Jaime Perlman is the Art Director of British Vogue and founder of Test. Image by Jermain Francis.

Sarah Perpich: What are some of your earliest and fondest fashion images and memories? Growing up, did anyone in your life inspire and spark your love and curiosity of fashion or art?

Jaime Perlman: My parents sent me to art school on Saturdays in Philadelphia when I was just a kid in the ’80s—I studied sculpture. I remember walking around South Street in awe of all the punks with black lipstick and leather. I secretly wanted to be them…

Sarah: Do you see art and fashion as separate entities: Is Fashion Art? Is Art Fashion? Are you more passionate about one than the other?

Jaime: Fashion is a form of expression, like art, but it’s also a business… There’s so much scope for creativity within this industry and the lines between art and commercialism are often blurred. Fashion shoots and films that we make can be artistic with the specific intention to sell product or an image.

Sarah: Can you describe your country-hopping career path and how it led you to your role as Art Director at British Vogue?

Jaime: I left New York for the job at British Vogue. Conde Nast sponsored me to come over. I always dreamed of living in London and was slightly obsessed with British pop culture. I’ve learned so much coming here and feel lucky to have been given the opportunity to live and work abroad.

Sarah: What inspired you to launch testmag.co.uk and how does it relate to your work at British Vogue?

Jaime: I was inspired to launch Test because I felt change percolating within the publishing industry. We were in the depths of recession; photographers were in a frenzy to experiment with film as digital media began to rise in importance. I also sensed a hunger for a new platform to exhibit work without commercial purpose, as independent magazines began to fold. Vogue and Test are obviously very separate entities, yet they complement one another. Through Test I have formed relationships with new talents that might eventually move their way into the more established ranks at Vogue.

Sarah: When did you first recognize the importance and impact that the Internet would have on the fashion industry and what were the most exciting and challenging aspects of transitioning to the online world, specifically concerning Test?

Jaime: It’s become more evident in the last couple of years that fashion is going increasingly digital. You only have to look at labels like McQueen and Burberry streaming their catwalk shows live last year and the rise of “celebrity” fashion bloggers like Diane Pernet and Tavi to see that the Internet holds more and more innovative platforms yet to be explored. For me, I’m most excited about fashion film and the transition of still fashion photography to moving image.

Sarah: Can you briefly describe Test? What is your goal for it as curator, creator, director…?

Jaime: Test is a platform for creatives in the industry to come together and demonstrate the best of their abilities. It’s a celebration of the contributor and creating imagery for the purpose of inspiration. I wanted to keep it simple and direct and free from the constraints of a commercial project. I think it’s straightforwardness makes it stand out from other online publications.

Sarah: Are the projects more of an organic collaboration or do you select, recruit and commission the crew?

Jaime: All of the projects are commissioned by myself and submissions are not accepted. Each collaboration evolves “organically”. Sometimes I come up with the concept and other times an artist will approach me with their own ideas. No matter what, I think it’s important for the artist to be passionate about the piece when they’re working on their own time.

Sarah: Online fashion films and videos have become the hot, buzz-worthy mediums in the industry. How do you think this new exclusively online fashion world will affect the future of the fashion industry offline?

Jaime: It’s amazing how large an audience you can reach online, but the overall sensory experience of seeing a catwalk show in person can never be fully recreated on the web. The luxury of a live performance is still decadent enough to survive in the fashion world.

Sarah: What are your short and long-term goals and dreams for Test?

Jaime: I want to keep collaborating with incredibly talented people and collate a body of continually inspiring work. I’m also planning on directing my own fashion films eventually.

From left: A look from Zoe Twitt F/W10; The inspiration: the White Lady in La Dame Blanche

At the age of seven, Australian fashion designer Zöe Twitt was already traveling the world visiting textile factories, albeit with her parents who owned a textile company. By the time she hit college, where she dabbled in acting and opera singing, she had a deeply ingrained love of the arts. In 2009 at the age of 26, Twitt combined these passions with her early influences and launched the eponymous womenswear label ZÖETWITT.

Each of Twitt’s collections reflects her ongoing effort to artistically and aesthetically express herself. For F/W10, this meant a return to opera, where she was inspired by the dramatic personalities, costumes, music and stories. Below, Twitt details a number of the female characters who struck her fancy, pairing the originals with their corresponding rebirth in her collection, titled Dark Heart.

