EDGE featured designers and industry professionals on the radar.
Fashion is an expansive narrative of the abstract because when we really look at it and talk about it, good or bad, it taps all segments of society, the net is wide. Recently, we ‘looked and talked about’ the political statement Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Tax the Rich” dress made at The Met Gala. Technological advances […]
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With over 2.5 million United States women veterans strong, women have been fighting and sacrificing for their country much longer than you may think — even going as far as disguising themselves as a man in order to serve.
Read moreThese people give a shit about how things are made, and why they are made; and if things are going to be made, they need to be meaningful and beautiful.
Simon Doonan, Creative Ambassador, Barney’s New York; Selby, Todd, Fashionable Selby
In an age of socioeconomic inequalities, climate crisis, and a pandemic, characterized by accelerated technological advances and new working models, design plays a crucial role in supporting the ways we care for ourselves, each other and the planet. Managing resources equitably and sustainably is vital for ecological resilience. The Design Museum, United Kingdom, Designers in […]
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What I hope to accomplish is basically a diversion of the practices we use to satisfy our materialistic needs. I personally believe that the urge for something new is something not worth trying to change, what I focus on changing is the reaction to that urge. – Ophir El-Boher
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Did you know that futbol team, aka soccer, t-shirts are considered fast fashion and negatively impact the environment? Sustainable fashion designer Juan Pablo Martinez thinks so. He says, “the top 10 futbol teams alone, sell 17,500,000 100% polyester t-shirts every year”.
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The global state of affairs is the engine that drives the vision of Yvonne Lin’s body of work. Fashion, like art, is a catalyst for dialogue and exchange of ideas and values. It is fundamentally rooted in our culture in an age of identity politics, multiculturalism, and social transformation. Lin looks deep into the fractures […]
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Soul – the Dictionary definition is an emotional or intellectual energy or intensity, especially as revealed in a work of art or an artistic performance. Maital Levitan personifies this artistic practice with a body of work that reveals an emotionally charged narrative. She is a fearless storyteller producing bold designs that are relevant with a […]
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What is responsible fashion? When you. . .
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The Japanese shibori industry now has serious issues: aging artisans without next generation to pass this heritage on, and decreasing demand partly caused by globalization. – Jun Nakamura
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I began seeing the clothes I had been accountable for making as post-consumer waste: in thrift stores, jammed into markdown racks, and on the streets as rags. From an organic farm to procurement of fashion artifacts to a zero waste product development operation, Karen Glass, founder of Ø [zerøwaste] GLASS, walks the talk of a circular fashion […]
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There are economic, ethical, cultural, and design issues around mass production, particularly mass produced fashion. Aside from its social issues, fashion that is mass produced can be very expected, uninspiring, conforming, and blasé, you get the picture, and tends to be of lower-quality. Do we ever think of the actual makers of these mass produced […]
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One thing I want to do is figure out a better way to leave less of a footprint. I am not at all interested in mass production. What I create is art. – Alena Kalana A high school fashion course led Alena Kalana to give fashion design a serious thought. This award winning designer’s passion […]
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Brain cancer survivor, Susan Tancer, creates one-of-a-kind functional art. Painting became a therapeutic escape from cancer treatment. After being diagnosed with brain cancer in 2004, this former marketing and public relations professional developed a passion for painting. Suffering from the effects of chemotherapy, painting seemed the one thing to take her mind off of it. This […]
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This was an experience that you can’t get in school; it is like a master teaching their apprentice. – Hera Zhou “Being in Paris is a dream city for a fashion designer”, says Hera Zhou, and she seized the opportunity with no hesitation. Imagine working at the Louvre Museum, looking at sketches from famed couture […]
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Breaking the rules, disrupting the fashion system is easier than you think. Fashion designer, Peivand Mirzaie has made a mark on breaking the rules, disrupting the system, while embracing the power of fashion. She has gone beyond the ‘system’ in her designs, pushing concept over saleability; in her choice of education, wanting more freedom and […]
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A water-pollution-inspired collection gets the attention of a museum.
Read moreFashion, like art, embodies the time we live in and society bears witness to the interpretation of its historical and cultural significance.
