? How was it chosen?
I am part of the Missing Piece collaborative show, my label is just my name at this point

 

Tell me briefly about your path to becoming a designer.
I have always loved to draw, and have always loved beautiful and fun clothing. I studied costume design in both my undergraduate and graduate programs. I started out designing costumes for plays and it grew from there

How would you describe your clothes?
Edgy, fun, chic, playful

What was the theme for this collection?
JuxtPOP

Where do you grab your ideas from? What inspires you most when you create?
Art , Film, History, my subconscious

Who do you see wearing your clothes?
Girls with taste and a sense of playfulness.

Favorite designer? Designers you love/would love to collaborate with? Mentors?
I don’t have one favorite. Worth, Elsa Schiparelli, Patou, Madeline Vionnet, Halston, Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier, Miuccia Prada, Prada, Prada, Nicolas Ghesquiere, Helmut Lang, Anna Molinari, Proenza Schouler, to name a few.

What’s your favorite piece that you’ve created to date?
I try and treat all my pieces equally.

Where do you feel upcoming designers fall in Fashion? How important are upcoming designers to be recognized in Fashion?
I don’t really understand this question… small designers are vital to Fashion, they diversify the market and they can be more approachable financially speaking

What do you think the effect on fashion is of popular shows like Project runway, What Not to Wear, etc.? Do you think see these shows as a negative or positive thing?
I have never seen “what not to wear”. But, I do think helping people find what sihouette’s flatter their figure is never a bad thing.

I think project runway is fun, but it is important to understand that it is a reality show first. There were plenty of good designers that were kicked off because he or she was unable to create a garment out of garbage that could also unfold into a studio apartment, and be seen as tasteful in the eyes of Michael Kors and Nina Garcia. On the other hand, there were plenty of talentless hacks that endured week after week as he or she was good for ratings. I am sure it has helped some careers progress, and hurt others.

How do you feel about the recent focus on greener/organic methods of design?
I think it is great and needs to grow. However, it can be limiting artistically at this point.

Why choose San Francisco over more highly recognized cities in the fashion industry like New York or Los Angeles?
Why not? So it can to become a city of fashion…

What direction would you like to see your line develop towards?
Up, up, up

Advice you’d give for people trying to break into the industry.
Work hard, have fun.

Typical day in the life of Molly Rebuschatis
Depends on the day.

Favorite things to do when you’re not working.
Laugh

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Exactly where I am living right now.

If you weren’t designing, what would you be doing?
I would like to say painting or writing a book, but being a professional socialite sounds fun too

Book you’re reading right now, or last book you read.
Holy Terror, Andy Warhol Close Up …by Bob Colacello

Right or Left-handed?
Left

If you were to create a “Soundtrack Of My Life” compilation, what songs would be in it?
Depends on the Year

If you could have anyone’s wardrobe (dead or alive), whose would it be?
Do I have their figure also?

Favorite time of the day.
Depends on the Day… usually not sunrise that means I am worrying about something and I can’t sleep, or its time to go home from the party

Piece of clothing or jewelry you could not live without?
Shoes and Shoes

Best part about being a designer? Worst part about being a designer?
Designing

What are you obsessing on these days?
I obsess about everything I like…and dislike for that matter

If you could choose between sleeping, eating, or being clean, which would you choose? Why?
Sorry to repeat myself but depends on the day. Am I going to a party, am I staying in, am I hungover?

Favorite holiday.
Thanksgiving for the people. Christmas for the presents. Easter has the best candy selections…very rococo in palette.

Five pieces of clothing every girl/guy should have in his/her wardrobe.
Every drag queen needs a fur, a little black dress, size 12 heels, a NARS compact and a smile!!!!!!

Take away message for your line?
To each their own.

Where can we find your items?
Through missing piece for now.

SF Fashion Week Opening Night

The opening night for SF Fashion Week went off with a bang. After months of planning and prepping for the yearly summer event, the evening’s festivities executed smoothly and left many attendees asking for more.

The Galleria officially opened its doors at 7:00pm where guests were welcomed into a buzzing main lobby decorated with exotic flower arrangements by David Michael Diaz, excited greeters, and flat screen televisions that looped an archived presentation of SF Fashion Weeks past.

The lobby gave way to the atrium bedecked with blacks, whites, and yellows–this year’s theme colors. In the center of the atrium was a forty foot long runway that extended out to the main court, where rows of black seats adorned each side of the catwalk. Atop the seats were uniformly assembled white and neon yellow gift bags filled with the evening’s giveaways. A look up revealed three delicious floors of boutiques hosted by Appel and Frank, the Little Black Dress Silent Auction hosted by the Bravo Club, and a special VIP lounge.

Leading the night was the Emerging Stars’ Little Black Dress show featuring black dresses of all cuts, materials, and styles. Pink Elf followed with her line of dresses and separates that mixed pale neutrals, bright solids, and Pucci-esque prints.

Emerging Stars

Pink Elf

Next in the night’s lineup was Emily Jane showing a confection of high-waisted pencil skirts, halter cut blouses with fluttery necklines, and light, fluid dresses that either skimmed the floor or touched the leg mid-thigh.

Emily Jane

After a brief intermission came Vian Hunter with her collection of empire cut dresses, pencil pants that hit just above the ankles, coats with over sized collars and bell sleeves in silks, satins, lace, and linens.

Vian Hunter “Betty” gown

Closing the night was Genevieve Primavera with her Spring 2008 collection of assymmetrically cut blouses, ruffly tiered skirts, geometric print go-go dresses, all in a sea of neutrals with splashes of bubble gum pink, neon green, and bright yellow.

