Images by Agnes Thor

Michelle Lane’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection evolves the New York-based designer’s signature rope accessories by combining inspirations as disparate as the effortless chic of Slim Kieth, Villa Noailles, the Art Deco pool at The Raleigh Hotel in South Beach (made famous by Esther Williams in the ‘40s), the simple, modern architectures of Charlotte Perriand, Yves Klein’s quest to reach the far side of infinity and more. The result is the Garibaldi Collection, which symbolizes the place where rationalism meets freedom. Meanwhile, the individual names of the pieces—like the Prometheus bangle and Haplodion necklace—were coined by Michelle’s friend, the musician Matt Fishbeck. Exclusively for Dossier, both Michelle and the collection were captured seaside at the Vizcaya Museum in Miami by photographer Agnes Thor.

Some of Michelle’s inspirations.

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Designer Michelle Lane

Johnson Hartig

Libertine burst onto the fashion scene back in 2001, with a collection of quirky-cool reworked vintage duds designed by quirky-cool duo Johnson Hartig and Cindy Greene. Supported by the likes of Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld and John Galliano, Libertine won the Ecco Domani Fashion Award in 2003, was nominated for a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2004 and did limited-edition collaborations with Converse, Target, Goyard, Muji Be@rbrick and Damian Hirst.

Johnson and Cindy parted ways in 2009 and Johnson continued Libertine on his own, with a newfound focus on modernized prints and patterns that made for a more sophisticated, cohesive collection. Today, the line is carried at Bergdorf Goodman, Maxfield, Linda Dresner, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s, along with dozens of stores in Asia and Europe, including Joyce, Isetan, Colette and Harvey Nichols. Additionally, Johnson won the CFDA Lexus Eco Fashion Challenge in 2011 for his sustainable silkscreened collection, the results of which will debut on the New York catwalk during Fashion Week.

Lauren David Peden: Is this year Libertine’s tenth anniversary?

Johnson Hartig: It was ten years in September, yeah. Amazing.

Lauren: Well congratulations—that’s quite a feat.

Johnson: That is quite a feat. I didn’t appreciate it fully until someone said the other day, ‘You know, you just don’t give yourself enough credit. To run a successful, profitable business for ten years is really something.’ Cindy and I both suffered from fear of commitment, so we always took it very slowly and only took on as much as we really knew we could handle, so it never seemed very overwhelming. I guess there were moments but it’s been, for the most part, such an enjoyable process and just kind of level. Cindy and I, of course, had our little bit [of drama] when we separated, but now it seems like we’re better friends than we ever were.

Lauren: And how is the line different now than when you started?

Johnson: When we started, very few people had seen silkscreening on vintage clothing. I’ve always loved American folk art and the darker side of American history, so we incorporated a lot of that into the ideas for graphics. I remember when we first printed an American eagle on a shirt… Wow, this is kind of punk rock—that we’re taking something so iconic and turning it on its head. But quickly the whole aesthetic was adopted by so many other people that I learned by the third or fourth year that if we’re gonna stay ahead of this, we gotta really keep on our toes. The last two and a half years since, I’ve been doing it on my own, I decided I want to take it in a whole new direction, so I was doing graphics that weren’t representational. The first [solo] season I did these dots, I didn’t do any kind of a presentation or show but I did do a video that’s on the website. I’ve continued with that. It just seems newer, it seems fresher, it seems more modern. The line is less historical and more contemporary feeling—just modern and cleaner. I was fearful a little bit, but the Libertine audience been so responsive and we’ve garnered a ton of new devotees.

Lauren: And as a whole, the line is still based on vintage clothes?

Johnson: Yes.

Lauren: Do you deconstruct them always?

Johnson: No, sometimes we don’t. I have decided recently that next season I’m gonna start deconstructing the blazers, which we’ve always deconstructed less. So we’ll see how that plays out.

Lauren: Why?

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Johnson: I don’t know, it’s just a feeling I had within the last couple weeks that I’d like to see something with a cleaner back. So we’ll see. I’m not sure it’s gonna work and that our customers will approve. It does alter the fit of the jacket. It kind of tightens and shrinks it up a little bit, so it might not work. And then we do produce our own button-down shirts, which we could never find enough of, and we did some sequin jackets.

