You continued your studies in London - what was one
of the most important things you took away from that
experience?
London was a wonderful experience for me. The biggest gain
of that experience was that it provided me the opportunity to
find myself in a place without the limits of a safety net. It was
the first time I had lived away from my home city, without the
comfort of family, friends or familiarity. London is also a
wonderful melting pot of cultures that have not been so
watered down under an umbrella of assimilation. The States
are filled with stunning, expansive scenery and a variety of
personalities; and London has many parallel traits of big
cities in the US. But spending extended time in a place where
so many diverse cultures with impressively old histories exist
in such geographical proximity...it just opens your mind in
entirely new ways.
There are various Fashion cities around the globe,
what made you set up shop in Los Angeles?
I had already spent time in New York during an internship and
completed my studies in London. I suppose I was mostly
interested in experiencing and exploring a new city at that
age. The fashion industry was still mostly confined to New
York in the US at that time, but I had friends and some
connections for work in Los Angeles, so it seemed worth the
adventure. Los Angeles, for all its shortcomings, is also a
breeding ground for inspiration and entrepreneurial
experimentation. Just by the sheer expansiveness of the city’s
urban landscape, there is this kind of open energy here. The
city also has this wonderful manufacturing framework to
build on, originally carved out by the explosion of midcentury modern design in California. There are so many
talented artists, designers and skilled craftsman in this city, I
am consistently in admiration, wanting to learn new tricks
and trades. It feels kind of like Los Angeles has graduated
from high school and it’s once arrogantly rebellious, sloppy
attitude and finding a more mature, streamlined sense of self.
There are many factors that have played a role in this
evolution, but it has been special
50 to witness and grow
alongside that.
THE CONE - ISSUE #9 - SPRING 2016