women`s • february 2015, no. 12

capsuleshow.com
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@capsuleshow
WOMEN'S • FEBRUARY 2015, NO. 12
NEWBIES AT RETAIL
Getting in front of the shops
you love
P. 2
ASK A NORMAL
They all think we’re crazy
P. 3
POP ART
Instagram’s #1 fashion fan
P. 4-5
NEW BRANDS
Nine designers making their
Capsule debut
P. 6
MARSALA FOR YOU
Pantone gets seductive
this year
P. 7
2
FEBRUARY
Emerging
Designers
at Retail
What works, and
what doesn’t, from the
boutiques and experts
who know
For a new designer, the myriad challenges involved
in launching a clothing label can seem daunting
at best, and petrifying at worst. But perhaps none is
as intimidating, or as vital, as building a strong retail
presence within the early stages of a brand’s life.
This task alone requires a huge commitment, filled
with research, store visits, countless introductions
and, yes, tradeshows. But we’re here to shed some light
on ways to make that process a little bit easier
for new and emerging talent.
We spoke with two retail experts who’ve clocked
in plenty of time working with young designers for
some insights into getting your brand seen and
heard by the stores that matter.
Heather Wojner
Owner, Bona Drag
www.bonadrag.com
How do you most often discover new brands?
I love the hunt for finding new designers — it’s just like
thrift store shopping. After seeing a million Packer
shirts and Christmas ornaments, you finally find that
awesome vintage ESPRIT canvas tote that you never
knew you needed. I get that same great thrift-score
feeling when we find a new designer that actually fits.
Our favorite way to discover new brands is through our
current designers and our friends. But we also search
online, through magazines, showrooms and
tradeshows, and visit shops in new cities. Plus we get
tons of emails from new designers every day, so sometimes we don’t even have to leave our desks.
Is there a checklist you look out for when working
with a new designer – attributes they must have
if you’d consider working with them?
When looking at new designers, a few things
we measure are timelessness, quality, originality,
and accessibility. We want to work with designers
who have a strong vision and pride in their work.
We generally don’t work with brands that will sell
to any and every store that asks.
Have you noticed any common mistakes
or deal-breakers emerging designers often make?
A common deal-breaker is when designers send us crappy
iPhone filtered photos of their work. That’s a pretty good
sign of unprofessionalism and no authentic aesthetic.
Another bad idea is when designers ask us to work with
them via a comment on Instagram or by tagging us
a gazillion times in a product photo. Instagram is great for
a lot of reasons, but it’s much more impressive when
we receive a personal email introducing the brand with
an easy-to-open small pdf line sheet attached.
2015
3
New Kids on the Block
Leading by
Example
New York is a shopping mecca for visitors from around the world.
These just-opened independent boutiques are adding to the mix,
repping new and emerging designers across the city.
Which new designers
have done it right?
Geraldine Chung
Founder, Lust, Covet, Desire
www.lustcovetdesire.com
How do you most often discover new brands?
Honestly, I do a lot of research online before I head into
market. I use Instagram a lot — I’ll see a cool girl tagged
in a friend’s photo and start going down that rabbit hole,
checking out what clothes they’re wearing, etc. I also am
so lucky to have friends with impeccable taste. They'll
often suggest new brands for me to check out. And like
any other shopper, I have stores that I am obsessed
with—I try to pay attention to what they’re saying when
they present new designers because I trust their eye and
opinion. By the time I get to New York or Paris for market,
I usually have a good idea of whom I want to have
a deeper conversation with.
Is there a checklist you look out for when working
with a new designer – attributes they must have
if you’d consider working with them?
Absolutely. Of course, there are the business considerations — what kind of sell through do they traditionally
have with boutique stockists, what their RA policy is, how
long they’ve been around, what kind of financial backing
do they have, etc. But I’m equally concerned about how
they do business. For example, as a small business,
we can’t afford to do all the heavy lifting when it comes
to promoting and marketing a designer. It’s very important for us to find people who are interested in collaborating with us, whether that means sharing flat photography
or promoting us as a stockist on their Instagram, etc.