Lauren: The coats were amazing—the black coats from fall and the women’s skirts with the graphic patterns.

Johnson: Yes, I’d been to Turkey for the first time, Istanbul, six months prior to that show so I was very inspired by it.

Lauren: The mosques?

Johnson: The mosques and tiles and all that, so it was kind of a modification of an Islamic tile.

Lauren: Did that sell?

Johnson: Yeah, the crazy thing is after I show the buyers all want the first appointment and I think the whole show sold within a couple hours.

Lauren: What percentage of the collection is one-of-a-kind?

Johnson: I’d say about 90 to 95 percent.

Lauren: You’ve built a thriving business on one-of-a-kind pieces.

Johnson: It’s kind of amazing, and sometimes I think I don’t give myself enough credit.

Lauren: It’s hard when you’re in it. You just put your head down and you do it and it takes somebody else to remind you. So tell me, what’s your background, do you have formal training in design?

Johnson: No. Well, in painting and drawing. I studied fine art at Long Beach State in California, but I always wore vintage clothing and I always messed around taking things apart, trying to figure out how they were put together. I remember as a teenager never wanting to wear new shoes. I would always look for Florsheim Wingtips and I loved the idea that they were already messed up and worn in—and the same thing with clothes, really. I still do love that. There’s something about the familiarity or maybe spirits of people past. I just love it. I love antique furnishings, too.

Lauren: Well, you worked with interior designers, right?

Johnson: I worked with Randy Hatch in Whittier. He had exquisite taste and was a real Anglophile, and he was responsible for me getting involved with The Attingham Trust study week, which I did in Yorkshire for ten days. And he taught me an enormous amount about antiques and decorating. I remember as a kid rearranging my parent’s living room when I was seven years old, bringing in roses from the garden. I was always very concerned with the way things looked.

Lauren: And how has that affected or influenced your aesthetic as a clothing designer?

Johnson: Well, I’ve never really thought of myself as a designer because I don’t know anything about constructing clothing. I’m someone with a good eye that puts things together and adds things to other things and the combination just happens magically. But it’s hard to compartmentalize. It’s just all in me and it prevails over my world, my vision, my eye and training.

Lauren: Speaking of your eye, yours was my favorite presentation last Fashion Week. The clothes, the way you presented it…the models had energy and they were having fun and they weren’t robotic automatons walking down the runway looking glum cause they’re making $10,000 a day. I sometimes feel like, ‘Come on, really? Fashion is fun!’ Yes we’re in tough times but fashion still could be a little bit fun, and you did that and made a statement, too. It wasn’t like you were ignoring the realities of the world.

Johnson: Thank you, because from what I saw I thought it was the funnest presentation I’d seen in New York in the last five years. It was really a super fun happening.

Lauren: That is exactly what it felt like. I was so excited about the clothes and just to be there having that experience. It was like being at a rock concert where you’re just with those people in that room at that moment. It felt special.

Johnson: Yeah, it felt super special. Honestly, one of the best things that happened out of that was my assistant and I were packing everything into the truck to take back to the hotel and this guy came backstage and said, “Can I help you guys?” I said, “Yeah, sure.” And he said, “You know, I’ve never been to a fashion show in my life; I don’t know anything about fashion. I only came tonight because one of my friends is the co-owners of Exit Art.” But he said, “I have to tell you,” and this was, like, a totally straight construction guy, “your show blew me away, and I know that probably means nothing coming from a guy like me, but I haven’t been that excited about something.” I thought, ‘No, it means everything coming from you. That’s fucking awesome.’ It just felt so empowering. It was funny because I had this idea that I wanted the show to look like that. I remember [my publicist] saying this might not go off as well, but I thought, ‘I just want to try it.’

[The waiter comes and Johnson chats with him about his upcoming trip to India.]

Johnson: I think India is gonna change my life. I hope it does—that’s the idea. I’m going this kind of awesome way that my business manager suggested. I hired this firm out of Boulder, Colorado called Asia Transpacific. They organize every detail from someone meeting me at the airport to the hotels, tours and a driver for the whole ten days. So it’s a pretty lovely way to travel.