Genevieve Primavera

For more photo coverage, please keep a lookout at the SFFW photo gallery, which is coming soon!

Runway shots of models courtesy of Arun Nevader of WireImage.

Do you know what tonight is?

Tonight marks the first night of SF Fashion Week 2007! Kicking off the show is our Emerging Stars designers, followed by Pink Elf, Emily Jane, Vian Hunter, Genevieve Primavera, and an eventful after party at Harlot.

For those of you who have not purchased your tickets, there may still be a few left. Check out our Ticket Purchase Page for details.

Here are some shots to whet your fashion appetites of tonight’s venue–The Galleria–as the crews work hard to build the runways, check the lighting, and ensure the sound system is in tip-top order:

Designer Spotlight: Missing Piece – Part I

Created and run by Artist Representative Danielle Cohen, Missing Piece is an artist representative agency that represents designers specializing in custom-made wearable art. Bringing to the table a Marketing background in the Home Mortgage and Loans industry, Danielle began Missing Piece first as a marketing venture with designer friends, but later evolved into an artist representative agency housing the Bay Area’s talented and upcoming designers and artists of today.

With the aim to connect San Francisco’s cutting edge clothing and costume designers with clients who desire unique, custom wearable art, Missing Piece simultaneously fosters the growth of emerging artists and creates a sort of incubator and home for designers and artists alike.

For San Francisco Fashion Week, Missing Piece presents the following designers: Jeremy Parr, a graduate of FIDM in San Francisco, returns to SF Fashion Week after his debút as a 2006 “Emerging Star”. Monica Wontorski studied fashion at Columbia College in Chicago, and utilizes recycled, refurbished and earth-conscious materials, including hemp and natural dyes. Molly Rebuschatis holds a Master’s degree in Costume Design from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and her B&W dress collection was recently featured in “Fashion for Karma” benefitting children with cancer at the California Modern Art Gallery. Lara Grant creates experimental uniforms, felted jewelry, Victorian-inspired wearable art and transformable clothing.

I recently tracked down Danielle Cohen and the Missing Piece designers presenting at this year’s SF Fashion Week. First up is Danielle Cohen with her thoughts on Missing Piece, fashion, and other fun topics. Stay tuned for thoughts from designers Jeremy Parr, Lara Grant, and Molly Rebuschatis.

Danielle Cohen, Missing Piece Artist Representative

So Danielle…

Tell me exactly what the Missing Piece concept is.
Missing Piece is an artist representative agency. As an Artist Representative, I connect San Francisco designers with clients who want customized, one-of-a-kind wearable art. I broker deals for the designers, as well as produce and book shows.

How do designers become part of Missing Piece?
There is an open call once a month where designers can bring in their portfolios, images, sketches, and/or a resume. In selecting a designer, I look for three things:
1) A desire to create and give art in service to others. The designers I choose must be able to interact with people and be client-focused.
2) Formally trained in sewing, illustration, pattern making, and wardrobe styling skills.
3) Creative uniqueness. Designers must bring something unique to the table.

What are some reoccurring themes that the Missing Piece designers portray?
Missing Piece tries to stay away from themes. Our designers all have different skill sets, backgrounds, and aesthetics, which is good because we need variety to accommodate the various requests of our clients.

What do you think is missing in women’s design wear world? Is there an unmet need?
I think that the fashion industry creates needs and people follow it, trends for example. The point is to listen to what people need and want and to meet these needs. This is what Missing Piece is all about.

Typical day in the life of Danielle Cohen. . .
I go to the Design Guild SF where I run the gallery. Most of my time is spent on the phones following up with custom clients, event clients, and clients who are looking to book designers for gigs and shows. I schedule art for new openings, find work for the designers, and follow up with new, potential designers.

Book you’re reading right now, or last book you read.
Harry Potter.

What songs would be on the soundtrack of your life?
I’ll have to think of that one. There was something that I saw on the back of one magazine that asked readers to submit soundtracks they’ve created. My idea was for a soundtrack entitled, “I ♥ Boys” or “I ♥ Boys” with a broken heart. All the songs or artists would have the word “boys” in their names, and it would be an eclectic selection.

Piece of clothing or jewelry you could not live without?
Motorcycle boots and my Aunt’s white, gold, and diamond ring, which is a family heirloom.

If you had to choose between sleeping, eating, or being clean, which would you choose, and why?
Eating to keep my sanity. I become a maniac if I don’t eat.

Best part about being an Artist Representative? Worst part about being an Artist Representative?
The best part is when a deal finishes, and there are direct results for the designers. For example, seeing a designer’s first show and their face beaming. I love that feeling and having something to do with that. The worst part is the stress with production work. Production is comparable to giant puzzle pieces, which need to fit together to create a cohesive product.

What are you obsessing on these days?
Entourage–the show and SF Fashion Week.

Advice you would give for people trying to break into the industry.
Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
First is San Francisco. Second is Paris.

If you weren’t an Artist Representative, what would you be doing instead?
Producing independent feature length films.

If you could have anyone’s wardrobe (dead or alive), whose would it be?
Holly Golightly.

Favorite holiday.
Halloween. Any holiday where you get dressed up and eat candy–I’m sold.

Favorite part of the day.
Night time. Pajama/winding-down time with my monkey slippers.

Where can we find the Missing Piece items?
At our Wearable Art Sales, which takes place at galleries every two months. We usually try to combine it with some other form of artistic promotion.

Next up are thoughts from Missing Piece designers Jeremy, Lara, and Molly…