The September issue is probably the most important issue of the year for fashion magazines since it features everything that is coming up for the Fall. The September issue is packed with great ads & the one ad that I cannot help but stop and pause every time I come across it is Madonna’s Louis Vuitton F/W 2009-10 Ad campaigns.
She looks absolutely gorgeous, probably the best I’ve ever seen her, and absolutely, without a doubt, the people at LV have airbrushed the life out of her. But whatevs, she looks good.
iDR has had the pleasure to interview Mataano. When I first heard about them is through a friend of mine. Apparently they’ve been on Oprah…Oprah you say? We’re all over it! I had so many questions and honestly I wanted to sit and chat with them, however, they are on the east coast. You can see why they and their brand Mataano was featured on Oprah. Their global mind and vision is inspiring as well as their passion and strive for the fashion industry. Best of all they’re chicks just like us, making it work! Check out their collection online, click here and read on.
First off tell us a bit about how Mataano came about?
While we were growing up in Somalia, we were always aware the fashion of very beautiful women who wore dazzling, colorful dresses. When we moved to Virginia, at 9 years old, we got exposed to a more contemporary style of fashion, especially through the magazines and books our mother gave us to read in order to learn English more quickly. At that point, we didn’t realize that our love for fashion could equate to a career. So, we went to college to earn solid, dependable degrees. And then we moved to New York, for the pursuit of our dream.
I see the two of you have had internships at Jill Stuart and Betsey Johnson. Tell us a bit of what you learned and how you’ve leveraged that into your own company now.
Our internships let to jobs. The best way to learn any craft is to immerse yourself in it. Working in the field of fashion gave us the building blocks to accomplish our goals.
Fall 2009 Collection
How has working in online marketing given you an edge on marketing your own line?
Yes, definitely. E-marketing has given us the opportunity to increase sales and access new markets across the globe.
Working with your sister…good or bad? Annoying or great? I mean after a long day at work, do you guys still hang out after? Has your relationship changed, if so in what way? Give us the dish!
Working together is great. We grew up together. We shared a crib, a room, a car. Now we live and work together. Trust me, when you share a womb with somebody, you learn quickly how to get a long. That being said, we do have the occasional argument and when we do, we give each other space.
Looking at the photos, I see a lot of ethnically diverse women? Is that intentional? If so why?
We hire models that represent the multicultural world we live in.
all photos courtesy of Mataano
What is your creative process like? If we were to step into your studio what would we expect to go through to get the end product?
There are different phases to the design process. There is the design phase, the fabric and color phase and the final phase would be development of samples. So if you were to come to our design studio, you would find fabric, trim, vintage clothes, art, proto samples, a pattern maker, and a sewer. There would also be people coming and going – friends or stylists or our PR rep.
With rich Somali roots and living in NY, does the cultures influence your pieces in a more technical perspective such as relooking at the function of a dress in two different cultures?
We would have to say that color and attitude is derived from our Somali roots, but the cut and silhouette of the dresses are western. We will eventually try and experiment with Somali dress silhouettes.
Your pieces are lovely, how is the line responding to the economy? Do you see repositioning your price point, or changing materials?
The economy is not great. However, we are happy with the response we have gotten. We are positioning ourselves for slow but steady growth. It’s good to remain cautiously optimistic.
Also in the long run, how do you see the fashion industry changing as a whole in response to the financial climate?
It will weed out a lot of mediocre labels. There will be more room for new designers.
What do you love about the Fashion Industry? Is there anything about the industry you cant stand?
We love the fashion industry because we have the opportunity to express ourselves through clothing. Dressing is like decorating your body; we have the privilege to decorate bodies. However, it is important to realize that it’s just clothes. Sometimes people take it too seriously!
What should we expect in the future for Mataano?
Growth, Ecommerce, and an accessory line
Special thanks to Idyll and Ayaan for collaborating with us on this piece. We can’t wait to see more!
With brands hanging on a thread, one new brand emerges. IMPRM a new lifestyle brand built by 5 different individuals with a common goal aligned, success. Our hustle, trials, and struggles, shape our brand and build our account of fashion through each untold story now being interpreted through art and our lifestyles.
2-8p IMPRM Launch
1800 San Jose Ave
San Francisco, CA 94112-2443
What a fun event, iDR was just lucky to help sponsor this event. A lot of people came out and supported Made Jewelry. This party was their 1 year anniversary party..congrats! These girls do an awesome job hand crafting their pieces and doing fun events such as the recent. Shouts out to Fred at Suckafreeze for working so hard! Our pics should be up shortly, thats if I can find my usb cord…blah!
If you haven’t heard of the brand BLVK SCVLE you are probably on another planet. Bay Area design duo Mega and Alfred are proud to announce their first pop up store in San Francisco. In years time, they’ve created more than t-shirts. They’ve crafted a brand that has become a lifestyle. It is not your typical t-shirt graphic print in this over saturated industry called “streetwear”. More so, a highly strategic and conceptual story line that is the backbone of the the brand. Think Picasso or Cezanne on a really baaaad day where their thoughts of religion, conformity, and symbols are questioned. Congrats to them, we can’t wait whats in store….literally.