Lauren: Are you going by yourself?

Johnson: By myself.

Lauren: Nice. I want to talk about how politics and current events influence your work, like the whole “Tax the Rich More” t-shirt, and you’ve done the World War II dazzle boat prints.

Johnson: Uh huh. Well, I guess it inspires me, in that it’s an integral part of me. I care about these things.

Lauren: Do you consider yourself politically active?

Johnson: Yeah. And I’ve always been one to fight for the underdog. I think probably because growing up gay I was an underdog.

Lauren: Did you see that Jonah Mowry video that was making the rounds? He’s an eighth grader now and he’s talking about how he’s been bullied every day.

Johnson: Yeah, it’s fucking hard growing up gay and I don’t think anyone that’s not gay knows that. I mean, every day, every day waking up thinking, ‘Am I gonna get teased? Am I gonna get beaten up today?’ It was rough. But watch that video that’s called Two Lesbians Raised a Baby and This is What They Got from Iowa.

Lauren: Yes, I did.

Johnson: Breathtaking. And I think that we have one of the most articulate, smart, caring presidents in office now that we’ve had since Clinton, maybe. But he just doesn’t stand a chance. I feel like right after the inauguration, he was led into this room and the old boys said, ‘That was a lot of fun, but let us tell you what it’s gonna really be like.’ It’s just awful because I feel like in a way—and I don’t want to get too political, because I’m sure a lot of the Libertine clients are Republican, but I’ve got to say it—everyone responded to that “Tax the Rich More.” I think it was a couple weeks later that Warren Buffett came out with that New York Times article saying, “I’m not taxed enough. I’m taxed less than the average American.” It just makes sense. I’m just tired of big business running our county. Libertine started during Bush and I’ve got to say I was in a very low-grade depression for those full eight years, every day thinking, ‘Why aren’t we waking up and having revolution on the streets?’ I felt, this is my way of saying, “Fuck you.” It was kind of awesome, like Libertine was a powerful little movement. So “Tax the Rich More” was kind of tongue-in-cheek but I thought, ‘It’s a simple way for me to make a little statement on these t-shirts and this skirt.’

Lauren: And you’ve been doing statement t-shirts since the inception.

Johnson: Yeah, but they weren’t political. They were just kind of more fun messages. I don’t know, I just feel so discouraged by the state our country is in. We do have this man in office that really, really cares and he can’t get anything done. We were educated in these institutions that were funded by public money and are transported on public roads, so we all have this obligation to give back. I make a very nice living. I wouldn’t call myself rich, but I think I would be in the top one percent and I’m more than happy to pay my fair share of taxes if everybody did. I’m not gonna feel good about doing it if billionaires are paying eight percent tax and I’m paying 40. It just doesn’t add up. I’m feeling super hopeless. I felt very excited about the Occupy Wall Street movement, but then I didn’t feel like they were organized enough and I felt like half the people there didn’t really know why they were there. This is just a feeling, but I felt like it should have been more focused.

Lauren: Well, I don’t think that’s realistic. Everyone keeps comparing OWS to the radical movement of the ’60s, but we’re looking at that in hindsight, 40 years later. Occupy Wall Street’s only a few months old, and there are so many different aspects to it. It’s going to take time for it to coalesce. People expect them to come out fully formed and it’s not realistic.

Johnson: It’s not realistic, but when you’re dealing with these companies who’s livelihood and continuance depends on it, I think action does need to happen really fast. Obviously we’re a nation that has a very short attention span. And after a couple weeks, people are onto the next thing. I do feel like nothing will ever be the same after this movement, because this movement hasn’t died; they’re morphing and populating, so it still seems very exciting. It’s the first time that something that I thought should have happened during the Bush administration every day is happening.

Lauren David Peden is editor of The Fashion Informer and contributing editor at Rue La La. The former copy director of Vogue, she writes for numerous publications.

Left: Fur, stylist’s own. Harness, Bliss Lao. Underwear, Gris Gris. Right: Top, Sally LaPointe. Bodysuit, Heidi Merrick. Stockings, Staerk. Cuff, Heidi Gardne. Boots, LD Tuttle.

