Spon Diogo INTERVIEW and FW12/13 collection

  Mia Lisa Spon and Rui Andersen Rodrigues Diogo launched their eponymously named prêt-à-porter fashion label Spon Diogo in August 2008.  With Mia Lisa Spon’s background in tailoring & design and Rodrigues Diogo’s experience in fine arts, in addition to graphic and industrial design, the dynamic partnership of Spon Diogo produced a constructional, minimal, graphic and luxurious womenswear brand, creating architectural clothing, tailored to modern urban living.

  The Autumn/Winter 12/13 collection entitled Incandescent marks the Danish labels eighth full collection to date.  Incandescent amalgamates the labels signature graphic and asymmetrical tailoring with softer elements such as drapery and lamé fabric to produce a softer, more restrained silhouette.  Elegantly draped dresses in autumnal beige and mushroom shades looked effortlessly casual, whilst shimmering and lamé fabrics brought restrained femininity to the collection. Monochrome black pieces added depth to the collection with black pencil trousers and boxy tuxedos sitting alongside cropped, asymmetrically tailored jackets.  Cutaway vests in buttery black leather and boiled wool coats emphasized the contrast of texture throughout, with splashes of midnight blue and earthen red creating interest and additional vibrancy, producing both a wearable and modern fashion forward collection.

  I had the opportunity of asking Rui about the Spon Diogo label and the collection…

1. Firstly congratulations on winning the Max Factor New Talent Award! What did it mean to you to win this award?

  Thank you very much. Our hometown (Copenhagen) has been very supportive of our work from the very beginning. The stylists and editors took us in from early on. This award is maybe a recognition on another level – maybe it’s a pointer towards the broader market being ready for us too. If this is the case; we are very happy about this.

2.You were nominated for the same award last year, so did being presented the award during Copenhagen Fashion Week feel like a milestone and coming of age for your brand?

   Not really, as you mention, we’re nominated before – also for the DANSK fashion awards (which we didn’t win). For our previous season (SS12) we debuted on the catwalk (Presentation) in Paris; this indeed felt like milestone, and a path we want to pursue. Awards may bring attention in a broader sense, but for us at this stage, trying to establish a sound foundation for our label is far more important – i.e. establishing contact and a good relation to the buyers and press and general awareness of our label.

3.Taking it right back to the birth of SPON DIOGO. How did the label come about and was there a long creative process leading up to the launch in August 2008?

  We met in 2004 and worked together on miscellaneous projects, there amongst full collections for both male and female, knit and suiting collections for local Danish companies.

  In working together we grew a liking and shared a view on how to approach the various processes; along with the outcome. SPON DIOGO felt like it was bound to come into existence sooner or later.

  We decided, on a Paris visit late autumn 2003, that we wanted to work closer, but we’re still both working more than full time. After rounding up the season for our clients, we immediately started working on our own collection, which was in fact two collections; a more or less full Spring / Summer collection along with a capsule Autumn / Winter collection. This  work was initiated in March and shown in Copenhagen in August and Paris later that year.

  Our work and collections were then quite thematically built back and the process of making the collection was quite short and precise.

4.Can you expound a little upon both your creative backgrounds? Do you think this unique fusion of skills helped give SPON DIOGO an iconic and recognizable aesthetic?

  When we started out designing together, and this still applies, we drew on references from various fields of the arts. The first collection we did in our own name, was largely built on architecture or construction. Our shared view on colour vs. shape remains an important factor.

  However we as designers and SPON DIOGO as a label are in a constant development; in the very core of the label lies relevance, and to pursue this we do not focus on achieving a certain iconography but rather on reading our times and responding.

5.What would you say is SPON DIOGO’s signature?

  Pure and precisely designed modern tailoring.

6.Do you have a muse in mind when designing your collections? What qualities does the SPON DIOGO woman exhibit?

   We don’t work with a muse as such, and find this to be uninteresting for us. We are far more interested in body language.  However; she is very much an urban character, and the setting is always the city.

  Our previous collections were very thematically/conceptually designed. They followed a rigorous recipe from theme to research – drawing - selection and lastly development.