Click “Read More” fora additional images.

The Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute

Medea in Médée

Julietta in Julietta

The Fairy Queen in The Fairy Queen

Mother in L’enfant et Les Sortileges

Malwina in Der Vampyr

New York-based designer Elise Øverland explains her work as combining “power, raw, moxie and sophistication” into clothes that “are not for a specific age, but more [for] the attitude of the person who wears them”. Here, she selects nine artists who inspire her and dresses them in a creatively complementary piece from her F/W10 collection.

Above: Grayson Perry
“I would only be an idiot trying to compete with this sharply dressed man. Perhaps the blue fluffy, velvety cloud dress would be a nice shift from the babydoll shape.”

Kiki Smith

“I think her clean look and black hair would look good in a dress having no information other than shape.”

Jane and Louise Wilson

“Twins have always fascinated me; they are the same flavor, but different texture. Think these outfits would suit the girls: same color, different shape.”

Louise Bourgeois

“I think this look will suit her artistic view. Instead of having the balls under the arm, she could have the hairy armpits on top of her shoulders.”

Piotr Uklański

“This was not a hard one… Piotr came to the studio the other week after his Whitney Biennial celebration and snagged this hairy monster off the rack, matching it with gold leather dancing shoes.”

Rachel Feinstein

“I think it would be nice to see Rachel as a dominant female policewoman in this dark grey suit.”

Marina Abramović

“I prefer her naked, as she uses the body as her medium. But if I had to dress her for this story, perhaps the glossy burnt leather dress. It blends in nicely with the fresh-cut blood.”

Richard Prince

“He’s a bit the American biker/Marlboro Man, so I thought this tight-fitted, open-back leather dress would be a sexy twist [on the] Marlboro girl.”

Hope Atherton

“This outfit is already Hopey’s… She likes colors that are tight, burnt and faded.”

Image by Jamie Cary

For the past three years, The Buried Life—also known as Duncan, Ben, Dave and Jonnie—has traveled the globe pursuing the items on their 100 Things To Do Before You Die list. But competing in a krump competition and making a toast at a stranger’s wedding require vastly different wardrobes—or at least they should. As their season finale approaches, we chatted with the boys about their ability to blend in, truck-stop style and the greater meaning of it all.

Sarah Sulzberger Perpich: You seem to wear a lot of jeans, sneakers, hoodies, baseball caps… Can you guys describe your aesthetic to me?

The Buried Life: We’re pretty different. I think the road trip has probably formed a lot of our style, affected [it]. We live on the road and pick up costumes and weird little…truck stop shit. There’s a lot of thrift stops.

Sarah: Is that just because of the show or did you guys like that before?

The Buried Life: We liked it before. I mean, I think that we all have our certain unique styles. For the most part, we love shopping at thrift stores and finding things in different states. You get to glimpse what people have been wearing over the last couple of years at thrift stores, all over the place.

Sarah: Actually, Ben and Duncan, you like collecting clothing, is that right?

The Buried Life: Yeah.

Sarah: And you guys both like theme parties…

The Buried Life: We just grew up in a group of friends that was into dressing up and throwing theme parties and events. So, to raise money for this project, we would throw parties in the early days.

Sarah: Running with the bulls, did you wear a red shirt to make it harder, or…

The Buried Life: Um, I just realized that we were wearing red shirts when we were running. Both of us were. That probably made it a little hotter, and made us run a little quicker. Any time that we go into, like, a new city or a new state, we try and dress like they would in that state. So, for example, when we were doing the bulls, we were in our plaids and cowboy jeans. When we were in Texas, we were in Western shirts the whole time.

Sarah: Is that something you bought or you had?

The Buried Life: We’ve got a huge costume trunk. We usually plan out the tours and we’ll pack accordingly. For a lot of the things on our list, specifically the things we’re going after this season, MTV doesn’t help us with anything. We do it kind of by ourselves, and so to actually accomplish these things, we’ve gotta get pretty creative. And, many times we’ve found ourselves having to kinda dress up to fit the part, because we’re either sneaking into a place or just having to…blend in. For example, in the first episode in Playboy, you have Jonnie and Dave dressing up as, um…

Sarah: Oompa-Loompas.