Photography by Martina Scorcucchi
Styling by Jenni Hensler
Makeup by Cheyenne Timperio at Top 5 Management using Smashbox Cosmetics
Model: Alexa Yudina at Women Management NYC
Stylist’s Assistant: Sheyna Imm

Left: Top, Sally LaPointe. Bodysuit, Heidi Merrick. Stockings, Staerk. Cuff, Heidi Gardne. Boots, LD Tuttle.
Right: Vest, Parkchoonmoo. Bodysuit,Heidi Merrick.

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Left: Top, Sally LaPointe. Neckpiece, Chromat. Pants, Jac Langheim.
Right: dress Lako Bukia. Peplum, Chromat. Cuff, Bliss Lau. Boots, LD Tuttle.

Harness, Zana Bayne. Underwear, Gris Gris.

Cape, Jac Langheim. Harness, Zana Bayne. Underwear, Gris Gris.

Left: Shoulder piece, Chromat. Vest, Gris Gris. Right: Dress, Lako Bukia. Peplum, Chromat. Cuff, Bliss Lau.

Photography by Joshua Allen
Set Design by David Decker
Model: Taylor Foster-Allen

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Vest, Ralph Lauren. Jumpsuit, vintage. Scarf, Oscar De La Renta. Scarf (worn as turban), necklace and fedora, J.Crew.

Photography by Don Brodie at Project Fathom
Styling by Blair Moore
Hair and makeup by Griffin Laengle
Model: Denisa at Muse Model Management
Photographer’s Assistants: Jess Lucassi and Omari Wheat
Stylist’s Assistant: Karina Seljak

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Shirt and jacket lining (worn as vest), Brooks Brothers. Tie, Versace. Pants, Balenciaga. Watch, Diesel. Earrings and ring, vintage Chanel.

Left: Scarf, Diane Von Furstenberg. Blazer, vintage Ralph Lauren. Coat, Bettina Liano. Shorts, Steven Stolmen. Shoes, Prada. Right: Tank top, Rag & Bone. Vest, vintage Ralph Lauren. Pants, Brooks Brothers. Earrings, Dannijo. Necklaces, vintage.

Blazer, Donna Karen. Ties, Armani. Shirt and pants, Zara. Watch, Burberry. Necklace, J. Crew.

From left: Kalen Kaminski and Astrid Chastka. Image by Shay Harrington.

As famous for his spectacularly coiffed ‘fro as he was for his television show, The Joy of Painting, Bob Ross soothed legions of amateur artists by stating, “We don’t have mistakes here—we just have happy accidents.” For fashion designers Astrid Chastka and Kalen Kaminski, these happy accidents are the foundation of their craft. As the owners of Upstate, a line of shibori-inspired womenswear and accessories, Astrid and Kalen custom dye each of their pieces using either arashi or itajime shibori techniques. The arashi technique involves strategic folding, whereas itajime relies on “resists,” which are clamped to a piece and subsequently create patterns. Depending on the fabric, chemistry of the dye bath and integrity of the resist, the results spontaneously vary, ranging in color depth, gradation and detail, rendering each piece unique.

Erin Dixon: Tell us about your respective backgrounds and how you met.

Kalen Kaminski: I grew up in Colorado and was the “horse girl” until high school. Every class has one of those, right? The girl who incorporates horses into every story, drawing, math problem, etc. Astrid Chastka: I studied architecture and worked in landscape and architecture firms for three years before meeting Kalen and starting Upstate. We met through a mutual friend in New York City.

Erin: Was there an “aha” moment from which Upstate evolved—what does the name Upstate reference?

Astrid: Kalen and I share a love for the outdoors and both have a dream of being able to escape to a little place in the woods where there’s space and quiet to create. Upstate is a way for us to lose ourselves in the creative process without actually going anywhere. Kalen: Astrid and I both agree that when you work with your hands, your mind just goes to another place. The name Upstate came after our first scarves were made. For weeks, we would text, email and have brainstorms trying to come up with these long, silly alliterated names. Some pretty hilarious and horrible names arose from this, but finally Upstate felt right.

Erin: How did you move from creating wraps and scarves into ready-to-wear?