  Now development of the collections happen a lot more randomly and are far more mood based. Influences or inspirations tend to creep up on us or are drawn from the historical repertoire we hold.

7.Has being based in Berlin influenced your design inspirations, the fabrics you use, your colour palette?

  Berlin is a quite tough city – the cityscape is concrete on more concrete – we call it ‘United Colours Of Beton’ (concrete) ha-ha. The first season working from Berlin had an almost opposite effect, as the overall expression became a bit softer, but as of recent we’ve taken a lot of inspiration from the diversity in expression found here. However our choices in fabrics and colours remain within our known vocabulary.

8.Turning to your RTW F/W 12/13 collection, what inspired you?

  It’s about the ethereal vs. something concrete, and grew out a wish to make a modern soft statement.

  As in previous collections, for the Autumn / Winter 2012/13 we have worked with juxtaposition of graphic / constructed vs. a softer more draped theme.Materials are very tactile and structured.

 9.You have used a wonderfully diverse autumnal colour palette ranging from soft beige and mushroom shades, white and earthy browns through to more vivid interjections of midnight blue and rust red, and underlined with crisp swathes of black. How did these shades appeal to you, and how did you marry them together so well throughout your collection?

  Thank you. The colour scheme was inspired from colour work of Caravaggio, known as the school of Tenebrism. It’s about a marriage of the deep earthly colours with strong popping colours.

10.You have also used many textures throughout your collection, from iridescent fabrics to leather to boiled wool. Why did these material appeal to you?

   The inherent constructional qualities of the felted wool, the draping qualities along the with raw edge finish, makes a perfect balance of graphic vs. soft.

 
11.Structurally the collection is superb. How have you created the perfect balance between sharp tailoring and soft drapery?

  The idea was to make a very clad collection; to talk generally about dress. Often we find that to focus on a suited look can render too much to a traditionally male universe.

  In the collection we softened the overall look by using pleats, peplums and flares. A lot of couture references and techniques were applied.

  We have, with this collection, moved a bit further away from the sort of industrial minimalism, we’ve made in the past.

12.You often play with the proportions of the female frame through tailoring, can you tell us some of the methods you have used?

   Our work has and is still to some extent centered on the body and movement. We like to make a very precise but comfortable tailoring, and the process involves a lot fittings.

  In working with very constructed pieces i.e. tube dresses, we do not apply usage of bones for construction but rather focus on comfort.

  We wish to make the wearer the focal point, not the dress.

13.How do you navigate the line between innovation and commercialism of your pieces?

   It’s a quite complex matter. On one side, some buyers look for the unique and often what one would describe as difficult pieces, and the other side, some buyers look for good ‘clothes’.

  We find we have to experiment a bit with the range – some seasons the collections were quite small but highly innovative, other season were more extensive in size.

  Even though we find that only a few pieces go into production, it remains a question of as to which sort of label you want to be perceived. For us, it’s always been important to design a full wardrobe for the SD woman -  the navigation ends up being a sort of ‘getting to know our woman better and better’.

 Also; the concept of commercialism is very different from the US to central Europe; for eg. in the US a deep décolleté is often perceived as to service a totally different market than for eg. in France, as we in Europe have a far freer attitude towards our bodies.

  Even though the international market is of a complex nature; we think one has to go for what one feels lies in the core of one’s label.

14.Can you tell us a little about how you source your materials such as leather and fur (which you have used in previous collections,)

   Generally all our materials and production comes from Europe I.E. Silks from Italy and France, Wools from Austria, Germany and Italy etc., except for the most part of our leather which we source via our manufacturers in Turkey.

  For our A/W 2011 collection, we  had a lovely cooperation with SAGA® Furs from Denmark, who supplied the fantastic SAGA® Fox.

15.Turning to the minimal accessories you have designed, will these be available alongside the clothing?

   Yes, we intend to integrate more and more pieces into the collection such as shoes, bags, jewellery etc.

16. You are stocked both in online boutiques, in Europe and in China which demonstrates worldwide demand for your collections. Do you think the SPON DIOGO aesthetic transcends cultural boundaries?

   Yes.