The Buried Life: And Ben and I dressing up as Cristiano Ronaldo and Cristiano Ronaldo’s manager. So we were wearing really old discarded Armani suits…

Sarah: I saw that episode. That’s the one you where you didn’t do shots. So how did you guys find out about this whole vintage thing?

The Buried Life: I think we kind of came at it from an entirely different angle. We`re not really that self-conscious about it—[we just want to get] where we gonna get. It`s kind of like Lord of the Flies on the road. Another example is that the wedding episode. None of us had suits, so went to this thrift store and found a variety of suits. Mine was an old man`s brown suit, Ben used his Renaldo suit, Johnny looked like from he was from 1920s, like a stable boy or something, and Dave`s was actually ’80s—like a Gordon Gekko Wall Street kind of thing—best ten dollars I’ve ever spent.

Sarah: Do you ever wear the same thing?

The Buried Life: I wear a black plaid shirt in almost every episode.

Sarah: Is that because you love it?

The Buried Life: It is. Well, actually, I`m a little sick of wearing it… because I’ve seen it so many times…in the editing room…

Sarah: Can you tell me why these items were on your list: Growing a mustache, getting a tattoo…were these just cool or were these things that you just had to do?

The Buried Life: I thinks it`s…the second thing. Things we felt we had to experience in our life. I mean, the mustache isn`t serious, tattoo isn`t serious…Well, it’s on my leg forever.

Sarah: All right, What made you do something that everyone secretly wants to do? How did you get over the fear and actually do it?

The Buried Life: I think it was a bigger fear for us not to do it. When we started this in 2006, we were all in college and looking at our own lives. Looking at our friends in June, a lot of people weren’t doing what they actually wanted to do. We had a lot of questions, but not a lot of answers. So, we picked up extra jobs, Dunc and I worked in an oil field… After a couple of months of saving up, we had enough money to hit the road and just experiment with this little project that we came up with. Four years later, we’re still doing it.

Sarah: Can you tell me what your goal was? And also, how did you come up with the idea of helping people?

The Buried Life: When we were starting the project, we wrote down all the things that we ever wanted to do. Everyone went in their own corners, and we tried to come up with a list of a hundred things each. Then we came together and put this list together. When we were looking at it, we were seeing all these things that we wanted to do. It just seemed natural to help someone else do something. It would be selfish to kind of just go after all the things we wanted to do. Then when we hit the road, so many people stepped up and helped us with the things that we wanted to do that it was, like, to pay it back.

Sarah: What message are you trying to tell in your show, through what you’ve done?

The Buried Life: We didn’t want to necessarily spread this message; we just had a lot of questions. You know, we were really uncertain about our future. And so the main question we came up with is: What do you want to do before your die? So, to answer your question, the main message we want to send is that: Try asking yourself that question. What do you want to do before you die? And answer it very, very honestly.

Some people are questioning, you know, are the things you want to do before you die go to the Playboy mansion? We’re not telling people, ‘I don’t believe in our generation’, and that they’re entitled to whatever they want. We’re saying you have the right to try. I think our message is also that you should question things. You don’t have to accept whatever your life is. You can question and look around and question the things around you. That’s why this started. We wanted to know more, and we think everyone has that right.

Attending the Showroom Antwerp presentation at the Flanders House in The New York Times building was like discovering a handful of rare gems in the treasure chest that is Fashion Week. Jam-packed with shows and presentations, many smaller designers are often overlooked during this industry frenzy. Nouveau PR, who helped run the event, made sure that this was not the case with Belgian designers: Anke Loh, Anna Heylen, Idriz Jossa, Lenny Leleu, Marc-Philippe Coudeyre, Peter Ceursters and Stephan Schneider.

Providing a unique insight into the collections was a beautiful photomontage by Flore Zoë. The Belgian fashion photographer’s work reflected her vision of the fashion process via captivating images that explored an unspoken creative tale while cohesively linking the designers’ journeys. As for the ready-to-wear clothing and accessories, there were certainly some standouts. I gasped over Marc-Philippe Coudeyre’s collared silver lamé catsuit embellished with oversized grey buttons. I also loved his cropped lambskin jackets with perforated raglan sleeves.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a garment that I couldn’t decipher as either a scarf or shirt. A closer look and a chat with the designer, Peter Ceursters, revealed it as a “sharf”. Ceursters explained that the scarves are vintage cardigans and men’s shirts, which he deconstructs, lines with silk and turns into sharp, cozy wraps.

