Interview with Fashion Stylist Katie Rivera

Hi There..... Have you ever consulted a personal stylist? 

Picture provided by Katie Rivera

https://www.styleoutsidethecity.com/

Perhaps you thought I’d stop sharing fashion stylist interviews. You could not have been further from the truth? 😊

My doorstep has become the hottest spot in town, with a line of eager interviewees. They are all waiting impatiently, demanding to know when I will feature them. 😎

Ok, in my dreams maybe. Still, I have found some new stars for you again to shine on my blog, so ladies, gather around. Today we’re getting an exclusive sneak peek into the world of personal styling. 😉

I enjoyed connecting with a talented fashion stylist who specializes in empowering women, especially mothers, by teaching them how to dress in a way that makes them feel confident and empowered. 😄

From choosing the perfect outfit for a first date to finding the ideal workwear for a big presentation. This personal stylist certainly knows how to make women look and feel their best. 😊

So, whether you’re a busy mom or a hard-working professional, grab a cup of coffee or tea. I hope you’re ready to take notes as we delve into the secrets of personal styling with this fashion guru. 😍

Picture provided by Katie Rivera

What is your name, function and the company you work for?  

Katie Rivera, Founder & Certified Personal Stylist  

Style Outside the City

How old are you?

41

What kind of work do you do, or what are you studying to be? 

I am a personal stylist who helps women, especially mothers, learn how to dress in a way that makes them shine. From my perspective, truly amazing personal style is about mindset first and then clothing. I help women understand who they want to be stylistically and then empower them with the courage and tools to act on it.

What made you decide to become a Fashion Stylist?

I’ve loved style all my life and from a very early age, I recognized the power of style in helping you create the person you want to be and the life you want to live.  

I worked in corporate marketing for a long time, often in the fashion and beauty space. When this no longer fulfilled me, I realized I wanted to help women more closely in achieving their style goals and understanding the power of style like I do.

Is fashion important to you? Why? 

Absolutely. Fashion/style is one of the easiest ways to change how you feel about yourself and to impact how the world sees you. You put on a garment and it either makes you feel great or not. It also tells the world something about you.

Picture provided by Katie Rivera

What are your successes, and how did you achieve them?

Having my daughters is my greatest success. I achieved them through love, hard work, and patience.

What’s something you might want to do in the future?

I’d love to write a book about how to achieve a great personal style so I can help more women. It’s also always in the back of my mind to open a boutique curated with some of the coolest, independent designer finds.

Is the name of the Brand important to you when you buy clothing or jewelry?

Yes, and no. I think it's about buying the best pieces from the brands you can afford. If you find a piece from the Gap, and it looks amazing on you, buy and wear that dress. Who cares where it’s from? If you feel better in high-end designer garments, then you should stick to that. And most women today wear a mix of high and low designers which I really think can make for the most interesting, inspiring outfits.

Describe your personal style of fashion?

I describe my current style as joyful, intriguing, and polished. I like to have something on that makes me and others smile. It could be a bright uplifting color or an interesting design detail. Similarly, I like to wear something that makes someone want to ask about it – like a really cool piece of jewelry from a small designer. Lastly, it all has to come together and look intentional. To avoid the risk of looking too eccentric, I prefer to balance my wardrobe with colorful and unique pieces by ensuring that my overall look remains grounded and not overly flashy.

How did you find your personal style? Do you have a signature look? 

Your personal style can grow as mine does, but I find my personal style for the current time by leveraging my process. It really focuses on analyzing what you’re currently wearing and what works/does from that and visualizing who you want to be. 

In terms of a signature look, I like to experiment so you’ll always see me trying something new, but for my body type I like to highlight my waist a lot (belts are my go-to) and I love color and unique details.

Picture provided by Katie Rivera

In what way do you influence other people’s fashion style?

I help women realize who they can be stylistically and that it is their right to spend time, money, and energy on themselves to feel good. A lot of the moms I work with are so caught up in serving all those around them, they not only forget about themselves but feel guilty for wanting to do some self-care and look good. I help break down those beliefs and lift women back up.

What are in your eyes the best trends at the moment?

In terms of trends, I think it is always good to know what trends are out there so when you shop you are not surprised or overwhelmed by what's in-store/online, but it doesn’t mean you need to buy a certain style just because it’s popular at the moment. It’s all about what works for your style, body, and lifestyle.

Personally, I am currently loving all the denim out there, especially denim accessories like shoes and bags. I also like the sheer trend and surprising moms with ways in which they can wear sheer and still feel appropriate.

The modern approach to ballet slippers is also great, as ballet slippers are very wearable, comfortable shoes. In their original form, ballet slippers can stunt the foot and not lengthen the body, but some of the new styles out there in the almond or pointed toe are great.

What are in your eyes the worst trends at the moment?

Anything you feel you have to buy because someone else has it!

What kind of fashion advice would you give us?

If you walk in your closet and it doesn’t bring you joy, if you struggle to get dressed, and if your clothing doesn’t make you feel beautiful, there is a better way. 

Who is your style icon, and why?

This changes a lot and there is always someone new I’m inspired by. I like women who dress a little differently and even though I wouldn’t dress exactly like them, I’m so inspired by their confidence to wear exactly what they want. Some of my current favorites are Tracee Ellis Ross, Jenna Lyons, Amy Smilovic, Renia Jaz, and Olivia Palermo.

Picture provided by Katie Rivera

Thank you, Katie, for taking the time to answer my questions. I completely agree with your assertion that women should not purchase items solely because someone else owns them.