I also run LCD on a strict no-mean-girls policy, which
applies not only to my team members but also means
I like working with designers who get that we’re all in this
together. We all want to succeed together.
Can you give an example of an emerging designer
you have in your shop and what made you want
to sell them?
I was introduced to Adrienne Alaimo (designer of AEA) at
Capsule two seasons ago by a mutual friend. I actually had
seen this friend wearing AEA rings at a wedding a couple
days before and totally fell in love with the bold, modern
simplicity of the line. When someone whose taste I trust
rocks a new brand, it really makes me pay attention.
Then after I met Adrienne and had a few conversations
with her to learn more about her background and get the
story behind the brand, and I began to get a feel for who
she is and the vibe that she represents. I decided that
we would work well together — and we have! Her line has
done really well for us.
Michele Janezic
Mill Mercantile
“One of the brands I've seen making a big
impact is Sleepy Jones. They've created
a strong presence as a fun, luxurious and
essential lifestyle product.”
Nicola Fumo
Racked
“I've really enjoyed watching jewelry designer
Wing Yau grow her line Wwake. She has a great
sense of what customers respond to without
abandoning a signature style—her pieces are
instantly recognizable but she's always evolving.”
Heather Wojner
Bona Drag
“As far as new designers, Open House is our
most recent jewelry addition. I was drawn
to the collection immediately because it
looked different than everything else. Monika
Wyndham, the designer behind the brand,
is an intelligent creative type, and she has
impeccable taste (as illustrated in the models
she chooses, photography, logo design, and
Instagram feed).”
Sincerely, Tommy
343 Tompkins Avenue, Brooklyn
Shop the newest talent in womenswear at this
Bed-Stuy boutique, and stay for pastries from
Balthazar and Irving Farms fair trade coffee.
Ask A Normal
By Steve Dool
As avid followers of fashion and participants
in the industry, it’s often easy to lose sight of
the fact that clothes we wear without a second
thought can seem extravagant, confusing
or inaccessible to the average citizen. To help
us gain a little perspective, We Are the Market,
the Capsule blog, created a series called
Ask a Normal, in which we seek out average,
everyday citizens and ask them their unedited
opinions on Fashion with a capital F.
ANTHOM
197 Tenth Avenue, Manhattan
A mix of local and international independent
designers like Samantha Pleet, Yune Ho and
Dusen Dusen populate a renovated auto repair shop in Chelsea.
Concrete + Water
485 Driggs Avenue, Brooklyn
Two local Brooklyn creatives set up shop
in a former flower shop, offering an eclectic,
comprehensive assortment of men’s and
women’s collections and home goods.
Anne
29, grad student, Philadelphia
Re: Nicopanda floor length,
ruffled mesh dress
First things first: what was your initial
reaction upon seeing this gown?
First: Are you serious? Really, is this considered
clothing? Second: That girl looks really cool.
I wonder if she would want to hang out.
The designer is Nicola Formichetti, who has
designed for Diesel and Mugler, and was
a one-time cohort of Lady Gaga. Have you
heard of him before?
I have not, but I have heard of Lady Gaga
if that counts! I doubt it does.
Based on this piece alone, who do you think
his target consumer is?
Rihanna? Young women with no fathers?
Honestly, I have no idea.
Who do you think should wear this?
Someone with a collarbone tattoo
and nice side boob.
Is this something you would ever
consider purchasing?
Wow, no. I'm all for some sheer parts of an outfit,
but I just don't see where this would fit into
my day to day life. By the way, it's 22 degrees
in Philadelphia today.
How would this outfit go over at your school?
I think it would go over well with the undergrad
boys around campus.
What do you think about the $375 price tag?
With the possibility of looking trashy (sorry),
I assumed it was going to be much more
expensive to make it seem more high fashion.
On the other hand, that's a decent amount
of money for very little fabric of substance.
Any parting thoughts?