Astrid: We kept getting requests for clothing. We love that the scarves are so versatile, but sometimes you just want to put on something without thinking about it too much. Kalen: We had both been looking for pieces of clothing that were multifunctional, especially in New York summer weather. When we couldn’t find anything, we decided we would push our luck and make our own. What we came up with was a hit among friends, so we moved forward with it. Originally, it was going to be a tunic but it progressed naturally and we couldn’t resist expanding our designs.

Erin: I know you were originally inspired by shibori tapestries; how did you come across them and what in them spoke to you?

Upstate Spring 2012 Lookbook. Photography by PAMU (Paola Ambrosi de Magistris and Murray Hall). Styling by Julie Williams. Makeup by Erin Green. Set Design by Angharad Bailey. Models: Angela Pham and Holland Brown.

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Astrid: For me it was the detail and geometry involved. Shibori tapestries are beautiful on so many scales. If you look at the whole piece you notice the overlying geometric pattern, but if you look at any area closely you discover some pretty amazing moments. A lot of people have said it reminds them of a Rorschach test, and I love that comparison. One of my favorite books is Shibori: the Inventive Art of Japanese Shape Resist Dyeing by Yoshiko Wada. Kalen: My old roommate is an amazing artist and had piles of art around his room. He had a hand-dyed shibori tapestry hanging up, and it really spoke to us and felt unique and special. To this day—after dyeing hundreds of pieces—I am still excited to see the pieces after they are finished dyeing. You never can be one hundred percent certain what a tiny fold and or the slightest change in the compression of a resist will do.

Erin: You use all different types of materials as “resists;” what is your favorite place to hunt for them and what is the most unlikely resist you have used?

Kalen: I once used a cholla cactus skeleton that my boyfriend brought back from Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona. It broke halfway through the dye bath but still left a beautiful resist pattern. Astrid: Sometimes we design our own resists and cut them out of plywood using a CNC router. Kalen designed a horseshoe… Maybe that’s her second favorite.

Erin: Walk us through the hand-dying process.

Kalen: It’s sort of like baking a cake. You need to measure all your ingredients, have the right supplies and, most importantly, be very patient. Astrid: First, we cut the fabric and fold it accordion style in one direction. Then we fold it in the other direction so it becomes a dense but organized fabric mass. We clamp the resists to it and soak it while we prepare the other “ingredients.” We add dye, salt and soda ash to the bucket and let it sit. Small changes in these ingredients will affect the intensity and colorfastness of the dye bath.

Erin: What are you trying to communicate with Upstate?

Kalen: That’s a hard question, but I don’t think many people have a piece of art/clothing they can wear and fully embrace everyday, knowing it is one of a kind, made with love and will never be replicated. It still excites me to wash out every individual piece and discover new details I’ve never noticed. Each piece of Upstate only becomes better as you look at it more and more.

Erin: Tell us about the Spring 2012 collection, including your favorite piece.

Astrid: My favorite piece is the tea-length dress. It’s so easy-breezy. I love they way long skirts swish around you when you’re walking. Kalen: Because it was our first ready-to-wear collection, we wanted to start small and simple. Since our dye techniques can look a little insane, depending on the technique, we thought it would be best to keep each shape simple with small differences in length and hem. I’d have to go with the crop top and the tea-length as my favorite pieces. I wish I could get away with wearing the entire collection at the same time, but I may look like a burnout vagrant gypsy….which actually may not be such a bad thing.

Erin: How would you like to see Upstate evolve?

Astrid: We’d love to do large scale installations! And quilts—we’ve been making quilts. We’re always thinking of new ways to use the fabric scraps. In the coming Fall 2012 season, we’re exploring new materials and more involved patterns. Kalen: I agree—quilts and installations! We will need tons of quilts for when we have homes with fire pits in the country.

Dress, Christopher Kane. Images by Benedict Brink. Styling by Clare Byrne.

Name: Anja Konstantinova
Age: 21
Occupation: Model
Hometown: I was born in Russia and lived in St. Petersburg. When I was 12 years old, my whole family and I moved to Melbourne, Australia because my mum got offered a job. Now I live in Sydney, but if I were to answer this question with my heart and say where I feel the most at home, it would be Melbourne.