On the sunnier side of the seasons, designer Lenny Leleu put my bathing suit fears to rest. Her line of swimsuits and t-shirts, which double as bodysuits, are incredibly flattering because she strategically places thick stretch elastine in all the right places. Additionally, many of the hand-made bikinis mimic art sculptures. A white bandeau constructed of thick strands of rope that churn from the chest and form a knot at the belly button before cascading back down the bottom was a personal favorite.

Finally, I came upon five mannequins—each more outrageous, inventive and inspiring than the next. The designer was Anna Heylan. Working mainly in black and white, with the exception of a beautiful smoky grey and blue restored fur, Heylan created a collection devoted to marrying menswear with womenswear. Her bold techniques—seen in the darting leather embellishments on the back of full-leg trousers, the intricately woven pattern of a raffia dress and the black velvet arm covers with gold palettes—were exquisite. Victorian hoop-inspired shirts covered layers of crinoline, and a long black, fitted smoking jacket shown over a checkered turgid turtleneck sweater cleverly mastered the duality of deconstruction and construction.

In a fit of wanderlust, a bright-eyed and curious Kathy Grayson moved to New York City the day after she graduated from Dartmouth. Upon arrival, she just happened to land a job as a receptionist at Deitch Projects. Within a year, she went from answering phones to answering to the title of Director, curating the breakout Brooklyn show Dirt Wizards. Now an eight-year veteran of Deitch, her creative juices are still flowing and her passion as strong as ever—hence her excitement in curating ten ideal opening-night outfits for this season’s upcoming, highly anticipated art exhibitions.

“There are lots of great openings coming up this art season. Here’s what I would wear to them if I had my way and the means…”

(Above) The Whitney Biennial: “I would wear BLAND cigarette pins all over in celebration of Aurel Schmidt’s inclusion in the Biennial. Her work features cigarette butts everywhere and swirling NYC garbage. Teddy Willoughby who does BLAND is a friend of ours and would cover us with cigarettes given half the chance.”

(Below) Rosson Crow’s show at Deitch Projects in March: “One of the Zac Posen dresses this painter designed the fabric for! This is the best piece she made with him—although I bet she will be wearing it herself!”

Jim Drain’s performance at Greene Naftali Gallery on February 3rd: “I just heard that this crazy Providence knitter and sculptor made sweaters for Opening Ceremony! Obviously I am going to buy one and wear it to his performance at the gallery.”

Mitzi Pederson in February at Nicole Klagsbrun: “She is a minimal and conceptual kind of lady who takes staid minimalists like Donald Judd or Fred Sandback and spices them up with some feminine flair. I would wear this really minimal dress I own by Silence and Noise. I only really buy clothes on eBay and urbanoutfitters.com anyway, so who am I kidding?”

Jules de Balincourt in April at Deitch Projects: “Jules is a funky Frenchman via LA surfer bum painter who lives in Brooklyn, and I would definitely sew one of my own weird dresses out of thrift store junk. Jules has a folksy do-it-yourself aesthetic that wouldn’t go well with an off-the-rack item at all.”

Ryan McGinley in March at Team Gallery: “His new cave photos are super dramatic neon natural works with vibrant colors, not like his previous stuff. I would wear this awesome neon Proenza Schouler dress that has natural forms but looks like a glow in the dark moon rock! I got to meet them when they collaborated with Kembra Pfahler on a summer show in Florence, so they might even cut me a deal.”

Agathe Snow at James Fuentes Gallery this fall: “Agathe is one of the more fashionable artists I know. I would wear threeASFOUR to her show, not just because she used to collaborate with them but because they are her favorite designers and awesome artists themselves. I’ve never worn a dress with a see-through bottom, but you only live once, I suppose!”

Terence Koh opening in September at Mary Boone Gallery: “I would wear Gareth Pugh, definitely. Terence loves to play dress up. He is an extreme fashion icon, so you have to go extreme with him. This crazy dress is just wearable enough to show up in, and essentially guarantees you an invitation to all the after-parties.”

