People

The Stylish City: What’s the inspiration for your line?
Selen: I’m inspired by abstract forms and shapes in nature and under the sea. Things like architectural salvages and ancient forgery.

The Stylish City: We heard that you sometimes wake up in the middle of the night to sketch out a design you dreamed of. Is that true? What else can you tell us about your creative process?
Selen: Yes, once I am in the creative phase, I start being aware of synchronicities. I visualize and slowly shapes and textures appear in front of my eyes. This is a very spiritual moment. It’s like the universe approves of my path and whether it’s day or night, anytime this happens, I am back to my creative spell. I start sketching – trying to rewind what I thought of. The next day, I make little models, still visualizing what I dreamt of during the day and than I turn them into metal.

The Stylish City: How did growing up in Turkey influence your work?
Selen: Istanbul is a magical city for an artist/ Seeing beautiful remains from the Byzantine, the magnificence of the architecture of the Ottoman Palaces, mosques and the whimsical sincerity of Mediterranean and Aegean seas is all very inspiring!

The Stylish City: What are your ultimate plans for the line?
Selen: I would love to have some permanent location and customize work for my customers. I have designed for brides and bridesmaids. I would love to be able to do more commissioned work for non-profit groups.

The Stylish City: Who would be your dream fashion collaborator?
Selen: Donna Karan

The Stylish City: Is there a celebrity you’d like to see wearing your designs?
Selen: I’ve never really thought about it!

The Stylish City: Who’s the ideal Selen Design customer?
Selen: Women of all ages who appreciate art and contemporary jewelry, handmade textures, and the life and thought behind each piece.

The Stylish City: It seems like so much of the fashion industry these days is about PR and marketing, yet you draw in repeat customers by word of mouth without any gimmicks. Is that a conscious decision?
Selen: So far in New York, my sales team and I have developed great relationships with my customers and I appreciate how loyal and excited they are. They are the reason I push myself to make new items so often. That said, I do eventually want to get some marketing help.

The Stylish City: What’s your single favorite piece for Studio Gluck customers? Why?
Selen: I love the Abundant Bamboo necklace and it’s flow and earthy texture.

Leila Cohan-Miccio

Rolando Santana knows dresses. He grew up surrounded by fabric (his mother was a dressmaker) and moved to New York City in 1991 to fulfill his fashion industry dream. After twenty years in the fashion capital of the world, Santana still finds inspiration for both color and structure in his homeland.

Do you have a theme in mind when you start a new collection? 

Yes. So for Spring 2011, it’s Modern Mexican Architecture. Then finding pieces that help me translate that onto a dress, whether it’s a color story or structure. For instance, we have one print that looks like cement. It’s very textured and printed on linen fabric. So seeing a cement wall and translating it onto a dress.

What inspired Modern Mexican Architecture?

My first collection launched in the height of the recession, so I really wanted my next collection to be bright, vibrant and inspiring. Being from Mexico, there are always such bright colors: yellows, reds, stripes. Previously, we played a lot with fabrics and draping. People reacted really well to it but were also inspired by the more sophisticated pieces – the blacks, neutrals, pieces that were classic but with a modern twist.

For 2011, I sought to combine those two elements. There is an architect named Luis Barragan, and he uses bright colors but his architecture is incredibly simple. I liked the combination. The main concept of the line is simple shapes with a lot of play on fabrics – pleating, draping, sequins, but sequins used for texture. Not bling all over.

Your first job when you graduated from FIT was for Spenser Jeremy. I read they “recognized your talent.” How so? 

Since it was a small family-owned company, I was exposed to the business end – production, merchandising, working with the design team. They had a private label and never a designer who really catered to the account. They wanted me to design a few dresses, and I made a presentation. I was assigned to the account. It was my first design job, and it opened the door creatively for me.

Why dresses?

Dresses are the ultimate feminine expression. The ability to create something special that is very easy to wear. With a dress, it’s just one piece. After so many years in the fashion world, you see pieces come and go, but the dress always remains. If a woman has a choice to buy separates or a dress, a dress is the way they will go. For everything.

Do you have a fashion design who inspires you?

Not a big name designer like Dior, but I’m inspired my contemporaries. More so by just traveling, people watching. Last weekend I was walking on the beach and started picking up stones. I was inspired by the sand, neutral colors. I started sketching some designs then in the studio, see if the fabrics works for them.

So if you could travel anywhere, where would it be?