Where are you staying in New York?
When I come to New York, I stay with my good friend Zippy Seven in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I love it there—the place has so much character, good bars and a good atmosphere….

What is your funniest New York memory?
This memory is not really that funny; it was more of a culture shock. In Australia, we don’t have to tip. So when I first went out in America and I had to tip, I couldn’t really get my head around it. My boyfriend and I decided to go out for a romantic dinner to a Japanese restaurant. Our meal and service were incredible. When it was time to pay, my boyfriend left me in charge. That was probably the worst idea he ever had because I had no idea how much I was suppose to tip and, as you would guess, I didn’t tip enough. The waiter couldn’t speak any English and started yelling at my boyfriend in Japanese. Things got heated and in the end my boyfriend had to give the waiter the rest of his cash so the waiter would stop crying. It was the most stressful romantic dinner I’ve ever been to, but I’ve learnt from my mistakes.

Tell us a crazy modeling story:
My first time working with animals, I was on a shoot for Vogue Australia in New Zealand and I had to work with a very cheeky baby goat. He kept trying to be the center of attention by head butting me out of the way and stepping all over me and the beautiful clothes. It was a little bit painful but at least it made everyone else forget about the cold weather and have a little giggle.

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Left: Metalepsis Projects 2012 collection map. Right: A wood-black print of necklace e2.

Growing up in the 1980s, when Roger W. Sperry’s Right Brain-Left Brain Theory was ruling the American educational system, I was quickly classified as a right-brainer, an individual who recognizes the world through “intuitive, thoughtful and subjective terms,” as opposed to the “logical, analytical and objective” methods of left-brainers. Or, as I more tangibly learned in high school, a left-brainer intuitively grasps the periodic table while a right-brainer is left both bored and bewildered by the scientific chart. Consequently, when I was first introduced to Metalepsis Projects’ 2012 collection, I was momentarily intimidated. The conception of former architects Victoria Cho and Astrid Chastka, Metalepsis Projects interweaves architectural theory, including mid-century Scandinavian buildings, with inspirations from fine art—notably Sol LeWitt’s Finite Series—and the natural world into geometric bronze accessories that appear both tribal and elemental. Presented as a tabular display or in the designers’ words a “map,” the collection builds upon itself, interacting and evolving to create new compounds, just like fluorine and nitrogen. Only this time the corollary makes perfect sense, no matter your dominate brain lobe.

Erin Dixon: Tell us about your professional backgrounds.

Victoria Cho: Trained as architects, we practiced in the field for several years after school. We connected over our mutual impulse to create things outside of the office.

Astrid Chastka: Yes, we met working at the same architecture firm in 2008.

Erin: As former architects, what drew you to making jewelry?

Victoria: We have learned so many techniques and skills to make things. We wanted to use those for different [and smaller] applications, in this case jewelry because we both love accessorizing.

Erin: How was Metalepsis Projects born and how did you select its name?

Victoria: We had an idea for laser-cut stainless steel Victorian laces and it evolved from there.

Astrid: In literary terms, metalepsis is a figurative word used repeatedly in slightly different ways or to connect slightly different themes. The meaning of the word evolves with each use. For us, this parallels the design process as it expands to include new ideas and materials.

Erin: When did you first discover Sol LeWitt [whose Infinite Series you name as a primary influence]?

Astrid: In college. For me [it was] in a course called Lessons in Making. It was the class that made me want to transfer into the architecture school. It was the first time I’d ever fully appreciated conceptual art.

Victoria: In my art history class in college.

Erin: What drew you to his work?

Necklaces from the 2012 collection

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Victoria: Modularity is one of the critical concepts involved in the development of modern architecture. Sol LeWitt’s work explores this same concept in artistic territory. Much of his work—sculpture—is an intersection between art and architecture. In drafting our initial idea, we were excited by how he had executed the idea of modularity both in 2D and 3D.

Astrid: And by how he got away with doing only the most fun parts of architecture: thinking, hand-drafting and building models at a smaller scale than buildings!

Erin: Why do you choose to work in bronze?

