Steinunn Sigurd is an a rare mix of sophistication and rawness. The designer featured in our One Train photo editorial shot by Wayne Liu. The Icelandic designer is heavily influenced by the nature of her homeland and yet that organic influence is tempered by her exceptional focus craftsmanship. The combination of virgin wilderness and modern detailing makes for a balanced intellectual reflection on dressing.


Can you tell us a little bit about your inspiration for the Fall 08 collection?
My inspiration always comes from Iceland, this season it is the texture of the lava, the orange colour of the magna, the floating lava and the misty silver, grey colour from the steam of the hot springs.


The details of each garment really stand out. This was part of the reason why we chose to shoot the collection with photographer Wayne Liu, in black and white film. Does detail come before, say, color or silhouette in your designs?
I always start with texture, that is the most important part of the collection, it is the reason behind the collection. I didn't know that you choose to shoot in black and white, it must look amazing.


What did your experiences working as Design Director for La Perla and Senior Designer for Tom Ford teach you about what it takes to run your own label?
Mr. Ford made me independent, to stand and work on my own and make my own decisions, He gave me an insight in to sex appeal and rock and roll. La Perla gave my the first oppertunity to prove my independence.


Is there anything you miss about working for another designer?
What I do miss about working with the big fashion houses is the professionalism that surrounds them. Their names stands for crafmanship, pure design and standard that is very high. Everyday I think of this craftmanship.


If Seinunn could go anywhere, be anything--what would be in store for the label?
The most amazing pieces of clothing with crafmanship that can withstand decades...timeless elegance.

6. Outside of Steinunn, what is your everyday life like?

My Reykjavík life is very simple: family, friends, dog, house, summerhouse, gardening and being part of the Reykjavík creative melting pot.

Now that the curtain has dropped on Fall 08, we've taken a moment to style and shoot the collections from some of our favorite designers. Sue Stemp, whom we interviewed as part of our pre-Fashion Week video series, invited us into her studio to shoot her Fall 08 collection. Stemp, as always, was a blast to spend time with, and with her new inclusion as a member blog in Coutorture we are even more excited for this shoot. She is one of the most lively designers and her beautiful manners and kind demeanor make her clothes seem that much more special. This Fall 08, Stemp showed vibrant dresses with details like hand screen printed designs and racer back panels that wrap into scarves. The collection is any party girl's dream come true where the clothes are sophisticated though lively enough to grace the dance floors of any posh New York City club. Since we've spoken with Stemp about her Fall 08 collection by way of our previous interview, we decided to ask her a little bit about her time spent post-Fashion Week. Below, our most recent interview with Stemp, links to other coverage, and our exclusive Coutorture editorial.




One would imagine, with Spring deliveries and Fall buying, this time of year might be a bit hectic for you. Is this a stressful time for you or are you able to relax with the help of your team?
Having your own business is relentlessly hectic all year round, but timewise in the fashion calendar, with there being a much bigger gap between Spring and Fall fashion weeks than vice versa, March and April are really the quietest months for me. So I’m trying to make the most of it and maybe get away somewhere soon.


When does the work for next season (Spring 09) start to pick up? When you are building ideas for a new collection, do you set a timeline for yourself?
I have to set a timeline for myself, and I guess I’ve already started to build ideas in my head and in my sketchbook. I’m just beginning to research these and look at fabrics….there is always a danger of starting too early on designing though as I’ll want to change everything later! The first things that I really have to finalise are the colours, order fabrics and trims, and get my prints and embellishments into work.


Your Fall 08 collection included so many wonderful dresses, perfect for an evening out in New York City. I know you've just moved uptown with your family, do you think your aesthetic will continue to represent a downtown lifestyle, or do you imagine the move will begin to inform your designs?
I don’t think my move will make any difference to my design aesthetic….it will still remain a mix of downtown New York with a bit of uptown and London thrown in!


What pieces in the Fall 08 collection did people respond strongly to? Were you surprised?
People always react well to my prints, especially this season as they were mostly hand screen printed with is really unusual. In general most girls respond strongly to whatever they think would like to wear themselves…so that’s not really that surprising, but it is flattering and encouraging.


Links:
Sue Stemp Spring 08 collection
Pre-fashion week video interview with Sue Stemp
Sue Stemp Fall 08 fashion show
Exclusive Coutorture editorial with Fall 08 Sue Stemp colllection
Exclusive Coutorture editorial with Fall 08 James Coviello collection

