My experience in studios really refined and developed my design process. I love learning and growing. I am extremely lucky and grateful to have worked with such talented humans and have them as mentors. After working for others for a period I felt it was important to take the time to create from my own perspective and have my own creative voice and direction.

Labanna Babalon, who I started the label with, and I had a development process with the name and the logo tying together the important relationship between the muse and the creator and nourishing rather than using our muses. We are both independently muses to artists and creators in our own right. 

I am surrounded by talented, motivated individuals and they really help inspire and drive me. I like that NYC is willing to take risks and be daring enough to make a statement. Everyone fits in in NYC. There are so many people from so many places in the world. Everyone has a sense of belonging in NY. I feel we are leading in some of the more daring social justice areas pertaining to the industry. Some of the smaller emerging brands used inclusive less predictable casting choices. I can see it is starting to have an effect internationally and even starting to affect corporate choices. This is something I feel strongly about and consider when I’m branding the label.

Elegant, edgy, modern and classical.

I was sculpting and interested in art prior to designing clothing, and this informs my aesthetic. I particularly love Greek Hellenistic sculpture and classical architecture. I find the clean long lines and serpentine movements to have a timeless beauty, so I try to pull from this idea of modern classical when branding the label. I am drawn to elegance and a luxe ideal while creating wearable pieces. To balance the lightness I add edge to keep it cool and tough; without this element I find it gets a bit boring. I design out of desire, and in this case desire to be elegant and cool. I also like to mix feminine and masculine, luxury with street wear, the light and the dark. Balance and contrast gives narrative to objects.

Visual language is everything to me. I am not sure if it’s for the brand or the brand is a way to communicate what I have to say. I was always better with visuals than with words.

I was given this beautiful fabric from an Italian Mill. When I looked at it closer, the colours reminded me of blood and bruises. At the time I was listening to a lot of Massive Attack remixes and pouring my love into my work instead of a relationship. I envisioned a luxurious woman and a rebel boy and sort of put both characters into each piece.

Sibyl Buck.

Larry is tough and cool. And I want to be more tough and cool like Larry! I love what a genuine die hard rebel he is. He never sacrifices his vision and I respect that.

I will be showing for NYFW in September and again in February. We are thinking a year ahead on the fashion calendar and for now I just want to be as present as possible to create my best work. I have unreleased goodies to drop and I hope it will be as pleasurable for others as it is for me.