Ben Jones’ outdoor video art presentation in the Works Gallery this summer: “I would need something neon and comic. Kansas City designer Peggy Noland is, I think, the way to go. She sent me some scratch-and-sniff tights in the mail once, so I know I could count on her to make me something perfect.”

Gardar Eide Einarsson in April at Team Gallery: “My favorite works by Gardar are always black and white, and always text. It would be fun to wear a vintage Stephen Sprouse dress like the below, but I don’t know if Gardar is really down with the ‘80s street graffiti Haring vibes the pieces are giving off.”

“Fashion finds its freedom in the art of individuals; Not Just A Label is a place for those who find their way off the beaten track, allowing them to express themselves in a community where everything goes…break the mould, redefine the expected, re-colour the palette, inspire and be inspired.”

Launched in 2008 and founded by Stefan Siegel, NOT JUST A LABEL (NJAL) has infiltrated the fashion hierarchy with a democratic approach to style: an online, fee-free designer showcase. The site enables avant-garde and emerging designers to gain worldwide exposure in a carefully curated and respected forum, regardless of financial restrictions. Additionally, the company introduces these select designers to important industry leaders—from boutiques to fashion houses to editors to celebrities—fostering a new generation of sustainable, conscientious and vanguard talent.

Sarah Sulzberger Perpich: What did you do before NJAL?

Stefan Siegel: Everything and nothing. After my studies, I worked in fashion, media, finance and advertising while discovering the world…

Sarah: Have you always been interested in fashion?

Stefan: I grew up in Northern Italy, was educated by fashionable parents and wore a navy uniform for three years. I would say so.

Sarah: When you were young, who were the most influential people in your life as far as steering you towards fashion and style?

Stefan: To be honest, I never really had idols or big role models in my life. Since I was little, I always tried to swim against the mainstream, which wasn’t always easy. I always tried to be different, and I think fashion gives you a great opportunity to show who you are, and who you are not. Clothes make the man.

Sarah: When and why did you decide to create NJAL?

Stefan: NJAL is based on an idea that came to my and my brother’s minds when we realized that the internet can be used as a networking platform for future fashion designers and those who are ready to present their collections to the world. The industry lacked such a platform. We wanted recruiting and trend scouting for fashion designers to be carried out on NJAL without geographical limits…literally a global showcase.

Sarah: Is NJAL free for designers?

Stefan: Yes, completely.

Sarah: What is your role in NJAL?

Stefan: Initially my brother did the website and myself the rest. Today, we have numerous people helping us with the daily management of NJAL. However as founder, I am still in charge of mostly everything, from exchanging printer cartridges to deciding who our next celebrity curator will be.

Sarah: What of the many different aspects of NJAL do you enjoy most?

Stefan: I gave up my previous job because I felt like a lemming. I was on autopilot. NJAL is almost like a blank canvas; we can do what we want. We have our goals, but there are so many ways to achieve them. If we feel we want to start a trend, like selling Lady Gaga’s dresses, we can develop that in weeks. When Lindsay Lohan launched her online shop based on our idea, we were already working on our next project.

Sarah: What is the focus of NJAL?

Stefan: Our main focus is and will always be to nurture the upcoming talents of tomorrow. We provide an outlet for talent to blossom; a place where visionaries meet collaborators dedicated to the creative spirit of fashion. The platform targets graduates and avant-garde fashion designers, and connects them to every fashion aficionado around the world.

Sarah: How many brands do you carry and from what regions of the world?

Stefan: Currently we represent over 2,800 designers from 44 countries. The price-point is comparable to other high-end designer houses. Every item displayed on THE SHOP is unique or part of a small production. Even if prices seem very steep, we believe it is more valuable and eco-friendly to buy an item you can keep for more seasons. Young designers recognize the responsibility in creating sustainable fashion. By applying artisan craftsmanship, they create products that have classic values with longer-lasting qualities. We hope that consumers and buyers will soon recognize this opportunity.

Sarah: You say that you are a “platform” for graduate designers, and that they don’t need a physical PR rep and space. Aren’t you in fact, when showcasing them, acting as both an online PR and commerce site?

