(Chic + Rage) * (Perverted + Cool) = Cody Ross

A Q & A with the madman behind Priestess NYC

Forget the props he got from Rihanna recently. It's Cody Ross's unique point of view, constantly morphing and mutating his Priestess NYC line with a tantalizing cross-section of coolness, cosmopolitanism, wearability and straight-up fun. Even Walter Van Beirendonck would be intrigued by Cody’s fashion propositions.

After a few cocktails chez lui, Cody agreed to a spur of the moment Q & A.

What’s hot right now in fashion?
Atalanta Weller, Anne Pachan’s swimwear line “Cala Ossidiana”,
Jean-Pierre Braganza, Millie Cockton, Hannah Marshall and Gemma Slack! Oh, and I just previewed Pleasure Principle’s new range and it’s impossibly cool!

What’s in your ipod?
 Die Antwoord, Dommin, Depeche Mode, Boyz II Men, Lucas Banker,
Isaac Mutant.

What visual art have you been eyeing?
Leon Botha,  Marianne Aulie, and Banksy & Co.

Where do you shop?
Seven NY and cool showrooms around the city.

Do aliens exist?
Yeah, but a hundred billion galaxies away (making contact could be seriously risky!).

What are you reading these days?
Chris Trela’s super-cool new book “The Autobiography & Sex Life of Andy Warhol.”

Wow! You should meet Lindsay of Outlaws of the Border. She's reading alot about Warhol lately too. Maybe it's in the air!
Who’s your favorite ‘it’ girl?
SIGRED AGREN or anyone who looks like her! And lately I’m crazy for that Israeli girl, Luda Dolgun!

If you could clone a girl and then make out with the both of them tonight who would it be? Melissa B.

Who has cool style?
Brittany Kubat and Yo-Landi Vi$$er from Die Antwoord. And of course, Katya from Style Defined!

Ha! Okay, cool. Thanks!


Lydia Hearst in Priestess NYC

Lindsay Jones in Silhouette

My Q&A with the designer of Outlaws of the Border

Lindsay Jones radiates an ethereal and delicate quality as well as a quiet inner strength. It's this juxtaposition that makes her interesting as a person and an artist/fashion designer.  I first met her at the Zac Posen party for Target. We've since found out that we both live in loft buildings in a decidedly unhip area of Brooklyn and we're beginning our own collaboration -more on that another time. In the meantime please click below to read my interview with Lindsay and learn the details of her upcoming show.

Hey Lindsay, what's up?

I'm working on the next Outlaws of the Border Collection, of course, but I am also showing work at the Chelsea Museum in the project room on June 21st with a musical composer and a film artist. My pieces will be larger than life art/fashion pieces that I will execute with a very conceptual approach. They are part of the installation that fills the space of the room and links the various elements together through movement and fabric. I am very excited and hope you all can make it out!!

That sounds great. I personally love the Chelsea Museum. And this leads perfectly into my first question! You were originally studying as a sculptor and then got into fashion design. How did you go from one to the other? 

I feel most mediums translate into each other, It is a blurry line where one medium shifts into another, be it sculpture or film or writing...the more you learn of one it bleeds into the others. The focus is what makes it grow into  something strong. And Fashion in a sense is wearable art/ sculpture, that is collapsible and functional on a daily basis. I love that it can say so much so quickly and be gone. Like a series of thoughts.

So you see fashion design as creating something in 3D space. Because obviously clothing on a body is interacting with space in all dimensions and isn’t flat… 

One of the key things I like to pay attention to is the silhouette. I like the idea of a silhouette being interesting or modern or having a unique approach but not in a overly constructed way that restricts movement of the body. For me it’s kind of like a tension between the super constructed silhouette and the natural organic approach to shapes that are more along the lines of a woman’s body and the freedom that exists there… that point of intersection is what I find interesting. Silhouette has for many years reflected culture. Through fashion, sculpture and architecture. It is rather revealing about a cultures ideas of what is happening on a larger spectrum and the future motion of the whole, although harder to see when in the midst of it. That is why I think it is good to find things that are interesting without being tricky or overly trendy. So that the end result is classic although modern in its approach.  