Astrid: At the start, we knew nothing about making jewelry. We knew how to draw shapes in CAD and laser cut them. We were limited to the materials that the laser fabricators are willing to use with their machinery: stainless steel and brass. The steel felt too cold and, in the end, to laser cut each piece was too expensive. We were forced into learning about the casting process. I think we wanted the feel of something less precious than silver or gold. Bronze immediately felt right.

Erin: Why is it important to you that the pieces evolve over time—e.g., their patina changes as it encounters different elements?

Victoria: It’s a celebration of the inherit properties of the material. It speaks to a certain uniqueness of each piece and, therefore, it becomes very personal.

Astrid: We’re very interested in the dichotomy between mass production and customization. The idea that you can cast multiples from the same mold but still have it personalized, through the choice of combination and patina, is something we design towards.

Erin: How and where are your pieces produced?

Victoria: We first laser-cut samples of all the pieces to make the molds. Then, we have each piece cast. Finally, Astrid and I assemble all the pieces according to the orders.

Astrid: The casting and production happens in New York City. Sam, who owns the casting operation, is Colombian and Victoria is Argentinian. He tells jokes about how arrogant Argentinians are every time one of us is in there.

Erin: What is something else we should know about Metalepsis Project?

Astrid: Metalepsis Projects is also heavily influenced by the artist Steve Keene. Steve’s whole life is a large-scale conceptual art and even a performance art piece that explores the boundaries between mass production and individuality. He is the one who sparked our notion of “making architecture what we want it to be.”

Left: Tank top, Cushnie Et Ochs. Shirt, With and Wessel. Skirt, Cushnie Et Ochs. Long necklace, Minerology. Charm necklace, Arielle De Pinto. Choker, Lady Grey. Right: Top, Inhabit. Jacket, Grand Street Bakery. Stockings, Fogal. Gold necklace, Cold Picnic. Chain necklace, 17 by Stephanie Schneider.

Photography by Jimmy Fontaine
Styling by Julie Williams
Makeup by Emi Kaneko
Model: Paris at Muse NYC

Left: Dress, Mandy Coon. Scarf (worn on head) Upstate. Ring, Arielle De Pinto. Right: Top. Cushnie Et Ochs. Harness, Saskia Diez. Necklace, Nido.

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Left: Corset, NYC Sex Trash. Jacket and skirt, Suno. Arrowhead necklace, Elisa Solomon. Talisman necklace, Amy Glenn from Love Adorned. Right: Top, Suno. Dress, Cushnie et Ochs. Choker, Saskia Diez. Necklace, Elisa Solomon from Love Adorned.

Left: Bra, NYC Sex Trash. Top, Staerk. Romper, Zimmerman. Earrings, Bevel. Necklace, Nido. Right: Shirt, Jenni Kayne. Bodysuit, Tim Hamilton. Top and skirt, Bedford Street. Earring, Suzannah Wainhouse. Pyramid ring, Nick Potash. Silver, ManiaMania.

The Reformation, an “environmentally sustainable fashion brand that repurposes vintage and surplus materials to create chic, limited-edition collections,” is well-known throughout New York City and Los Angeles—more so for its updated vintage style than its values. The brand’s inspiring origins and philosophy remain largely unknown. So, in honor of The Reformation’s new Ludlow Street location in Manhattan, designer Yael Aflalo reveals the method behind her team’s in-demand designs.

Jayme Cyk: How did you come up with the idea for The Reformation?

Yael Aflalo: It was a super organic start. I had [the womenswear brand] YaYa and I wasn’t really happy with it. I wanted to close it, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do next. I knew that I really liked making clothes, but I was having a difficulty with the system and how it worked. With all the deadlines, I felt like it was too much and there had to be a different way. There was a store available below my office in LA and I decided to take it. As a side project, we had this idea about re-doing vintage. When we started, as soon as we opened the store, I decided this is what I want to do. It was exciting and rewarding and so creative and really instantaneous.

Jayme: Being the designer of YaYa, I’m guessing that those fabrics were newly produced. How did you decide to go from new to reused?