Stefan: Yes. We have scouted numerous unknown designers, exposed them on NJAL’s cover page and 24 hours later, their collection was on its way to a Vogue or Dazed shoot. NJAL has become a central element for stylists and editors to discover young talent. We wanted to demonstrate that initial PR can be given for free—no entry hurdles for a designer regardless of his or her education and location.

Sarah: Because you cut out the middlemen, does any designer now have an equal opportunity to become a part of your site?

Stefan: No. We have a very thorough quality control in place. However, our selection is based on talent, quality, sustainable production, market environment and revenue opportunities, never politics.

We try to attend the most interesting fashion weeks around the world, all major graduate shows and we do extensive online research to discover the most promising talents. Who makes it on the cover of the website is a decision we make together. It is very subjective, although we never base our decision on where they come from, how well-known their brand is or for other reasons not connected to the design process itself. We leave politics to the establishment. Some of our best designers never attended a school and come from regions we would have never thought of. However, we have to say that London is still the place we find the largest number of designers for NJAL.

Sarah: Is the site celebrity driven?

Stefan: Not at all, it is all about the designers. However we have to adapt to the current market, and if the only way for a young designer to sell is to have Britney Spears wear them first, so be it. In the end, we can love or hate them, but in our case a big thank you has to go to our supporting celebrities. From fashion-revolutionist Lady Gaga to supermodel Lara Stone, Paris Hilton, Taylor Swift and LaChapelle muse Amanda Lepore…fashion journalist Diane Pernet as well as Maria Luisa’s mastermind Robin Schulié, they all made a difference. They helped us to dictate individualism. They started to make consumers reflect on what they buy and most importantly, they showed us there is an alternative to the high street.

Sarah: Can you tell us a little about your pop-up shop? Did designers make appearances and was it successful?

Stefan: Yes it was great. It was our first ‘offline’ event, and it was a great way for us and our designers to meet press and buyers. We are planning another one for early spring.

Sarah: I also read about your idea of fashion giving back. Are you currently involved with any green charities?

Stefan: We actively support sustainable fashion. Most of our projects support the idea of ‘green fashion’. Many of our designers already produce locally, use fair trade or organic materials and try to preserve old production methods. Deceleration of fashion is a key goal for NJAL.

Sarah: What do you hope to incorporate into your website and company in the future?

Stefan: I wish I could tell you…

Sarah: What are your goals for the next year, five years?

Stefan: Challenge the fashion klingons for interstellar domination!

Sarah: What is it like to work in an industry that changes every five seconds, and what’s your trick for staying on top?

Stefan: Does it really change every five seconds? I feel it is antiquated; it is slow; it takes itself too seriously and therefore to stay on top, you have to challenge the habits. You have to be willing to break the mould and re-invent yourself again and again…

Image by Miguel Villalobos

Renowned for her uncompromising monochromatic style, Diane Pernet is not only a true individual but also a true pioneer, influencing and garnering respect for the world of online fashion editorial through her innovative blog, A Shaded View on Fashion, and revolutionizing fashion in film with her annual film festival, A Shaded View on Fashion Film. Pernet uses these forums to present a unique and informed point of view shaped by a diversified background, which includes stints as a prominent designer and editor. Her current incarnation as a multimedia industry innovator defies classification and, like all significant work, challenges traditional boundaries, redefining the way in which fashion is consumed, interpreted, shared, seen, and even created.

Sarah Perpich: Can you tell me a little about your early work as a designer?

Diane Pernet: I designed my own collection of elegant, sensual, minimal designs for 13 years. Five of those years, in addition to my signature line, I had a license with Seibu in Tokyo. I was the founder and the designer. The only collaborators were my team of sample and pattern makers, then people that helped with my shows.

Sarah: How does your previous work, both designing and working in fashion editorial at Joyce magazine, Vogueparis.com, Fashion Files, Elle.com, etc., influence your blog today?

Diane: All of one’s experiences come in handy. I was a designer in New York with a license in Tokyo. That was my first introduction to Japan. The fact that I was a designer is a strong motivation for wanting to help [designers] now. I was the women’s fashion editor for Joyce Ma’s magazine, Joyce, for four and a half years. I worked with the stylists, photographers and the magazine team. Elle.com and Vogueparis.com were interesting and a good presence on the Internet. At Elle I had my own styling advice column called Dr. Diane. For Fashion Files, it was assisting the producer—and [it was] my first job in Paris after costume designing. It’s funny how life goes; the producer of Fashion Files had two of her films featured in A Shaded View On Fashion Film first edition, and she was thrilled. So everything is valuable today on my blog.