Rhonda P. Hill
Fashion design is my diary. I always can mark a collection around a devastating or exciting time in my life. Designing helps me express my feelings and emotions all while telling a story. – Bishme R. Cromartie
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Francesco Rasola is on the EDGE Radar for a very good reason. He thinks, he makes you think, he uses fashion as messaging – as an art of language. Our last connection with Francesco was from his collection, “It’s Just Matter of Time” [please reference our Stop! In Front of Time interview with him]. Here, […]
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The Fashion industry has contributed to the earth’s pollution, and my endeavor is to show the world that we can have high-fashion in co-existence with nature and other living beings. – Purvi Doshi
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I love finding inspiration from a painting – either the lines, colors, shapes, or the story of the piece. Femilia Putri | Creative Director of ÁINE Born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, Femilia Putri [Femi], Creative Director of ÁINE, draws inspiration from the visual art of nature. Her recent collection is inspired by the creative power of artists’ […]
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I saw Al Gore’s documentary and felt that what I was doing in fashion didn’t have real meaning or impact. Juan Pablo Martinez What is responsible fashion? When you watch Al Gore’s documentary on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, and decide as a fashion designer to be environmentally responsible; When you learn that between 300-600 […]
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We want to bring back the essence from all over the world, with handmade, fine ARTISANal collections that are made by local artisans in their traditions. We will not disguise those communities; we give them access to the windows of the world while they give us their most precious gift: their talent. – Clémence Goudard, Good People […]
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Most people in the fashion industry told me I was too old, and without an education and the experience I would fail as a designer in the industry. I am glad I proved them wrong. – Else Hardjopawiro I am glad you proved them wrong, as well! There is no age or education limit […]
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If there’s a word to describe “GAiETY uP” it would be EXUBERANT – Patrick Kevin Francisco Patrick Kevin Francisco has been on the EDGE Radar for some time and is definitely an up and coming designer to watch. A fashion show award winner and recent graduate from the Art Institute of California – Hollywood, he […]
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Throw away fashion, this is NOT. On the opposite end of the [fast and cheap] spectrum of fashion is Standard Issue.
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Francesco Rasola‘s new collection, “It’s Just Matter of Time”, expresses this Italian fashion designer’s gift in executing a look that defies mainstream [repetitive] fashion, brings meaning to the artistry of fashion, and showcases how the trajectory of our culture impacts fashion. He embraced the concept of time and has given us something we never expected, not only […]
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It’s really amazing to present something to the world of fashion and share the stage with people who have been doing this longer or have more notoriety. – LeGrand Leseur
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The tomorrow people is what we can now call ourselves, because of the vision we hold as previously overlooked people/designers. African design brings forth a fresh vision and outlook or newness to international fashion platforms, implemented and seen in some of the top brands of the world. – Sheila-Madge Bakker [SMB] I am very inspired […]
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The future of fashion is simple: it has to be the redemption of itself, it has to demonstrate that it took awareness about the bad situation it caused with superficiality, carelessness and lack of synergy (the key of everything), and it has to be the first educator of a new consumer that won’t “consume” fashion […]
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Fashion customers want what you are creating and they are rejecting the fast fashion (fashion homogenization) that is in every “box store” in America. – Jay Arbetman, The Sourcing District
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Among all the brands out there, it’s a challenge to stand out and not give in to consumerism, sales and discount here and there. In my opinion, this devalues a brand. – Christina Fischer
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The inner guidance or spark of inspiration allows me to feel what is next. Imagination is never tangible and I want to capture those ‘sparks’. -Elaine Unzicker
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Koko Nanga consumer is an Afropolitan at heart. Throughout my journey I have met/spoken to a variety of people from different countries, cultures, races. With this I have realized that you don’t have to be black to be Afropolitan. You simply have to have an affinity for Afro culture. – Maryanne E. Mokoko
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Who are the ‘ones to watch’? The next generation of emerging designers who have got the edge [EDGE] are, quite simply, coming from the art and fashion schools.
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. . .where is the sense of design? Read on, these designers, [l-r] Michael Ngo, Amato Couture by Furne One, Rahil Hesan, & Marmar Halim, have it.