You worked for some other designers before you began your own line. How did that experience inform you?

Well first you start as an intern and you have to do a lot of tasks and it can get quite complex. But I think that was kind of the best transition, because what it did for me was better than school. It forced me to be organized. It also let me see firsthand where an idea comes from, how it’s communicated, translated, executed: the whole thing through a team. It’s really exciting to see how it all culminates.

Speaking of teams, do you work with others on Outlaws of the Border? 
I’ve had up to 4 interns! Seriously I have two other people who work with me now. Maria Sharpe and Sheyna Imm. They do more of the business marketing/ P.R. side which that allows me to focus on design. They are also close friends of mine so we have a very open/collaborative relationship. 

Ideally how do you see your line developing?

I would like to move Outlaws forward in a way that includes more people into my vision while I remain true to myself.

Are there any women you’d want to dress? 

Honestly, Kim Gordon, maybe even Grace Coddington. People with individual style: to see how they translate the clothes into their own style.  

What are your current obsessions?

Andy Warhol! I even have a little hair piece that I'll wear sometimes. Seriously I love Warhol and his work and his effect on popular culture. 

  

What do you like best about New York? 

I like the hidden places. And how everything is interconnected, I like the mix of cultures and mix of rich and poor and how everyone is so close together and I like the industrial aspects and places further out. Little Russia, Brighton Beach, the bridges, all the parks…

What's the best piece of advice you've ever given or received? 

Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide whether it's good or bad. Whether they love it, or hate it. While they're deciding, make even more art.

-Andy Warhol

All photos from Outlaws of Border Spring/Summer 2010 Lookbook by Yana Toyber

A Dandy in New York

While nowadays there are many looks for men from the black skinny jean hipster to skate punk to preppy, many of them seem to be personified by a distinct desire not to grow up. Or a frightening excess of facial hair - which is perhaps overcompensation for feelings of insecurity in terms of their masculinity. The Dandy is a distinct look that is refined and is worn by those secure enough to know that elegance and masculinity are not necessarily polar opposites. Matt Fox is one such person and has a sense of style I've always admired. In addition he is one of the owners of the Fine and Dandy Shop, an online emporium which offers "accessories for dapper guys". He was also nice enough to answer  style questions for Style Defined.


How long has the Fine and Dandy Shop site been in existence?
We launched on October 31, 2008. It's been just over a year and we couldn't be more pleased with the response.

And how did it start?
For as long as I can remember I've wanted to open a shop. But the cost of real estate in NYC has made it more of a dream than a reality. It was just over two years ago that I had the idea to give it a try online. The online world is so ideal for a niche market concept. It's really incredible the number of people we've met online who identify as dandies.

What defines a Dandy?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a dandy as "a man who gives exaggerated attention to personal appearance." In the modern world I think a dandy pays particular attention to the details of his dress and makes the extra effort to look his best each day.

If someone wanted to become a bit "dandified" how would you advise them to begin?
Is there one or two particular articles of clothing or accessories you'd recommend? I would recommend a couple of well-tailored suits and a few well-chosen accessories. A couple of great ties (or bow ties if he's adventurous enough), a tie bar, a couple of pocket squares, and some great socks. It's all about the details. The biggest thing is caring enough to take the time each day to look his best.

Are there any role models in film or literature for aspiring dandies?
Of course there are the obvious in literature like The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Great Gatsby. Recent films with dandy inspiration are Sherlock Holmes and Brideshead Revisited.

Do you think the interest in Dandies stems at all from a (negative) reaction to the modern world or technology?
I think it's more of a rejection of the trend over the last several decades of casual dress. Casual Friday has been extended to each day of the week in many workplaces. But I think the tide is turning. Even the New York Times wrote recently about younger guys increasingly dressing up. TV shows like Mad Men probably have something to do with it but I also think recession is a factor. We all have to dress to impress (and keep our jobs).

