Designer Interviews | Fashion Pulse Daily - Part 2

Designer Interviews

September 24, 2012

Make The Emmys 2012 Red Carpet Looks Your Own with Tips from Celebrity Stylist Jen Rade

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How do you translate the trends, the colors, the silhouettes from the red carpet, and truly make them your own? Post-event for the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards FPD was able to have an exclusive q&a with celebrity stylist and costume designer Jen Rade, who works with like Angelina Jolie and musicians (Ms. Tina Turner!) and now is a spokesperson for two of my favorite stores –   T.J.Maxx and Marshalls.  Find out what Ms. Rade had to say

FPD: Red carpet jewels: most people can’t afford the amazing baubles seen on the red carpet; where is a good place to get evening wear-worthy jewels, at a fraction of the price?
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May 30, 2012

A Q&A With Persifor Designer Alexandra Thompson

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I first mentioned the brand a few weeks ago when I was wearing a gorgeous Persifor dress, and now I have the opportunity to share even more about this unique and innovative brand via a Q&A with the company’s founder, Alexandra Thompson. Definitely one to watch, Persifor features designer collaborations on prints matched with amazingly versatile cuts that you truly have to experience and wear to understand the beauty and functionality of the brand. Read on to enter the world that is Persifor to find out where the name originates from, a hint at next season’s collab, and Thompson’s favorite fashion resource.

Fashion Pulse Daily: Tell us a bit about you, and your previous professional experience; and what propelled you to launch Persifor?

Alexandra Thompson: “I’ve been working in the fashion industry for over 10 years for iconic lifestyle companies like J.Crew and Lilly Pulitzer. During this time, I recognized that the current marketplace was lacking a product that combined sophisticated prints in a versatile fabrication for customers seeking an alternative to more expensive and saturated brands. As my friends will tell you, I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit so launching my own company was just a matter of timing.”

FPD: I love that the brand was inspired by your grandfather’s name (Persifor), who was “known for his casual elegance and unique style;” how does the brand personify these aspects?

AT: “My grandfather didn’t over think his outfits. He wore classic items that were well tailored, traveled easily and could accessorized in any different number of ways. With great ease, he always looked pulled together and stood out in a crowd. Persifor seeks to emulate this concept by creating figure flattering and simple silhouettes that are unique, comfortable and wear well. That’s why it was critical to develop a fabric that would be wrinkle resistant and machine washable.” Continue reading…

April 26, 2012

A Chat With Leesa Evans, Costume Designer of The Five-Year Engagement

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[All movie stills courtesy of Image.net]

“The Five-Year Engagement,” starring Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Alison Bree, and Chris Pratt is the new romcom due in theaters Friday, April 27th, that gives a comedic perspective of what happens to a couple when their walk down the aisle keeps getting perpetually delayed. I had the pleasure of chatting with Leesa Evans, costume designer for the film who also worked on last year’s smash hit romantic comedy, “Bridesmaids.”

I had questions, like for starters, where do you even begin to figure out what to get, what to make and how to organize it without going bananas? Read on for what it’s like working with Jason Segel, an important camera styling trick, and advise for those of you who want to break into the biz!  P.S. – check out the movie’s site and blog, TomandViolet.com, which functions as a true couple’s wedding site. It is genius, adorable, and hilarious, of course!

[Costume Designer Leesa Evans]

Fashion Pulse Daily: How much is doing costumes for a movie a collaborative process with the actor(s) involved, and how much is it working independently to find the items you need, and presenting them to the actor(s)? I imagine it depends on the film and the character’s needs…

Leesa Evans: “The collaborative effort is always initially with the director. I come up with a design concept for the film and present it to the director; we collaborate more about the characters and what the film should look like. And then when the actors get involved they bring more ideas to the table and the collaborating continues…it’s continual and ongoing.”

FPD: What are some little known facts about selecting certain colors or prints, and how the appear on ‘the big screen’? For example, perhaps a way to beat the theory, via clothing, that ‘the camera adds 10 pounds’?

LE: “I think the most important styling trick for anyone going on camera is to keep the silhouette small. I love using color, I just use it sparingly.”

FPD: When do you start researching and acquiring product, and a team to for a movie? Maybe three months before filming? Can you give us a timeline of the process, perhaps as your most recent project, “The Five-Year Engagement” as an example?
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March 30, 2012

Fashion Pulse Daily Gets the Lowdown on Trends from Expert Maren Hartman of WGSN.com

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Do you ever wonder if it is a magical coincidence, or rather a predictable path of organized information disseminated throughout the fashion industry, that surmount to the widespread trends in color, shape, design, and silhouette? Who are the people behind the curtain who sift through what is going on in the industry, and predict these upcoming trends?

Maren Hartman

Luckily, we had the opportunity to speak with trend expert and brand analyst Maren Hartman,  Director of WGSN‘s  East Coast Content operations, whose position involves managing a team of forecasters, journalists and designers. Hartman, who has worked for Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle Outfitters, also has a background in trend consulting and working with Stella McCartney as well as the iconic show, “Sex & the City.”

Read on below for our q&a with Hartman regarding how to get into the business, and what to keep a keen eye out for when it comes to trends.

Fashion Pulse Daily: What kind of background, knowledge, or understanding is quite essential to becoming a trend forecaster?

Maren Hartman: “There are many different answers to that question because often trend forecasters come from a wide array of backgrounds. I think what makes a good trend forecaster is to have experience in the design and product development process. If you come from a design background then you understand the ins and outs of what makes a garment from the inception all the way to its placement on the selling floor. The key to applying that to trend analysis is then being able to look at the bigger picture and connect the dots between what’s happening globally whether it’s socially, economically, or technologically and see how that will come down the pipe line and affect us all through the trends that we will inevitably see.”

FPD: When looking at runway shows, what are some criteria that you analyze or note, in regard to predicting trends?
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