17.What’s next for SPON DIOGO? What is inspiring you for next season, can you give us any clues?

  Air, lightness and freedom in movement.

Images from SPON DIOGO FW12/13

http://www.spondiogo.com

Human Potential Interview

The innovative Korean brand Human Potential was established in 2008 in Seoul by DO & YK.  Yk Kim was born in South Korea and studied design and technology at Parsons, New York where she was heavily influenced and inspired by New York’s multi cultural atmosphere.  Taking these inspirations back to South Korea, her first idea was to set up a cultural space in which artists could exchange ideas, which in turn would influence global culture, in conjunction with creating an innovative fashion brand.  Joining forces with Dowon Kim, who shared her vision, Human Potential (HUPOT) the brand and it’s cultural movement was born in 2008.  In 2011 HUPOT signed a licensing agreement with Flux Apparel Inc to manufacture and distribute it’s clothing in the USA, and with vast interest from both consumers and artists from UK, Italy, Japan, Hong Kong, France, Denmark, New Zealand, Brazil and Singapore Human Potential is set to expand globally in the coming decade. 

    HUPOT’S most recent collection, that of A/W 11 entitled ‘Alien Puppeteers’ explores the zeitgeist of extra terrestrials in our global culture.  A kinetically charged and hyper modern unisex collection, graphic prints prove a common thread throughout.  Applied to hoodies, midi length jersey skirts, leggings, kilts and harem trousers, the aesthetic can be summed up as modern and irreverent urban camouflage.  More traditional elements such as varsity jackets have been updated and given graphic monochrome contrasting sleeves, multi pocket army utility jackets and traditionally cut belted trench coats too have been dipped in the eye catching multi coloured abstract prints, creating a highly stylised column of vibrant, warm and illusive print.  HUPOT has also rather wisely included some more mainstream pieces.  Khaki multi pocket army jackets and macs in biscuit and black hues are both classic and expertly tailored, showcasing the brands technical brilliance and their use of high grade materials.  Another highlight are the woolen grandad style unisex cardigans in graphic prints, perfect for a more modern take on work wear, perfect for the cold winter months.  Overall this A/W 11 collection showcases the talent of Eastern designers, which is both refreshing and challenging to the Western conception of fashion.  Bold and fearless, this collection sums up what HUPOT symbolises as a brand, and I will be keen to witness the growth of this brand in the western market.  I asked the brands creative force Yk Kim some questions..

1.Can you tell us a little about how you knew you wanted to pursue a career in the fashion industry, and do you have any formal training?

I always wanted to pursue fashion ever since i was a child. As i got older i found a love for fine art and technology and felt that all three, for me, was a perfect blend. I attended 2 years at Otis College of Art and Design studying Digital Media and 2 years at Parsons studying Design Design and Technology.

2.Can you tell us how your brand was born and the origins of how the cultural website turned into a clothing brand?

Do and YK started a brand called human potential in 2008. We didn’t want to limit the brand to just fashion so we designed a website that unified all types of art and expression.

3.Do you have a muse? What type of person would wear your clothes?

People who don’t have fear and love to challenge themselves are my muses.

4.Why did you decide to call the label human potential?

We wanted to prove to ourselves and to the world that anyone can reach their dreams.  Also that everyone has infinite potential as long as you don’t limit yourself.

5.Where do you draw the inspiration for your collections from?

My inspiration comes from everywhere, but mostly from books and people.  I love philosophy books and historical books, non fiction movies, and i love talking to people with unique experiences in their lives.

6.Where do you see Human Potential expanding to in future? 　

One of our visions is to build a cultural center for everyone,  we want to help the less fortunate.

7.Can you tell us where your clothing is stocked? And can we get our hands on it in the UK?

Our base is in Korea and right now, we have license deal in America. multi shops from hong kong and Beijing are carrying our products.  In the UK, you can go purchase our clothes from our site www.store.hupot.net and www.notjustalabel.com (which has worldwide international shipping).

8.Which designers do you most admire? Why?

I love Alexander McQueen. when i see his clothes, i don’t see just the clothes, i see a spirit. and its only from him. you cant find it anywhere else. my dream was meet him and chat with him. RIP Alexander.