Sarah: How is the second edition of ASVOFF different from the first?

Diane: The second edition was the first with a sponsor, SAMSUNG, which allowed us to do more things. We had an installation, a concert and a party, along with the three days of films. We had the awards ceremony at the Centre Pompidou with Rick Owens as the president of my jury this year.

Sarah: Of all your various roles, which have you enjoyed the most?

Diane: I loved being a fashion designer. It was my life and my passion. I love being the founder and director of ASVOFF.

Sarah: Tell me a little about You Wear it Well?

Diane: I created You Wear it Well in 2006, and it was the first yearly fashion film festival. I believe Fashion in Film, which is quite different—much more academic, was created at the same time, but it was biannual. I had my Bernhard Willhelm film in that at the same time as YWIW first edition. There were two editions [of YWIW] with a collaborator from Los Angeles. In 2008 I launched ASVOFF at the Jeu de Paume as a three-day festival. YWIW was a 90-minute curated program. Calling it a festival was a bit of an exaggeration.

Sarah: How do you balance your love of fashion with your love of film?

Diane: Like Josephine Baker, I have two loves: fashion and film. By organizing a fashion film festival, I feel that I’ve come full circle. Now my interest is directed a bit more toward film and promoting young directors, who in turn are promoting designers and film. It is a perfect balance…and I’m a Libra; balance is everything.

Sarah: What’s your earliest memory of influential fashion or film?

Diane: Aside from Disney, as a child the first film that really impressed me was The Rose Tattoo with Anna Magnani and Burt Lancaster. Anna Magnani is such an amazing and passionate actress, and she looked great in a black slip with the just-rolled-out-of-bed-hair. And Simone Signoret in Les Diaboliques. Both films I saw when I was quite young, under ten, and they made a big impression on me.

Sarah: What made you realize that there was a gap in fashion editorial that you could fill online and thus start ASVOF?

Diane: I had something called Diane’s Diaries on a website called Disciple Films. We worked together on different fashion film projects like Fashioned Out for Galeries Lafayette, Hyères festival, etc. In February 2005, after working for Elle.com and Vogueparis.com, I launched A Shaded View on Fashion. I used to live blog from the shows and wherever I was. I did that for a few years until I decided it was a bit of a gimmick and I started taking photos with a digital camera instead of my phone. I wasn’t looking to fill any holes. I was just enjoying what I was doing, and I’d already been on the Internet for quite some time—just not with my own blog.

Sarah: Why is the fashion world currently so enamored with Tavi, Bryan Boy and other young bloggers? Are you a fan?

Diane: I think they are refreshing—also quite different, one from the other. I know Bryan Boy, but I have never met Tavi. I’m very interested in the generation [aged] 10-20. I think that there are really some amazingly wise people that are the new power. I think they are the generation that is going to actually make a difference with how the world is going at the moment. I would not call myself a fan, but…respect.

Sarah: Where do you see the future of print fashion magazines and newspapers? Do you read anything in print?

Diane: Every week I receive the New Yorker in the mail. I read ZOO. I am the co-Editor-in-Chief. I read magazines. But it is true; most of my information is on the net. What is the future? More reflection coming from magazines and less time-based info, since they will never be the first with any news.

Sarah: And the future of fashion shows?

Diane: More installations and films, less shows. I would like to see spectacular shows continue—like McQueen, Galliano, Undercover, Haider, Rick Owens, Comme des Garçons and the rest—as installations and films. I think watching girls and guys just walking up and down the catwalk is feeling, for the most part, very last century.

Sarah: Who is exciting and innovative for you right now in fashion and film? Are you always scouting upcoming stars?

Diane: I am always looking for emerging talent wherever I go. Sometimes it is in design and sometimes in film or music. I’m very interested to see the development of my friend Graham Tabor and Melanie Ward’s new collection called Blouson Noir. I just wrote about them in the new issue of ZOO and posted it a few days ago on my site. I always love Boudicca, Rick Owens, Givenchy, Undercover, Sandra Backlund, Jean Paul Lespagnard…many, many more.