I really want to appreciate the designer's artistic
ambitions with this dress, but the super sheer
look is too distracting. Which I think is a shame
because I actually could get behind the full
sleeves and mock collar, if I'm using the right
fashion words for those things... Also, should
I be offended you chose such a revealing outfit
to ask me about?
4
FEBRUARY
Interview with
Humberto
Cruz
@iscreamcolour
Name: Humberto Cruz
Age: 30
Star sign: Pisces
Interview by Minya Quirk
While scrolling and trolling down the
rabbit hole of Instagram we landed on planet
@iscreamscolour, a veritable visual cacophony
of so much that we love. That’s cute overload in
the form of smiley faces, kitties on skateboards,
lipstick kisses, tiny pyramids, rainbows and
wide-eyed sweetie pie portraits of the somewhat
predictable (Miley Cyrus, the Olsens, Rih Rih)
and the unexpected (Eva Chen, Lynn Yaeger and
Mel Ottenberg). Three sheets of exclusive Capsule
doodles later, we spoke to Humberto and chatted
it up about his artistic dreams, to peel or not to
peel those precious stickers in your collection
and that troll life.
It’s nice to finally speak on the phone
after so much correspondence and just
knowing you through Instagram.
Tell me about yourself!
I was born in San Diego but moved to Tijuana, Mexico
where I grew up. I returned to San Diego when I was 16
and went to college at the Art Institute of California San Diego. I studied graphic design and graduated in
2007. It was so hard finding a job. I work full time in
a grocery store, it’s a 99 cent store. I’ve been working
there since I was 17.
And you’ve got a pretty decent following
on Instagram!
I discovered Instagram almost exactly three years ago
and I’ve been posting every day, sharing my artwork.
I reached 10k a month ago thanks to people reposting.
I guess it started when I drew Cara Delevingne wearing a Jeremy Scott sweater and one of his friends
reposted; things went viral from there.
Tell me about your typical day
Three days a week I start work at 5 am, two days a week
at 6. I’m up early. I work in a freezer, so it’s like New
York I guess. I wear a lot of layers. I stock all day. After
work I have lunch with my roommate, I start drawing.
I like to swim so I go to the gym three days a week.
I just learned to swim. I’m still swimming with fins on
my feet, otherwise I get tired.
Were you always drawing as a kid?
As a kid I was always into different characters,
the Little Mermaid. Disney movies. I would watch
the movie and pause it to draw the characters and
specific scenes.
What was your favorite scene to draw from
Little Mermaid?
The wedding scene. Sebastian and the cake.
“I like to mix personalities that I grew up with,
with the latest pop star or maybe a historical
figure in an outfit that I like. Right now I’m
obsessed with Polly Pocket dolls.”
So let’s talk stickers. They play an important part in
your work. I’m a collector myself. Tell me about it.
I’ve always collected, and had them in a box. I wasn’t
inspired for a few years after I was finished with school.
I’m drawing celebrities, thinking what should I do with
the backgrounds? Should I use my stickers? Are they
going to stay there in the box forever? It’s better to look
at them in a drawing.
That’s hard! Where do you buy
your stickers?
Ebay.
You’re probably bidding against me!
Probably.
In the world of cute things like Lisa Frank or
Sanrio, what’s your poison?
Probably trolls. I collected them as a child and I’ve
started buying them again on Ebay. My collection from
when I was young, the hair got all damaged from water,
from playing with them. Like cutting their hair or
washing it. Also My Little Pony, but that was
when I was younger. Right now I’m obsessed with
Polly Pocket dolls.
What about fashion, you’ve done some portraits
of pretty obscure fashion personalities. People
that are not widely known outside the industry.
But I guess that’s the internet for ya. What draws
you to fashion?
It’s always changing every season. I just like the way
people express themselves with clothes. Here in San
Deigo we don’t get to wear those things, interesting
things. It’s not New York or Paris.
Like, people are just wearing flip-flops.
People are lazy here! It’s fun to see it on the Internet.