Somewhere in Mexico. I would like to find a city that brings inspiration for fall. A city I haven’t been to where I could look at textiles and fabrics. Being remote from everything. I wouldn’t choose a glamorous spot, but rather explore within my roots and translate that into a more universal, cosmopolitan taste.

Santana and I spoke a bit about on the need to be remote and alone to find inspiration and work out designs. Creating space to be inspired is even harder for a designer launching their own line, their own business. Santana continually works to achieve this balance. When he left his studio last night, he sent me an email thanking me for my time. It was almost midnight.

To sample Rolando Santana’s dresses, visit his sale this week.

Emma Dinzebach

Fashion designer, Yigal Azrouël, didn’t attend design school. “I didn’t know I wanted to do this!” he confessed yesterday afternoon when he stepped out of his studio for a moment to chat on his current sample sale. Inducted into the CFDA in 2004, Azrouël debuted his first international runway show in Paris in Spring 2005. Heidi Klum, Kirsten Stewart and Katie Lee Joel are all fans of the Israeli-born, French-Moroccan designer. But like every designer, big and small, if he could choose to dress anyone, he would outfit fashion icon, Kate Moss.

How did you know you wanted to be a designer?

I was always attracted to fashion. Then I started making pieces for myself, then for friends. Eventually, I put together a small collection.

What do you consider your breakthrough pieces?

My leather jacket. Our t-shirt. We have a very special t-shirt that is washed with milk – something I developed in Italy. Also dresses. The dresses are a big category for us.

How would you categorize your style?

Simple. It’s not like making collections from the same fabric. It’s making individual pieces work together. Some pieces are fashion forward but in a very simple way. Clean lines, a cool little jacket, pants.

Who is wearing Yigal Azrouël now?

A lot of the cool, downtown crowd. When I go out… when I walk down the street, I see musicians, rock ‘n roll, actors, artists.

So when you spot someone walking down the street wearing your designs what do you think?

Depends who is wearing it, and how they are wearing the clothes. I don’t like when people try really hard. For me, less is more. But for the most part I get excited when I see someone wearing my designs. It completes my day.

I know you aren’t one to follow trends, so where do you derive inspiration?

My inspiration comes from the fabric. Most the day I’m sketching then draping, sketching then draping. Like sculpture – you don’t always know where you are going when you sculpt something, but you are slowly chipping away. I like when fabric surprises me… when it tricks me.

If you didn’t design clothing, what would you do?

I’d be surfing. I’ve been surfing since I was six.  Sometimes on a nice day with good swells, I go to Long Beach and surf then come back. I used to even go in the winter, but not as much anymore. I’m building a house in Costa Rica, and if I didn’t design, I’d live there and surf. And fish, so I could eat.

In one sentence, what do you do all day?

Think. I think all day long.

Emma Dinzebach

Renee DuMarr has “new found energy.” When I spoke with the womenswear designer early Thursday morning, she was at the hair salon dying her dark locks an easy shade of blonde. “You have to change it up,” she said with enthusiasm of a woman whose seven-year-old son now spends his days at school so she can focus on her business. After a twenty year career in fashion (she is the former Vice President of both Perry Ellis and K L Karl Lagerfeld), DuMarr struck out on her own and her namesake label aims to redefine apparel for overcommitted women.

How would you categorize your label’s style? 

Chic, classic, elegant…and a little bit out of the box.

Who is wearing Renee DuMarr now?

30 and up.

What inspired your current line, featured at next week’s sample sale?

My new found energy…and comfort. The line is a product of what I’m feeling. I’m rethinking and redefining all of the aspects of a woman’s life to create something that takes a woman out of her box, which is where I want to be.

In one sentence, what do you do all day?

I multi-task.

If you didn’t design clothing what would you do?

Work on the exchange floor or on a bond desk. I deal with colors, silhouettes, fabrics that are all real…that I can feel. If I didn’t do this, I’d be intellectually creative with numbers: packaging, buying, selling. They’re not really that different – finance and fashion – they just use different mediums.

If you could dress someone famous, who would it be?

Hilary Clinton, although she’s governed by her environment. Demi Moore. Sharon Stone. If Sarah Palin weren’t Sarah Palin, then Sarah Palin. I would love to dress Jackie O, but she’s dead.

After our interview, Renee sent me a text message that read “Thanks Emma! Always enjoy the journey. R” Like Renee, sassy but breezy, her designs reflect her present aim to balance her blessings. Because when you think about it, Lagerfeld or Legos, life yields infinite inspiration when we revel in our journey.

Emma Dinzebach