Sarah: Which designers do you wear?

Diane: Boudicca, Lutz, Aganovich and David Szeto for clothes; Givenchy and Comme des Garçons for bags.

Looks from darayGoy

Sarah Sulzberger Perpich: What is your name? Age?

daraGOY: I prefer to keep my name anonymous. As I consider daraGOY to be a creative outlet, I would like to remain true to my vision and inspirations without being bothered by any reinforcement—whether it be positive, or negative. However, I am 23.

Sarah: What is your family background? Did it influence your choice of career?

daraGOY: My family background has a small hint of German but is mainly Russian. And yes, my background is one of the influences in choosing to create daraGOY. I am influenced by exploration into my background and heritage as well as my culture and my best friend, who comes from Vladivostok.

Sarah: What is your educational background?

daraGOY: I have a bachelor’s in Marketing.

Sarah: Did you pursue other careers before fashion?

daraGOY: Before fashion, I was living, eating, sleeping, breathing, dreaming and teaching dance.

Sarah: Who is the most influential person in your life?

daraGOY: The most influential people in my life are my parents. I hope to live a life as rich as theirs and be as knowledgeable, loving, silly and giving as they are.

Sarah: Do art, fashion, music spark ideas for you?

daraGOY: Art, fashion, and music all inspire and spark ideas. Specifically for art, Kandinsky as well as Georgia O’Keefe. In fashion, there are a number of people who inspire: Denis Simachev, Daul Kim, Kate Moss, Karl Lagerfeld, all of the Belgian designers, A.F. Vandevorst, Veronique Branquinho, Ann Demeulemeester, Bruno Pieters…the list goes on. As for music, I’m constantly listening to and inspired by Fever Ray as well as The Knife. However, I’m a sucker for Tori Amos and Madonna.

Sarah: How did you come up with the title Daragoy? What does it mean?

daraGOY: daraGOY has two literal translations. The first meaning is expensive. The second meaning is dear, as you would call a boyfriend, because daraGOY is a masculine word. For a girl/girlfriend, you would say “daragoya”.

Sarah: How did it come about?

daraGOY: It came to me while researching names that would be easy for an American market to pronounce. The Russian language is rather hard for Americans.

Sarah: Explain the mission of of daraGOY?

daraGOY: The mission of daraGOY is to interpret Russian as well as Russo-American cultures, as well as personifying the muse of the line, the “fifa”.

Sarah: What materials do you use?

daraGOY: I use a razor blade, a thick print to cut out, some brushes, some fabric paints….

Sarah: How do you come up with the images?

daraGOY: I come up with the images by de-saturating them of color and looking more closely at the lines, shapes, and shadows that comprise the image.

Sarah: What inspires your collections?

daraGOY: Russian and American cultures are what inspire my collections. And it can be anything within the cultures, whether it be pop culture, historical references and figures, or cultural shapes and silhouettes.

Sarah: Does each collection have similar vibe?

daraGOY: Each collection has a similar vibe, as it consists of handpainted shirts with semi-abstract prints in my favorite colors: black and white as well as hints of red.

Sarah: Are your t-shirts one-of-a-kind?

daraGOY: I consider my shirts to be one-of-a-kind, as they are hand-painted, so there are different slight flaws in each shirt. For now, I only make a certain amount of each. So the prints are limited…order yours now!!!

Sarah: Do you name collections?

daraGOY: As of right now, the collections are just named by seasons. However, I’m debating whether or not to just start calling them line 1, line 2…

Sarah: What do you think excites people about your line?

daraGOY: I think a couple of things can be exciting. The fact is there are so many t-shirt lines and so many brands that present something rather trite. The fact that each t-shirt is unique sparks an interest in quality. The prints and the ideas behind the brand spark interest, as not many people are familiar with the Russian culture—Russia and America have never had a great bond. American culture is bombarded by so many other cultures. If you look around, you’ll see that Asian and European influences surround us. The fact that the brand has a Russo-American influence presents something fresh, and interesting.

Sarah: Where are you sold?

daraGOY: daraGOY is sold at the Rogan store on Bowery, as well as through Nouveau-PR.