As part of our showroom photo shoot series (see James Coviello and JF & Son for more) we popped into Archetype showroom to shoot the Corpus Fall 08 collection. Earlier that day, we had a rager over the revival of acid wash (didn't this just happen) and when we got to the showroom, low and behold, a pair of cherry red acid washed jeans were looking us in the eye. So, we thought of the shoot from the vantage point of a prep school in the early 1990's. Maybe even an English prep school, we thought, which probably popped into our minds with our model Estella, telling us about her move to New York from sunny London. We first saw the Corpus Fall 08 collection at Capsule, and right away the Navajo print cardigan caught our eye. One of the first major purchases everyone makes when Fall is on it's way is a new cozy cardi. It's hard to think about now, as all New York has on it's mind are the sweet blue skies of summer. But it's true. If you think back to the first time there's a chill in the air, the first time you opt for a hot coffee and a croissant over an iced coffee and a bowl of Margarita, you start thinking about cozy knits and country homes. Queue Navajo print. Seriously, it conjures all of those cozy cravings in one fell swoop. Funnily enough, the guys behind Corpus, Jerrod Cornish and Keith Richardson, live in Los Angeles. Somehow, the pair have captured an East Coast moment with their Fall 08 prep school versus the college professor vibe. Like romanticizing a change in seasons, maybe a little bit of distance makes for a brighter future. Our interview with Corpus below as well as our exclusive Coutorture editorial of the Fall 08 collection.


Can you tell us a little bit how Corpus began?
Jerrod and I had been friends for awhile. One day we were talking and decided that we wanted to start a clothing line. We saw something missing in the market and wanted to fill that void.


What was missing? Was it a few specific garments you envisioned, or a particul aesthetic?
We felt there was a lot missing. This was over 5 years ago when we started the process of getting Corpus rolling. Streetwear was huge and there wasn't much of a middle ground between high fashion and low priced clothing. So we set out to do clothes that were not cheap but also not trying to be a uber fashion like Lanvin. We wanted to make quality fashionable clothes that you can wear but didn't look like you were walking down a runway.


Do you think there is anything inherently West Coast about the brand?
The West Coast is amazing and we are very proud of residing here. But our brand is not like most brands from the West as far as the styling and type of garments we make. There are not many people making moreno cashmere sweaters with navajo prints knit into them out here. But the West Coast resides in places for sure in the brand I just can't put my finger on it.


May, over at Archetype, told me that you were friends with the designers of Fremont. Are many of your friends designers or artists of some sort?
Yes we know Devon. He's great. We have many friends in the creative feilds. Its great to be around like minded people no matter what form or art the do music, paiting, fashion etc.


Is it difficult to be immersed in a community of other designers and artists and yet still create collections that are, to you, nonconformist?
No because most clothing in our category looks the same. And in LA there are not many clothing designers we are inspired by. Its more like minded people that inspire us. We spend a lot of time in New York and get direct inspiration from fashion designers and artists and just the general public in New York but in LA there is a disconnect--your in your car all day. You just don't see many people in LA. Its your home, to your car, to work, back to your car, and home. It's hard to get inspired living that lifestyle. You have to look much harder to see what's out here.
If Corpus had a manifesto, what would it be?
Just to make clothes we are proud to put out there. Never conforming to what the rest of the market is doing.


How do you differentiate between the women's and mens lines? Do you treat them as separate entities, design everything at the same time, design something unisex and spin it in two directions, or some combination of all of these things?
The womens line is growing slowly into its own entity. Soon we will have more womens specific pieces.

Siwy denim, launched in 2005, isn't your average premium denim brand. That is, Siwy's tailoring is so unique that the buzz surrounding the brand isn't based on superficial hype but on the incomparable construction. In short, no denim label on the market offers a cut that even resembles that of Siwy's. The back seam is shaped like a heart (rather than a straight line) making your backside look round rather than squashed. To drive the point home, quilted pockets with rose embroidery are meant to give you an extra lift. Granted, acknowledging a woman's curves tends to set off red flags in the minds of carb counting premium denim consumers everywhere, but the cut speaks for itself and the legions of Siwy addicts are proof that this reaction is often a temporary one. We have to say, when you slip on a pair of these jeans, you realize that your backside looks way better with a little support than it does flattened like a pancake (Oh bai, Cheap Monday's).


Made and manufactured in California but based in New York, Siwy has access to competitive West Coast facilities without abandoning their New York sense of style. Michelle Siwy, the founder and designer, is a down to earth, downtown girl whose approachable personality but headstrong work ethic only encourage her devoted fans to stand behind her in what one might call the great American denim crusade. Siwy is sold all over the world and in many high end American department stores. The brand is represented by Company Agenda who also represents fashion forward designers like James Coviello, United Bamboo, and Twinkle, among others.


Our interview with Michelle Siwy of Siwy denim below. For more on Siwy, check out our review of the Spring 08 collection and our exclusive Coutorture editorial with this summer's styles.


Michelle, can you tell us a little bit about what inspired you to start Siwy?
At the time, when we launched, I felt there was a gap in a saturated denim market that needed to be filled with a line that was cut with current fashion movements in mind, while maintaining a classic and sophisticated appeal. I felt the options were limited to one type of jean and shape. I wanted people to know that this fabric was versatile enough to change season and still remain a timeless staple.
What were the major hurdles in building the company? The major markers of success?
It was very difficult to find an investor that isn't going to take more than half of everything you have built up in your mind and control you and your designs, that will take a risk on a completely unknown name and let me just be me. I was very, very, lucky and I appreciate my business partner. Major markers:
1. The first time I saw someone I didn't know wearing my jeans that was not related or affiliated with me, in a different city and country.
2. The first time a "fan" emailed and said our jeans saved her relationship.
3. The first time a major chain knocked off our pocket. It felt like a kick in the face.
4. When Kate Moss wore our jeans for the first time. I truly had an outer body experience. I screamed so loud that the building manager thought I saw a rat.