How do you choose people to draw, especially the
more unexpected portraits?
I draw people if I admire their work, like a Donald
“Drawbertson” Robertson. Bryan Boy, I love his style
I love what he does. Sometimes I just like what they’re
wearing in a picture I see, like (legendary stylist) Carlyne
Cerf de Dudzeele in Jeremy Scott. I like what she’s been
doing with Miley. I like to mix personalities that I grew
up with, with the latest pop star or maybe a historical
figure in an outfit that I like.
What kind of fashion websites do you
frequent every day?
V Magazine (vmagazine.com). Oyster (oystermag.com).
Favorite fashion designers?
Kenzo, Jeremy Scott – people have been criticizing him
lately for using other people’s stuff lately, but…Vivienne
Westwood. Alexander Wang. For Halloween I really like
to design my own elaborate costume. Use the glue gun.
What were you this year?
I was a troll this year.
Do you ever think you might work
in fashion?
I’d love to design shirts. I would love to do graphics.
What do you like to listen to when you work?
I love pop music. My favorite song right now is “Pom
Pom” by Ariel Pink.
Other sources of inspiration
David LaChapelle, Jeff Koons, pop culture in general.
Top three people in pop culture you like
to draw
Miley, the Olsen twins and Anna Dello Russo.
What’s coming up in your near or far future?
I’m just looking for the right opportunities to do what
I like to do – to make art. I did a project for Intel, some
avatars. I have an editorial project coming out with
Herself magazine from London.
Thanks, Humberto!
2015
5
6
FEBRUARY
New At Capsule For A\W 2015
A closer look at designers making their Capsule debut this season
2015
7
Dispatches from the intersection
of food and design from
thisismold.com • @thisismold
ace&jig
Capsule Paris
The Brooklyn-based team behind ace&jig describe
their label as a “textile love story.” After meeting
as design interns, founders Cary Vaughan and Jenna
Wilson launched their first collection in 2009 with
the intention of creating seasonless clothing from
their own yard-dye, woven fabric. Six years in, their
signature effortless style is only getting better.
Demylee
Capsule New York RTW
Designer Demy Lee was born in Korea, but her design
background is American through and through: after
graduating from Parsons, she worked at Calvin Klein,
Tory Burch and GAP Inc. before bringing her first
eponymous collection of premium cashmere to market
in 2007. Now, the Demylee assortment has grown to
include knitwear and cut and sew woven components,
bound together by a simple luxury and a youthful spirit.
L’Etoile Sport
Capsule New York RTW
In case you haven’t heard, athletic inspired clothing
is here to say. But just because the clothes you’re
wearing can function while you golf or play tennis,
it doesn’t mean they need to need to look like it.
L’Etoile Sport knows this well. Since 2012, they’ve
been making clothes for active women who want their
functional pieces made with the same eye for
aesthetics as what they wear off the court.
Creative Director Yesim Philip’s own background
as a professional athlete ensures that each piece lives
up to that promise.
Oliver Peoples
Capsule New York Accessories
In the 29 years since Oliver Peoples opened the doors
to their first boutique in West Hollywood, the brand
has become synonymous with quality eyewear, winning fans as diverse as Anjelica Houston, surfer Daize
Shayne Goodwin and novelist Bret Easton Ellis. Along
the way, they’ve collaborated with Rodarte, Isabel
Marant and Maison Kitsuné, cementing their status
as must-have frames for the discerning customer.
Crippen
Capsule New York RTW
If you’re one of the thousands of women who swear by
J Brand jeans, then you have Susie Crippen to thank.
The co-founder of the denim brand left that label in 2010,
and founded Crippen shortly thereafter with Matt Walker,
the former president of The Row. Together, they make
sophisticated clothing in denim and beyond; hemp, Italian
cotton canvas and Japanese indigo-dyed linen all come
into play. The result is a collection that includes outerwear,
dresses and blouses to elevate any woman’s daily uniform.
