A few months ago I threw a handful of questions to Sonia Kasparian, of Urchin Design. I'll reprint and repost her answers for the Winterview series, with some new pictures to keep things updated. Also, I have since discovered that when working with sportswear company Roxy, she designed their lady's boardshort! The one that revolutionized the surfwear industry and made Roxy the giant it is today! Wow. Lucky for us, Sonia's penchant for couture pointed her in a glamorous new direction. I love how much you can learn about an artist based on their interviews. For instance, when I asked Sonia which movie she'd like to have done costumes for, her answer was revealing: Brazil, the freaky futuristic masterpiece by Terry Gilliam. Her love of baroque details and metallic greige would have redefined the film's take on fraught couture. Sonia has a velvet touch with old dresses, gently and deftly handsewing and coaxing them into new creatures. It's like each dress is an Eliza Doolittle, and she's Henry Higgins giving them a glamorous new lease on life. Hey, she should design for the remake of My Fair Lady while she's at it. Below is the complete, in-depth q&a with the genius herself:
FLUTTER:
Who would I want to collaborate with?
SONIA KASPARIAN: PJ Harvey.
FL:What movie would I want to have worked on the costumes for?
SK (hey we have the same initials!):Brazil definately..
FL:What is my favorite food?
SK:Coffee
FL:What is the biggest risk on a random night out with me?
SK:That I may rescue a stray cat or a large piece of matter...ie wood, metal whatever to make something out of.
FL:If you weren't sewing, what would you be doing?
SK:A million things. Gardening, making art, working out, seeing friends.......
FL:
Whats your background?
SK:Well, I went to Otis/Parsons school of art & design in L.A., intending to come out a fine artist, but took a summer class at the local college in illustration to try to figure out how I would make a living while being an artist, and the instructor came in drunk the first 2 classes. I took that as a sign to go into fashion as my major, and do fine art, not commercial, for myself.
FL:
What would you do if you were not an artist or fashion designer?
SK:Architecture for sure. I would have chosen that first, but was told at the time that you need to be really good at math, and since math makes me almost break out in hives...........anyway, now I hear there are computers or something that calculate that for you.. Sigh.
Sonia's lovely Urchin line is always available at Flutter, but on December 10th from 5-8 we will also be hosting her trunk show!
Check out more of Urchin's Designs on Flutter's Designer page. Sonia will do custom fitting for all her pieces, and she has been known to create dresses to a client's specifications as well!
No comments:
Post a Comment