The seam at the back of Siwy jeans is something people know a lot about. What about the other signature details, like the hem of Siwy jeans?
I am easily annoyed and irritated. I thought it was just so aggravating when I would just sweep up half of New York City's grimy, slimy streets on one walk. So, I would hem my own jeans to follow the natural curve that was caused by the heel drag. It was much easier to do than to go to a tailor, who would argue with me, endlessly about why he had to cut it straight across. My way, kept the jeans from dragging and you didn't lose the leg lengthening qualities of a longer front panel.


How great a role do denim trends (skinny versus wide leg, rise, etc) play into your designs for each season?
I don't look into what other denim labels are doing, but I have to keep in mind what is on the runway as far as shape and volume and translate my collection to work with those ideas. It's imperative I know what is going on with the accessories market more, to see what boots or heels are in or if I need to increase my belt loop size for wider belts. If long, voluminous tops were in everyone's collection, there is a chance that I am going in the opposite direction for denim and go slim. If waist cinching styles are on the rise, I play with different flare points on my legs to get the right balance to work in proportion. I do sense that there is something different on the rise with denim. I make sure to be aware of color trends, so that I can either add something I like or make sure all of my shades of indigo work harmoniously with them. I think with the way information is processed these days, trends are staying longer and overlapping, which is causing people to just be unique individuals because they are no longer afraid or intimidated to try. They are exposed to style happening around the world and therefore effecting each other.


Where do you find your fabrics and with whom (or how) do you develop the washes?
We use US denim mills for our fabric. We use a wash facility in LA that treats wash as more of an art than a simple, unthoughtful wash process. This type of relationship ensures that my vision will not be compromised. All denim starts off raw and it's up to the designer to reflect themselves through the washes. Initially, I get my inspiration anywhere from scouring vintage flea markets to botanical gardens to staring at a bird's feathers to checking out vintage album covers. I like to spend time in different museums to get lost and get in a creative zone for hours alone. Sometimes, all it takes is people watching from my fire escape. The way someone walks or flicks their hair, all turns into slow motion for me and sets a mood. Denim is the type of fabric that can tell an incredible, personal history and that is what I have in mind when working. I search for a way to describe my feelings or mood and take it out on the only fabric I know that can handle it, denim.

During this Fall 2008 Fashion Week we captured the backstage preparations for James Coviello's fashion show. This was when we fell in love, not only with Coviello's collection but with the energy, romance, and discipline the designer brings to his work. For today's exclusive Coutorture photo shoot we shot the hats in Coviello's collection, up close and personal. It's clear by now that millinery is making a huge comeback in fashion, and who better to speak with than someone with a strong background in this craft.


Coviello, in addition to designing his own line of hats from when he first graduated from Parson's in 1987, has also designed hats for Oscar de la Renta, Anna Sui, and Calvin Klein in the past. His knowledge of millinery work is impressive and his enthusiasm, therefore, is unwavering, "Everyone should have a hat! People are afraid of color but on an accessory like a hat it doesn't have to define you or your wardrobe...The hats [for Fall 08] added to each outfit and no one once said the word 'costume.' These hats don't feel like we are trying too hard. It felt new and fresh and honestly, it was nice to take a risk"


This Fall 08 season, Coviello turned to a rich 1940's art deco inspiration. The looks were ladylike and encouraged a strong posture and confident profile. It's the kind of fashion that begs for poise, something we're sure will make for a strong consumer response come Fall deliveries. As for the hats in the collection, Coviello tells us, "It's a nod to the avant garde. [To] make a statement. It's a phantasmagoria of color, the romance of the old blocks." But the collection didn't manifest from the hats, rather it was the other way around, "They weren't prepared until we started to do previews of the collection...Every night after a regular day of work I would sit down with the hats. It was my second shift. It got to be second nature. And then slowly but surely it came together. But then its second nature as I have been doing it for so long...Making the hats [for Fall 08] was like making another whole collection. In the past we had done one style but this season the hats felt like their own collection even as they enhanced what was going on in the clothing. "


Boy, did they ever. Our photo shoot with Coviello's hats below, along with links to the Fall 08 backstage photos, fashion show, and other Coutorture editorial.

We also have impressive designer video interviews and original editorial spreads. May we cordially suggest perusing our selection? Enjoy New York Fashion Week Designer Video Interviews from Oscar De La Renta, Donna Karan for DKNY,Michael Kors, Isaac Mizrahi, Nicole Miller, Erin Fetherston, Ashleigh Verrier , Adam Lippes, James Coviello, John Varvatos , Monique Lhuillier, Joanna Mastroianni, Tory Burch, Neeam Khan

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