Carey Mulligan for Interview Magazine

Edited by Jess Vuong

“I think I model my life on Home Alone. I want to have crazy fun and get into scrapes. .”
—Carey Mulligan

“If you’re walking down the street in L.A., people do sort of look at you like you’re a hooker because it’s so rare to see someone just walking.”
—Carey Mulligan

(interviewmagazine.com)

Carey Mulligan in one of my favorite “style-icon’s-in-the-making.” Seeing her with a freshly cropped pixie cut, brings to mind a vision of Edie Sedgwick. Always immaculately “turned out,” I look forward to seeing her wardrobe choices. She appears in this group of “water-color tinged” photos, as a young innocent, while very much aware of herself, there’s an air of humility

LINK LOVE:Carey Mulligan for Interview Magazine

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Bags.. Bags.. and More Bags!

Edited by Jess Vuong

We recently discovered Handbaggers.com … the perfect site for handbag fanatics!

This site works in many ways with one intention: to create a community for handbag lovers!

You can submit, write, and vote on your favorite bag.. or search for a bag that suits your style and personality. Handbaggers.com allows you to check out the details about the bag and find a place to buy it.. fabulous!

Definitely check out this site.

Caroline of Kcoline

Edited by Jess Vuong

We got the pleasure of speaking with Caroline Flach of Kcoline. We learned about how one moment changed her life, her design concepts, custom fitting, and process.

FI: How did you decide to come to New York over staying in France to pursue a career in Fashion?
CK: I came to NY because I met a very nice man ( my current husband, Andrew) in the south of France. I decided to come check out the city and instantly I got amazed by people’s outfits, just people on the streets dressing freely, you don’t see that in France, unfortunately. It really was a shock for me but I didn’t decide to do fashion immediately, it incubated in me for a long while… I started first to dress a little more crazy, then more and more. Meanwhile, I happened to have a close friend who was also a very good designer who hired me for a couple of jobs. She really developed my sense of fashion, from crazy to feminine, and creative. “De fil en aiguille” I started to make my own creations, my own patterns, I wanted to do a ton of things but not really designing, I thought I couldn’t.

Then a friend told me about etsy… and it was EXACTLY what I needed! I gave it a try and after a while, in something like 4 months, it started to work. I have been living happily ever after, I sell everything I make, customers are really happy, I get a lot of friendly supporting messages and feedback. I had to adapt myself to the internet and learn a lot, but now, things are smoother.

FI: What is your process in creating a piece?
CK: I like working with my hands, I like independence, I like handmade, home-cooking, small, unique, I try to be responsible for what I do, I am not a control freak but I like good results.

FI: How did you decide on producing one of a kind pieces rather than mass-marketing them

CK: I am actually looking right now to get some of my pieces made: anyone interested?!!!

FI:It’s amazing that you do custom made orders, how did you decide on that?
CK: Custom orders are great because I like to give form to people’s wishes, they are just more work and a lot of interaction with the customer about fabric, style, and details. It is funny too because they have to take their own measurements and sometimes they are all off, so I tell them. Since it is over the internet you really have to make sure that they will be happy with the result.

FI: Both your apparel and accessories are beautiful, do you prefer to make one over the other?
CK: I don’t have any preferences doing accessories versus clothing, I like to make furnitures and objects too. Anything that I can get my hands on.

FI: As a designer, what do you want your line to represent?
CK: Well, tough question. I want my line to represent who I am. I am only trying to show off the best of me though.

Interview with Matt Levine of STEELO

Edited by Jess Vuong

Adding to our series of the Inter-Views of Fashion, we spoke to Matt Levine of Steelo; discussing concepts, the process of producing a collection, skills of being a designer, and his future goals.

FI: What is the concept behind your s/s 08 collection?

ML: The concept behind Fall 08 is the attitude of New York City, influence of Los Angeles, and creativity of Japan, from the Lowest East Side to Wall Street, from the Board Room to the VIP room. I wanted to create clean sleek traditional styles using quality Japanese fabrics, but also having unique conceptual detailing. The Steelo customer is an educated consumer, they feel quality and see detail, it’s important that I pay close attention every to every aspect, of every handcrafted piece.

FI:How long does it take you to complete a collection: what is your process?

ML: Honestly don’t have a process. I realize what is missing in my closet, what I am looking for, what I am in the mood to wear, and then create garments that I think are currently missing in today’s market, pushing the envelope with a vision and direction in mind. Most of my process is traveling, fusing different cultures, different styles, different looks together – to create Steelo. Steelo is not just threads and needles, it’s a lifestyle, and my creative process is influenced by that. Steelo is a niche brand, creating direction, creating the vision, opposing of what other brands are currently doing right now in the marketplace.

FI: As a designer, what do you think the most important skill to have is?

ML: As a designer, I think the greatest tool is being a leader, but a confident leader. Confident in creation, leading the customer to believe in your designs, believe in your product over your label.

FI: What are your goals for the future?

ML: To blur the line between brand and lifestyle.