Calle del Mar
Capsule New York RTW
Pratt graduate Aza Ziegler is based in Brooklyn,
but the perspective of her ready to wear collection
Calle del Mar is fixed due west on her native
California. With influences ranging from skate
culture to 1960’s detailing, Calle del Mar is at turns
adventurous, traditional and innovative —but
always fun and unmistakably one-of-a-kind.
ence isn't specialized designers or engineers
but people interested in DIY and home
improvement. The 'Future of DIY' column
aims to make digital fabrication technologies
easy to understand—what it is and how it can
be used to make fun and attractive objects.
When the overlords at Pantone declare their Color of the Year,
it’s in your best interest to listen, lest you be caught planning
your life around Tangerine Tango (COTY 2012) during the reign
of Radiant Orchid (COTY 2014). After all, Color of the Year
is serious business. It’s the highest honor bestowed upon a color
in the world, basically the hue equivalent of the Nobel Peace
Prize plus Miss Universe and a Congressional Medal of Honor
multiplied by a Golden Globe in one of the film categories.
And Pantone does not take this accolade lightly.
Donni Charm
TourDeFork's 3D Printed Jewelry
Makes Finger Food More Fabulous
By Sam Dunne
In what could perhaps be the most glamorous development in playing with your food
in recent history, 'creative culinary consultancy' TourDeFork have launched a range of
open source 3D printable jewelry that turns
fruits, cakes, biscuits and other sweet treats
into wearable bijou. The so called 'Foodie
Rings' feature a range of simple white plastic
fingerwear, each offering a method for holding, displaying or skewering your chosen
foodstuff—a concept deliberately flying
in the face of traditional ideas of cutlery
and food presentation.
Capsule Paris
College students these days are no longer content
with the endless cycle of class, party, repeat. At least
Donni Charm founder Alyssa Wasko wasn’t when
she founded her line of contemporary scarves in luxe
fabrications, each with a signature good luck charm
attached. And if that wasn’t enough, a portion of each
sale goes to one of the many charities Donni Charm
regularly supports.
Jennifer Zeuner Jewelry
Capsule Paris
Rihanna, Beyonce and Taylor Swift can’t be wrong.
All three of those style icons and many other women
—famous and not— have been spotted wearing
jewelry by Jennifer Zeuner. From Florida, Zeuner
designs the type of versatile, mix-and-match pieces
that resonate for their unique and deceptively simple
sensibility. With offerings at a variety of price points,
there is truly a necklace, stackable ring or bracelet
for everyone.
TourDeFork is an interesting food design outfit spanning Milan and London,
founded by photographer and food stylist
Claudia Castaldi and product designer
Stefano Citi. This latest work comes as the
second installment of their Future of DIY
series—a partnership with Italian magazine Casafacile that provides readers with
an introduction to the wonders of 3D printing technology by providing easy tutorials.
The first edition featured a range of simple
recycled object-hack tableware such as
a bottle candelabra, a jam jar appetizer
holder and a passata bottle cake stand.
We spoke with Citi about party props,
collaboration and the future of DIY in the
interview below:
MOLD: Where did the idea for the rings
come from?
'Foodie Rings' is a research project we have
developed for the Italian home improvement
magazine Casafacile. The magazine’s audi-
by Steve Dool
Where and how do you imagine these
things being used?
We image they could be used at dinner
parties or food events—just be careful
though, they're quite pointy!
Vianel
Capsule New York Accessories
Vianel exists where function meets luxury. The leather
goods and accessories label from New York boasts
items both essential – think a calfskin card holder
or a ring lizard bifold wallet – and that you never
knew you needed, like an Italian leather and cashmere
reversible beanie. And what’s more, they offer
embossed personalization on most items, so everyone
knows just who has those covetable pieces.
Making Marsala
Work for You
So, have you tried them in the field?
How do people respond to the objects?
Well, we gave them away as presents
at our studio's Christmas party and people
were thrilled.
Can you tell us anything interesting
about the design process?