9.What is your opinion on designer collaborations, and what do you see yourself doing any in future?

I would love to collaborate with designers.

10.Can you tell us about your current collection and your inspirations behind it?

2011 F/W - Alien Puppeteers, these days, i see so many people influenced and intrigued by aliens and UFOs. and it almost control their lives with hope and fear. its almost become their religion. it made me think so i wanted to express my thoughts on that.

11.I love the hats featured in your A/W lookbook, can you tell us a little about them? Are they also available to buy?

when i think about UFOs and aliens, the first thing that came to mind was this Japanese animation i used to watch all the time when i was young. and in that animation, the lady wears long hat like that. unfortunately, only 4 were made for the shoot. but, the shorter trooper hats will be available soon in multiple designs.

12.Can you tell us the price range of your pieces?

t shirts starts from $48. coats, leather jackets hit the max of $1200.

13.There is a strong connection between music and your work, do you find the industries go hand in hand and support each other?

I love music and my husbands a producer, and works at YG entertainment, so it very natural that fashion and music go together for us.

Zoe Boomer Interview

  Northern Irish fashion designer Zoe Boomer is one of my countries success stories.  Hailed as ‘Ireland’s next Stella Mccartney’ by the Irish Examiner back in 2009 she certainly is living up to expectations.  Graduating from London’s prestigious London College of Fashion, Zoe went on to found her eponymous label in 2006 and has since accumulated many celebrity followers including the Queen of pop herself, Madonna, who short listed her dresses for her film ‘filth & wisdom.’  Zoe has also exhibited her collections at the Turbine Hall in the Tate Modern, London and at the Sex and The City 2 premiere, creating a persistent demand for her designs, which are stocked at the British Design Collective boutique in Bichester Village, London and bath and additionally from her own online boutique at zoeboomer.com.

  Zoe Boomers signature style is one of modernity and minimalism.  By using only the finest quality silks and silk chiffon’s she creates clean, ethereal silhouettes which are retain both elegance and urban relevance, often a hazardous juxtaposition to master.  In S/S 11 she offered us an iconic collection of subtle dove greys interjected with a vibrant abstract floral print on billowing chiffon dresses and kimono inspired jackets, whilst for S/S 12 she has distilled her aesthetic to offer us  beautifully simple chiffon pleated strapless Swarovski crystal evening gowns and luxurious daywear in grey, slate blue and mocha knit and silks.  I talked to Zoe about her inspirations, experiences and collaborations.

1. When did you first realise that you wanted to pursue a career in the fashion industry?
It wasn’t until i was at Art College that my teacher realised i had a flare for it. Every fashion brief i had, I got top marks for and just loved it. Growing up in N.Ireland it was never given as a career option so I never considered it. But my Amazing Teacher Betty who was trained in Textiles took me under her wing and showed me it was a real possiablity. once i studied it more, designed and researched designers I just fell in Love with the whole industry and found at last that I was really good at something!

2. Can you tell us a little about your training at The London College of Fashion and why you decided to study there?
It still blows me away that I went there, A Bit of a long story. I had actually applied to study in Belfast, as I did not want to leave home let alone move to another country. I was recommended by so many to study in London, and while waiting to find out if i was accepted in Belfast, I had a very hard conversation with a family friend who was like the seventh person advising me that I needed to go abroad. I went in to college the next day, told my teacher that i have changed my mind. She told me to go research a college quickly and see if they are still doing interviews. The First college I found was London College of Fashion- i was like, “cool a college for fashion!” (I had No IDEA how good a college it was!!) My UCAS was sent from the Uni I had already applied to and then I got a letter back from the government saying it’s too late and not allowed to apply and my UCAS has been scrapped! BUMMER… so it was probably going to be a Foundation course for me. As i was putting my final year work on the wall for our college show, I got a phone call from Mum saying a letter had arrived from LCF asking me to go for an interview in 2days time. I had a little freak out and thought it was so not possible, no point going. My work is on the wall, also at this point I had researched more about LCF and realised it was one of the top Universities for Fashion and how hard it was to get in. I then get another call from my Dad who told me he was booking a flight, he would go with me and if anything it was for the experience. My show finished, I took the work straight of the wall into my portfolio, AMAZING BETTY helped me put it together and i was on a flight with my Dad. Next day had my interview, wHere they just looked at my work and offered me a place on the spot! CRAZY!!! 2months later i moved to london and had my first lecture.
Studying at LCF was probably one of the most amazing experiences i have had, there must have been only about 5 or 6 british students in each class and the rest from all around the world! The world quickly became more accessible. Being trained by top designers and lectures in a very cool environment, aLthough very intense and not easy I LOVED IT!