And is there anywhere in particular to go to find dandies?
Take it to the streets! The best style inspiration is seeing the guys walking the streets of New York City. From the older, blue blood of the upper east side to the hipster dandies of the lower east side, the fashion dandies of 5th Avenue to the dapper Wall Street gents. Dandies are everywhere you look!

Q + A with Tr3y Stylez

Fashion week is almost upon us and if you're like me, you find yourself awake at 2:30 in the morning wondering, "What am I going to wear?" After all, fashion week is a bit like going to a week long high school reunion - if your highschool was full of freakishly fashionable gay people and their straight compatriots. So you don't want to the wear the same thing twice and you want to change from day to evening and be able to be on your feet 20 hours a day. And if you are milling about the tents of Bryant Park, whether you admit it or not you want to be noticed for your chic, unique discerning sense of style. And that's where someone like Tr3y Stylez comes in: With his own offbeat, slightly eccentric style, Tr3y Stylez has an uncanny ability to put together interesting combinations. And not the generic West Coast "idea" of style ala certain celebu-stylists which make all 24 year old girls look like Stepford Wives in training, but style that feels authentic and individual and, well...New York. Learn more about Tr3y Stylez here.

Mad props to The Uniform Project

ACCESSORY DETAILS: Batwing cloak by Mundi, one of the designers representing Iceland in a competition of sustainable design as part of the Fashion Summit during COP15. Twenty designers from the Nordic countries competed on a sustainable runway show organized by NICE in association with C.L.A.S.S. Mundi cloak worn with hand-knit corsage as hat donated by Dennice Mankarious, and vintage boots stolen from Scary :-)

Recently I was at an opening and happened to take a photo of this girl (which you can see in an earlier blog post) and when I complimented her on her ensemble I was told the dress she was wearing was part of The Uniform Project and that she was wearing the same dress every day for a year! (well technically it's 7 identical dresses -because one would get a bit funky!) My first thoughts were "how is this possible?" and "how much money she must save". But this is not just a genius experiment in accessorizing but a brilliant fundraiser for schoolchildren in India. And if you donate this month E-bay will match your donations. So CLICK HERE to go to Musings and learn more about The Uniform Project, Sheena Matheiken who is wearing the dress and Eliza Starbuck who designed it as well as more ways that Sheena accessorized her dress.


ACCESSORY DETAILS:Bubble scarf and striped military pants donated by Esther Chung. See more of her creations at tornangel012.etsy.com. Vintage granny boots from Flute, Brooklyn.

Secrets of a Stylist

Ever wonder how new talent gets discovered? How that amazing jacket in the magazine by the designer you never heard of (until now) found its' way into the photo? Well Ms. Beagy Zielinski might have had something to do with it. A well known stylist for major fashion publications, Beagy started a unique atelier that discovers new haute couture designers and rents their collections out to stylists. I was lucky enough to get a peek into her studio, which is appropriately named L'Armoire du Styliste. And you can read about it in Musings.

Interview with Karlo Steel of Atelier New York

New York is full of fashionable people...but wearing fashion and having style are not one and the same. Karlo Steel falls into the latter category of someone who has impeccable style that is uniquely his own. So it's no wonder that he is one of the men behind the downtown boutique Atelier New York. We spoke with Karlo and he also picked out some of his favorite pieces for us which you can see on the Musings page.

DEX New York - a place to know

I have received many compliments on this recent photo...or more accurately on my eyes in it. Wanting to give credit where credit is due, I'd like to introduce you to DEX New York Studios. You can read all about it and my experience there, HERE.

Interview with free spirit and artist Sonia Li

We first ran into Sonia at an art opening in Chelsea. We loved her creative energy then... and so when we got a chance to interview her we did.
Sonia mentions:
The Goodwill - 220 E 23rd St. NYC