Yael: When we were started The Reformation, we were also closing YaYa, so we had this big warehouse full of ten years worth of press and fit samples, lookbooks and stuff that didn’t sell. It was massive and overwhelming and the waste started to really get to me. During the first year of Reformation, I started to have an awakening. I began reading books and watching documentaries and it started to stir something in me. The final straw was when I was off in China. We were working on doing a shoe line and I got to this town that was in mainland China, which I had never been to before. When you walk around the city, you notice it exists with a pollution level that as an American we don’t have any frame of reference for. It’s difficult for me to explain, but it’s like the inability to breathe, the inability to see forty feet in front of you. Everyone walking around was wearing masks and all the rivers were completely decomposed. Right next to the contaminated water, there was a riverbank where a Chinese peasant was farming rice. While I was there, I got incredibly depressed and I wouldn’t leave my hotel. I kept thinking: I don’t feel like I’m doing anything. I actually felt as if I was being very detrimental. That’s when the shift happened. I decided to change my company around to be all about reformation.

Jayme: That’s such a great turnaround—the fact that the clothing is made from dead stock textiles and vintage goods. I find it extremely unique that The Reformation has such a luxurious factor. How do you decide on the fabrics?

Yael: A lot of the time in repurposed vintage, from concept to execution, there are a lot of problems. So by the time you see it, you’re thinking: This looks bizarre. So, we have designers using our aesthetic in every phase. They pick out all the materials and that’s how we can maintain that high quality of fabric, prints and textures.

Jayme: I know that your selection of clothing is divided into categories; where did these different divisions come from?

Yael: We have refashioned, curated and standard [categories]. I think that what allows us to do these types of subdivisions, is that we all come from very professional fashion backgrounds. When we look at a new item…

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….we think about how we can make it work. Also, when we’re designing new pieces, we determine what we want now. When we’re deciding on fresh bodies, we have to remember we’re not going find those in vintage, so we need to remake those and that’s where “refashioned” comes from. “Curated” comes from the fact there is so much good stuff that’s already there, we don’t need to remake each piece. Sometimes we change the buttons or make it shorter, but for the most part we leave the piece as is. And then the third one is “standards.” We started to realize there were certain things that were hot and everyone wants them in four colors. So we decide on the styles that we want in quantity and create them in multiple colors..

Jayme: With the categories, I know the store is merchandised into outfit conceptions, including how to wear the pieces. You essentially are giving your customer a lifestyle. How did you decide to compose the racks?

Yael: When I’m shopping, I want to see the designer’s ideas. I think a lot of the times we push the envelope on some of the styles, and when some people see them they don’t understand. But when they see them put together, then they say, “Oh, I get it now.” I think it’s nice to give a complete point of view.

Jayme: The Reformation definitely has a distinctive quality. How do you visualize your collections for each season?

Yael: It’s again all done very organically. We don’t conceptualize. Literally two months in advance we ask each other: What do we want right now? Or what do we want in two months from now? It’s a really great way of designing because there’s no excess; there aren’t any unnecessary items to round off a collection. A lot of the time when you’re designing for collections, you have to put in a lot of pieces for the others to make sense. We just don’t have to do that. It makes it really easy and so much more fulfilling too.

Jayme: And now you’re doing menswear with designer Bobby Waltzer. Is the men’s the same process as the women’s?

Yael: Absolutely, the same exact thing.

Jayme: The men’s collection definitely has a downtown feel; were you and Bobby going for that sort of classification?

Yael: Honestly, with the menswear I really left it up to Bobby. I told him to make whatever he wants. He’s really talented and I think he has a great sense of style

Jayme: I know that you’ll be doing multiple collaborations in the future—what’s next?

Yael: The next collaboration we have in November is with Veda. It’s so sick and we’re so excited. It’s a lot of repurposed leather and it’s really turning out beautifully—very rock ‘n’ roll, with a New Year’s vibe to it. I think it’s good to have these collaborations to bring in a different point of view. I think The Reformation look can be very feminine, and I think it’s nice to have other aesthetics.

Jayme: If you could sum up The Reformation in one sentence what would it be?

Yael: Oh God! We do environmentally conscious fashion that repurposes vintage and surplus materials.

Jayme: And what else do you want everyone know about The Reformation?

Yael: I want people to go to our new website. We just launched it and its our new baby.

The Reformation is located at 156 Ludlow Street, NYC.