For more from his collection, check out www.steelo.us

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Women who prefer michael kors are more likely to appreciate the work of paul frank rather than prada. The latter will be similar to the taste of those who like valentino.

Fashion WTF?!? The New Season of Menswear

Edited by Jess Vuong

Vivienne Westwood … WHY!? JUST WHY!? A SKIRT!? A GOLD METALLIC SKIRT!? .. and the knee highs.. oh the purple knee highs.

Comme des Garcons .. hot mess.

Denis Simachev. Borat versus leopard. Leopard wins.

Bottega Veneta Pa.na.nana.nana.nana. Can’t touch this.  MC Hammer’s Tuxedo.

More after the jump…

Shoes for Lovely People

Edited by Jess Vuong

Created by Patty Kerrigan, Lovely People includes an assortment of styles- sandals, pumps, flats, boots. This brand gives a modern look with a vintage twist. Perfect for an individual that loves to have a new look everyday.

Shown above is my personal favorite; Angela – featured in salmon and navy with white lining. Made from silk and patent pu, this summer flat has stitching throughout the fabric giving it a more textured look.

More from Lovely People click here.

The Inner-views of Fashion: Sublet Clothing

Edited by Jess Vuong

A chance meeting by a sublet posting during college, resulted in a temporary living situation which lasted longer than expected.. two years later, Tara and Inessah decided to create an eco-friendly brand.. Sublet Clothing.

I had the pleasure of meeting the designers to talk about their line.

Fashion Indie: How did you both decide to solely use organic material?

Sublet Clothing: (I) Off the bat I knew I wanted to use eco-friendly material. The Green movement being important.. I was always concerned with environmental issues. (T) I was open to the idea, I did a lot of research about it and saw the physical difference between organic cotton and market cotton.

FI: Has fabric ever been an issue with your designs?

SC: Yes, from the very beginning. Fabric is one of the biggest challenges.. there’s limited supply, as well as tracking down resources that are legitimate. We can only use selective items, synthetic fabric cannot be used – we have to be concerned with the process and work around it. It actually encourages us to be innovative. For instance, dying the fabric.. there are many limitations with what’s available to make it beautiful.

FI: How do the both of you design a garment?

SC: We collaborate on ideas and certain esthetics – what direction, trends.. what we like. I (Inessah) do the draping and sketching then we both consult on it; we build and change things together. We want everything to be us and we want it to be evident that we take care of the garment. We want people to want to wear our pieces. Detail is also very important the placement of a zipper or where certain fabric drapes is very important to us. We never make anything we wouldn’t wear. Most of our clothing is catered towards people in their 20s-30s.. We want them to be able to wear our clothing for daily activities, most importantly we want the piece to be comfortable and long term.

FI: What do you want your brand to represent?

SC: Lifestyle, collaborate, creative, transitional, versatile.

FI: What is in store for the future of Sublet Clothing?

SC: Definitely growing as a company. We want to recognize others and support the community..we want full time effort to also support other people. We want to expand our basics and designed collections; adding woven and knits. Most importantly we want to grow into a trustworthy company for the eco-friendly.

Continue reading the interview after the jump…

Views of Fashion: Sheila Frank

Edited by Jess Vuong

Continuing in our Inter-Views of Fashion series, we sat down with indie designer Shelia Frank and asked her to bestow upon us some insight on the wicked world of fashion. The designer and former intern for Charlotte Ronson gives us some details on her swimwear only Fall collection, designing for pets, and advice on becoming a fashion designer.

Swim 2008

Fashion Indie: For Fall 2008 you decided to focus your collection on swimwear, what was the concept behind the collection?Sheila Frank: I was very inspired by menswear.. Burlesque too! Ball gowns.. Old movies.. but mainly menswear.FI: You said that you like to design with the idea of using past eras, could you elaborate on that?SF: I love old esthetics of simple cuts and classic lines. As well as classic fit; old but modern. I actually have a collection that mixed three eras into one!FI: Many designers find aspects within their design that they focus on, whether it be style, wearablility, or extravagance. What are some important aspects behind your design?SF: Fit is VERY important. For me, it is important to fit every type of person out there- whether your thin or plus size. Volume doesn’t necessarily work for every body type; I like to work for everyone.

Swim 2007

FI: What do you want to accomplish as a designer?SF: I would like to have a line out there, and be in stores! I don’t care if I’m a diva superstar, or if people know my face, I just want people to know my brand and enjoy what they’re wearing.

Looks from Pet Fashion Week, TokyoFI: You recently created pieces for Pet Fashion Week. What was it like designing for our four-legged friends?SF: Well the show was actually in Tokyo! (On January 12 to be specific).. but I couldn’t attend… a stylist on ModelMayhem.com actually asked me to participate! I had designed a flapper era beaded dress.. he wanted me to design four more designs based on that look, then took the collection and paired it with a hat and dog designer! It was such a great experience.FI: Do you have any advice for young designers like yourself?SF: My motto is to believe in yourself. I’ve been thinking that in college, nothing is handed to you unless your born into a rich family ha-ha, just remember to be true to yourself.For more on Sheila Frank, CLICK HERE.