Fermentiattivi is an independent label, born, more or less, one year ago. Fermentiattivi’s best describes themselves as: We are an art director and a graphic designer, we’ve known each other for some years and we decided to create something together. We decided to create something completely new and unique, independent from classical advertising, right to express our creativy without limits.
How did your company start out? What was the original concept?
Working for customers in advertising you realize they often don’t use to letting you express completely your ideas.
Fermentiattivi project has been developed during our friendship and our work, always performed with passion and care. So, one day we decided to join our energies and inject them into our whole creativity, making our minimal and straight web site.
We find creativity in everything around us, like things of everyday life (collection Homesweethome), like our organs (exalted from old latin wise men), or like lovely pets (living on your t-shirt). And the collections won’t stop here….
Seeing that you’re in Italy, why would you want to reach consumers in the United States?
We would love to let American people know about our creativity because we think they have a feeling for changes and they could appreciate two European creatives.
American fashion vs. Italian fashion? You’re thoughts?
Not really a “match” but a meeting between two different cultures, two ways of thinking, two life-styles.
What do you think are the differences in attitude in a American girl and Italian girl?
Our target are young people usually curious and interested in new things and changes. It doesn’t matter where they come from, creativity is appreciated everywhere in the same way.
The 114-year-old luxury department store, Henri Bendel, announced that it will stop selling clothing and focus instead on its accessories and cosmetics. For all of their existing items will be on sale at Gabay’s Outlet in East Village, New York. Gabay’s items are usually priced at 50% to 80% off retail! Who saw this coming? 114 years in the retail business, it is so sad to see the store go. Henri Bendel’s had a nice layout. The place was never too crowded and their interior felt upscale but friendly. I’ll miss their wrought iron accents, marble flooring and most of all their signature brown stripe awning.
All of Henri Bendels items such as Chanel, Manolo, and Jimmy Choos shoes, in addition to YSL and and Oscar de la Renta clothing will be there. *sigh*
Gabay’s Outlet
225 First Avenue (between 13th and 14th)
212-254-3180
contactus@gabaysoutlet.com
We’ve been talking green for a minute. We’ve posted tips, given resources and links. Now Earth Day was yesterday, you basically can say Earth week is this week with Disneys release of Earth movie on the 22nd. With all this talk we wanted to shed some light on a clothing line has been accessible to all kinds of women by placing their sustainable clothing in Target and Barneys.
Loomstate launched in New York City in 2004 by designer Rogan Gregory and Scott Hahn, Loomstate was founded as a casual brand dedicated to creating demand for certified organic cotton using socially and environmentally responsible methods of production. Click here to check their site for further information.
Today I got a chance to attend the Alexander Wang Fall 2009 trunk show. It was AHHHmazing! So after chatting with the Global Director of Sales this is what I’ve learnd and want to share with you. His fall collection is based off of a film. According to WWD, the film noted as Batman Returns. The Global Director told me it was based of a flim named Mad Maddox in which I did research for and found nothing. Was this film an indie film or perhaps not out for release? Anyhow you can see his concept and direction.
For fall his colors were mainly black, bronze, and dark greys. Some of his clothing resembled metal such as a tunic dress that looked like what knights wore underneath their armor in the renaissance era, however, when you touch it and its soft. A sweather that had increduble sheen to it looked like a sleek patent leather textile, however, it is a woven material that is luxuriously comfortable. Furnishing across the board were hard, even barbaric. You can see silver metal cubes along sleeves and on his shoes. Vertical cuts and rips give a sense of rawness to his clothing. Thick black fur was of course a part of the collection. The Global Director had discussed with me his concept with this season on shoes. She said that whatever you are wearing your shoes grounds you and that is why they appear to look heavy. Indeed they did look heavy and impossibly too high to walk in. To assure me she said the sample was for runway and the real shoes will be lighter with a shorter heel. Would you implement these style notes in your wardrobe for fall?
Burger King’s controversial commercial produced by Crispin Porter + Bogusky is at the center of a controversial complaint from the Mexican ambassador to Spain, who claims it denigrates Mexico’s image. This Texican Whopper commercial bites of Nacho Libre, ok a little bit. See it for yourself and you determine if it is worth all the press. Burger King on the other hand is taking action to revisit the commercial and make edits. What BK’s official press states “Burger King has this time issued a statement saying that the creative in the Texican Whopper spot will be revised, with a new version on air “as soon as commercially possible”. And oh by the way CP+B has also produced the “bk virgins” commercial. Yup, thats right the commercial that is currently running on TV for Burger Shots, lets put two and two together shall we?
Ad Week conducts report cards on America’s top agencies. No, No its not another reality show, its an overview and grading system of the most influential agencies. Why is it so important? Well if you’re in the creative industry its a pulse on how the industry is progressing and in what direction.
You would be surprised by the grading system. I’ve admired for a long time the work and creativity Saatchi & Saatchi produces, however, they got a C+! Wondering how Ad Week comes up with their grading system? Don’t worry that info is included below.