3. Did you always want to set up your own label and have you had experience working for other Fashion Houses?
From when I was little I always wanted to be a business women and have my own company. My dad was a business man with a company he built it up and he travelled lots. I often went with him to meetings or played secretaries at his work. I just wanted to do what he did. I honestly had no idea how i would start up my own fashion label but dreamt one day i would, i just kind of fell into it and it all happened so naturally. I never did a long placement in another fashion house, my first job out of college was working as a stylist assistant and ended up been trained to do styling, but during this time the stylist worked with a London label for London Fashion week. As I was a trained designer and pattern cutter she let me work at the designers studio during the lead up to Fashion week. It may have only been 3 weeks but in that time i probably got the equivalent of 6 months training. I Learnt so much. Through Styling for a year it helped me to really understand the Fashion Industry so much better and see it as an overall business, which if I had not had that experience and knowledge Im not sure I would have been able to start a label so soon.

4. What is the trademark of the Zoe Boomer label?
Zoe Boomer is known for its luxurious fabrics cut in simplistic styles, Garments that can be worn different ways and that will not date! which is a must in this economy, nobody wants to spend lots of money on a garment that can be worn just one season. Also everything is made in the UK and fabric sourced from Italy and France.

5. Do you have a muse? Can you tell us where you draw your inspirations for your collections from?
Ill let you into a secret, I am terrible at Drawing!! I work best with fabric and draping on a stand how I want it to look. I don’t have a muse but i know who the Zoe Boomer women is, what she likes and what things she wants garments for. Inspiration for me will come when either Im running, flicking through a magazine, walking through my favourite department store or just being somewhere inspiring. It could even be on holiday and a lady walks past and i like what she is wearing, its like a light bulb comes on and i start getting ideas. Fabric for me is a huge factor for designing I source and pick the fabric i want first then design around that. I communicate with My pattern cutting team by showing them pictures of my inspiration and basic product sketches (none of this fancy drawing you imagine they would be!)

6. Madonna has famously shortlisted your dresses for her movie ‘filth and wisdom.’ Has this recognition of your talent boosted your profile? And do you think the partnership between the fashion industry and celebrities is an important relationship to maintain?
Well it certainly gets peoples attention and I guess that it gives the label credibility. The relationship between the fashion industry and celebrities is important to maintain as its always guaranteed press but it doesn’t necessarily make it real. A lot of celb’s wear garments for big functions and the more way out pieces were it is not necessarily the real girl going to the office or the mum picking the kid’s up from school who want to look nice but also has to be practical. The celebrity world can be a bit of a fantasy.

7. Hailing from Northern Ireland do you think there is a strong base of talented designers at present?
There is SO MUCH talent in N.Ireland, I have met so many great designers. I think the main struggle for everyone now is the opportunity and money but that can also go to our advantage because you just have to be creative in how we go about it. Some of the best Ideas and businesses I think should come when times are the hardest because you have to think out of the box. Everyone has challenges and obstacles so there is no point making excuses.

8. Which designers do you most personally admire?
I really admire Tommy Hilfiger i wouldn’t say that he is my favourite designer but he started his label by selling ties out of a suit case in America. He started with what he had and could handle and it grew into an empire! I would love to meet him one day and ask what got him through it. Im sure he had a dream and selling ties out of a suitcase wasn’t it and no doubt he had many times of wanting to give up but he kept going and it its now a brand known around the world! Always believe that if you are faithful with whats in your hand you will be given more!