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. . .The essential triangle of sustainability is social, economic, environmental. You have to have all three or you are not really sustainable. . .I want to be a positive part of my community – thus growing a business and hiring, training, creating skilled jobs goes with the territory. That fills both social and economic […]
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The EDGE network of emerging designers share business tips and advice on their journey as an up and coming brand in the fashion industry. This is part of the EDGE experience based [to complement academic] educational best practice series.
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. . . a woman’s story through her wardrobe. . .I feel like I’ve invented a language that turns to be their chosen form of communication. Mena Lombard, Designer I was intrigued to interview Mena Lombard, the Uruguayan born designer with a fashion brand of her namesake. As a witness to her runway show during […]
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Clothing can be sustainable and yet still fashionable. – Mimi Wong, Founder and Designer of Minan Wong It may read as a simple statement, but not all designers can make this claim. In today’s earth friendly culture, consumers want fashionable clothes that can sustain the earth. Gone are the days where sustainable [Eco-friendly] fashion was […]
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What is the magic behind the art of costuming? It’s magical by its very nature. In doing my research I learn about different cultures, different times. I work with and learn from all kinds of creative people and then create a magical experience for the audience. What could be better? – Alex Jaeger, Costume Designer
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Michael Ngo is a rising star in the EDGE [emerging designer] community. We last connected with him in March when he launched his first fashion show, LA Fashion Council [LAFC] | LA Fashion Week. Seven months later he has presented his latest collection, SOVEREIGNS OF THE SΣΛ, at Art Hearts Fashion Los Angeles.
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It’s difficult to find a balance between the creativity side and the commercial side of design, but I think that’s the role of a fashion designer. – NGA WUN [Kitty] Mok, designer.
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I love to wear both women’s and men’s clothes, and have met several like minded people who think the removal of gender labels on clothes would change the idea of dressing in general. – Brendan M Combs, designer.
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Business and design go hand in hand, now, and without understanding how each part is important you can easily find yourself losing your power in major decision making moments. . . – Brendan M Combs, designer.
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In ten minutes the past few months of working on something is presented to the world. – Brendan M Combs, designer.
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Emerging designers and the Italian story as told by les assorties’.
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. . .You can feel the love of the craft that has gone into the work by the craftsman. Through having a supply chain that holds eternal and ancient values, I hope to inspire others to take caution in how they are approaching their lifestyle in all aspects. Sita Bell | London This quote from […]
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The EDGE network of emerging designers share business tips and advice on their journey as an up and coming brand in the fashion industry. These direct quotes are from the EDGE Radar designer interview series.
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The global luxury eyewear market is expected to expand at the rate of 6% in the coming five years ahead and will go on to account for a total of $20 billion in revenues, with the Asia Pacific region the fastest growing regional market in sales, as reported from Global Luxury Eyewear Market – Forecast, […]
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This Senegalese fashion designer, who once held a position on Wall Street, brings conscious fashion to the forefront with her Global Education Movement (GEM) foundation. She is committed to improving the communities and supporting the local artisans.
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. . .Art and fashion bring all the diversity of the world into one humbled and harmonized oneness enforcing a positive impact on the world. . . – Fikirte Addis, Designer, Yefikir Design RPHill: Fikirte, you have an interesting background. You are a psychologist and a designer. Tell us how you got into the business and […]
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I am here to design change. . .every person is designed specifically with a set of abilities in order to be successful in a designated field. – Tobi Martins Oluwatobi [Tobi] Abisola Martins, based in Lagos, Nigeria, has a love for fine art and poetry and is a speaker, writer, poet, and agriculturist. If you […]
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We believe that ethical production should not compromise the quality and design of the product, rather it adds to its exquisiteness and value. We produce high quality, luxury ethical goods that are unique to the market. – Paola Masperi | designer Mayamiko | Malawi, Africa An interview with Paola Masperi. . . Paola, you are […]
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Tina Lobondi, the Congolese born [DRC], London based designer has built her fashion business, over a decade, on understanding who her customer is. As she says often in this interview, her customer is a strong, feminine woman. Tina is just coming off of her show at We Are Africa Fashion Extravaganza in the Maboneng area […]
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Learn the industry hands on as much as you can before going out there, because school won’t teach you the reality of it . . . create your own route, everything will not work for everyone. Some will be successful and some won’t. I mention this because this is the reality of fashion, and it’s […]
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