Drawing the objects was pretty straight-forward, the only problem is making a one
size fits all ring (which doesn't really work).
Instead, we've uploaded the drawings
for free (you can download them here:
www.casafacile.it/tag/download)
which means anyone can make their
own size. Just take the drawings to your
nearest FabLab.
How would you like to see the
project develop?
We're always looking for partners interested
in developing kitchen and food related
products with us. We also have plans
to open our own little online shop soon,
so stay tuned.
According to Wikipedia: “Twice a year the company hosts,
in a European capital, a secret meeting of representatives
from various nations' color standards groups. After two days
of presentations and debate, they choose a color.”
Plus, Pantone is based
in New Jersey, so you know
it’s a big deal when they
travel to Europe for secret
meetings. And for the low,
low price of $750, you can
purchase Pantone View,
a guide extolling the
virtues of whichever
Pantone color is enjoying
its moment in the
Tangerine Tango sun.
For 2015, Marsala (Pantone
18-1438) was declared the
Color of the Year.
Pantone praised Marsala
for being “full-bodied,”
“subtly seductive,”
“nurturing” and “fulfilling.” Marsala is “equally appealing
to men and women,” is “flavorful” and “versatile” and
“encourages experimentation.” Marsala sounds like a great time.
So now that it’s 2015, how can you,
the every day citizen, incorporate Marsala
into your life? Well, you could buy make-up
in Marsala (it’s “a great go-to beauty shade”),
or you could reupholster a throw pillow
(it’s “definitely a color that will lend itself well
to texture”). You can also luxuriate in Marsala
the Pantone way, in “a cozy robe, something
you wrap yourself in when you want to
feel warm.”
But to truly embody Marsala, you should
do as people have done since 1773, and drink
Marsala, the fortified wine. If you’re anything
like me, after a few glasses, you will find that you
too are subtly seductive, equally appealing
to men and women, full-bodied and versatile.
So go ahead and pour yourself a glass of Marsala and make
a toast to Marsala. It’s what Pantone would want you to do all
year long – and you do not want to disappoint them, do you?
BPMW
8
80 8th Ave #202
New York, NY 10011
A\W 2015
FEBRUARY
New York Women’s
Accessories
February 22–24
Pier 94, 711 12 th Ave
New York Women’s
RTW
February 22–24
Pier 94, 711 12 th Ave
Paris Women’s
March 6–8
Espace Tapis Rouge,
67 rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin, 75010
Register to attend at capsuleshow.com
NEW VENUE!
On February 22, the Capsule New York Women's show will officially make its
new home at Pier 94 on the West Side of Manhattan. Our new location lets
us stretch our legs a bit, enabling us to give our exhibitors more space and
updated display systems, our attendees more specialized service and everyone
amazing Hudson River views. Plus, we'll be in the thick of it all, just steps from
the center of the Market Week action in Midtown. If you haven't guessed,
we're pretty excited - and we hope you are, too.
Here's all of the information you need:
February 22, 9:30–6:30PM / February 23, 9:30–6:30PM / February 24, 9:30–5:30PM
Pier 94, 711 12th Ave, New York, NY 10019
NEW SHOW!
If you thought the news of our new women's show venue in New York was
the only announcement we had up our sleeves for next season, well...you'd be
wrong. Capsule Accessories will be making its proud debut as a show-in-show
during Capsule New York Women's at Pier 94.
Since the very first Capsule, our accessories exhibitors have been some of the
brands shining brightest in an assortment full of attention-grabbing designers
— and we've had more interest than we've ever been able to accommodate.
Now, with our new venue and Capsule Accessories as our brand new showcase,
we can finally bring in more directional accessories brands and designers,
representing the very best in jewelry, bags, hats, scarves, belts and more.
February 22, 9:30–6:30PM / February 23, 9:30–6:30PM / February 24, 9:30–5:30PM
Pier 94, 711 12th Ave, New York, NY 10019
Register to attend at capsuleshow.com
Register to attend at capsuleshow.com