9. You use fine silks and silk-chiffons extensively throughout your collections, do you think that using the highest quality luxury fabrics are a key component of your brand?
Im such a strong believer in quality over quantity! you can not deny how beautiful silk and silk chiffon is and you can’t help feel and look AMAZING in them. I could design a fab garment but if you team it with a horrible fabric, not only will it not last you just won’t feel good in it. The feedback i get so much from women who wear Zoe Boomer is how nice they feel in it and love the fabric touching there skin, They instantly feel beautiful and special - which they are!

 10. Can you tell us what inspired you for your A/W 11 collection?
A/W’11 Collection is cosy meets stylish! we had such a cold winter last year and I was determined to make a beautiful collection that you wouldn’t be freezing in! So this season we introduced Mohair and a chunky knit. team these up with a silk top or dress it becomes the perfect combination! (plus you can add some thermal vests underneath!) This season was inspired by panelling and cut of the fabric. Looking at how lines done in a certain way and cut can be so flattering on the body. When it came to the chunky knit i wanted the garments to be like you are just wrapped up and cosy, and have the look as if you aren’t trying too hard.

11. Can you tell us what you are working on at the minute?
The 2 main things i am working on that we are getting ready to launch, is firstly our new Website and new online shop, and BRIDAL Section!! which will be AMAZING once finished. But probably the most exciting thing we have just launched is the Zoe Boomer FREEDOM Campaign. These are silk and Silk jersey vests with FREEDOM printed on them. £5 From every top goes to an Anti human trafficking charity called the http://www.thea21campaign.org/ They rescue girls and children who have been kidnapped and used for sex slavery. The more i have heard of what is going on it just broke my heart and felt we have to do something. We have already got pop stars like the Saturdays, Miss Dynamite and Brooke Fraser supporting, they all have a FREEDOM TOP and are in the process of getting mens ones done for Lambrinth and JLS who want to support it as well. Not only that but Grazia have got behind it. we are in the process of doing a separate blog about it and a section on our NEW website telling you more also. You can buy the tops already from our online boutique http://www.zoeboomer.com/default.aspx and on ASOS marketplace: https://marketplace.asos.com/boutique/zoe-boomer

12. Your pieces are available to buy online from your website, how important is the digital marketplace to you?
Online really is the way forward! nearly every shop is doing it as well. It is such a great way for me to even sell of some limited edition pieces which I can’t do on bulk and sell things like the FREEDOM tops and insure money will go straight to the charity.

13. Can you tell us a little about Boomer/Stenberg?
Boomer|Stenberg is a bit of a project on the side, I have teamed up with good friend stylist and Director of Carriage 44 soap to do a jersey men and women’s label, specialising in amazing jersey in unusual simple tops and cardigans. We discovered especially in mens wear there is a bit of a gap in the market for good quality simple mens T-shirts in luxury jerseys. We launched our first samples last year and had such amazing interest and feed back. We are about to launch Boomer|Stenberg FREEDOM TOPS first and then stay tuned to the website for it to make its debut in the future.

14. In addition to showcasing your collections at LFW, the Turbine hall at the Tate Modern & at the SATC 2 premier you also show at Belfast Fashion Week, do you think it is important to maintain your Northern Irish connection?
You can take a girl out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the girl! in other words N.Ireland is where I am from, my family are here and this is where I’ve grown up, it will always be home! I started because of the support at home, my business is registered there, my first fashion show was there and the fist shop i ever sold in was there. We recently did a big fashion shoot for editorial images for the new website, we shot it at the north coast, on the beaches and at the Giants Causeway. Swedish photographer Joona Laulajainen flew over to take the pics and my friend N.Ireland model and fitness trainer Holly Edgar modelled for me. It was so special doing this back home and recently we also shot the New ASOS marketplace collection in Lisburn with N.Ireland Photographers: Gillian Higgins www.gillianhigginsphotography.com and Nicola Ross.

15. Can you tell us where your collections are stocked throughout the world?
Well with selling online people can buy them from anywhere in the world. As far as Australia have got Zoe Boomer! My Main stockists are in London and Bath then sold on several online boutiques that aren’t my own. There are so many great and popular online boutiques out there.