Hope you like my blog.....Until next time.....Have a nice day 

Renata (Seadbeady) 

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts and receive the next blog posts in your Email inbox  

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Join me in my Facebook group to get more involved, if you want to be in my next gift guide, or just keep in touch 

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Wedding Dress Fashion Design Techniques and Their Historical Origins By Tess Mann

Hi There..... Are you interested in wedding dress fashion design?

Picture provided by Tess 

https://www.instagram.com/couture_by_tess/

https://tessmannhautecouture.com/

Sadly, I cannot share any insights about my personal wedding dress designs since I have never actually designed any garments. 😢

However, when I was approximately 14 years old, I did sew a long dress for myself, using a pattern, to wear to a wedding that I was attending as a guest. That was the extent of my experience with gown creations. 😉

You might have expected me to retract my previous statement as a joke, but I assure you that it's true, and to top it off, the dress turned out fantastic. 😁

Ok, I know what you are thinking; "where did this blog post come from". Ooh, you Snoopy Sally, always asking questions. 😂

I use a tool called Qwoted to find the experts for my interviews. Every month I renew my requests there, and if I find the time, I try to contact people from their database, to ask them to pitch my requests. 😎

Last time I received the following message; "I have recently placed Tess in a series of interviews and she has requested to take a break from interviews for a couple months due to time constraints/schedule. As an alternative, I can send you an original article about Tess and her bridal gown labels." 😊

Now how could I say no to that? The opportunity was too good to simply wave goodbye like a mediocre first date. 😄

Well then, fasten your seatbelts and hold onto your hats - we're about to embark on a wild ride through the history of wedding dress fashion design techniques! 😍

Wedding Dress Fashion Design Techniques and Their Historical Origins

By Tess Mann, Fashion Designer

 

Picture provided by Tess 

Intro about wedding dresses fashion design

When it comes to designing a wedding dress, there are many elements that go into making a gown that will create the perfect fit for the bride’s body and unique tastes. 

Take a moment to visualize a dream wedding. Within that visualization, the dress is likely the statement piece. The white wedding dress has been the bride's attire since the beginning of medieval times and was a symbol of purity. 

In modern-day, wedding dresses can be any shade of the rainbow as long as the bride feels confident. In addition to color, the neckline, bodice, sleeves, color, texture, skirt, train, material, waistline, and more are all design techniques used to give every bride plenty of options. 

It can also be difficult to shop for a wedding dress that suits the silhouette, personality, and vision of each bride. Knowing specific techniques and their purposes can help you find the perfect fit.

By identifying different techniques, brides can find individual designs that they love. Here are some techniques to help explain what to look for.

 

Picture provided by Tess 

Hand-Beading

Beading can be a tedious and time-consuming task. Although this is true, it raises the value of your dress for the time and labor put into it. It will allow the bride to showcase their personality through the distinctive design, color, and style of beading. 

Choosing the look of the bead is the first step in the design process, and then moving on to exactly where you would like them placed is next. When it comes to the technique, the best choice is to sew each bead in one by one. 

Though time-consuming to complete, if the bride were to snag a thread and it breaks, the dress would only lose one bead. The important part of beading is being sure each bead and pattern is consistent. 

Beadwork has been around since the 14th century, beginning with the embellishing of beads into Native American clothing, and has only become even more useful when designing.  

Use of Boning

Boning can come in handy when it comes to making a wedding dress secure and sturdy. This is a technique used to create structure in the dress and can be very important when it comes to fit. 

For instance, between the lining of plus-size bridal gowns, construction should include drill/double-mounted interfacing (similar to a strong canvas) as well as strong boning in various locations throughout the bust area, waist, and even down the back. 

There are also several different kinds of boning. Each type of boning material has the ability to give a more flexible structure depending on personal tastes. 

These materials, such as metal and plastic, are placed into seams or casings to become somewhat invisible. Boning originated in the bustles of Victorian dresses in the 1870s. Those queens knew how to get their dresses to create a desired silhouette, and now so do you. 

Hand-Drawn Embroidery

Embroidery allows the designer to add simple or complex designs throughout the fabric using a needle and thread or embroidery machines. 

The most difficult part of this process is mapping out the embroidery design. From simple flowers to intricate patterns, this will be the most important step. 

Often when it comes to wedding gowns, economical designs will have pre-made embellishments that are easily sewn on. 

Hand embroidery has been found to go back as far as 30,000 BC near China with beautiful embellishments and thread embroidery on their shoes and clothing. Embroidery was seen as a special craft and a way of creating art. Today, embroidery still holds that value.

 

Picture provided by Tess 

Adding Buttons

When it comes to a wedding dress, buttons can be very useful. Though useful, it can be hard to make them sturdy and stable, especially for a whole night of mingling and dancing as well as remaining intact through generations. 

Buttons on a bridal gown can be used in many ways: decoration, functionality, and necessity. Buttons down the back or sides of the dress will help a bride not feel so snug when putting their gown on, but perfectly snug when all buttoned up. 

You can also use the buttons to your advantage to create texture and a unique look as they cascade down the back or wrap from one side up to the other. 

High-quality garments will place thread security as a priority. After securing the thread, the needle is looped through the hole(s) of your button(s) and then secured to the fabric before looping through again. This helps the fabric become an anchor for the button and not only the thread. 

Buttons have been in existence for a very long time, not as long as embroidery, but they have been useful to people since around 5,000 BC. Buttons have been said to hold a spiritual symbolism since that time, acting as protection from negativity.

Pleats

Pleats can range from simple to intricate depending on what kind of material is used. Pleats are a type of fold made across the fabric and can be cohesive or vary for unique looks. 

There are different kinds of pleats such as accordion pleats, box pleats, rolled pleats, and many others. This technique of design also has plenty of benefits when used in clothing, especially gowns. 

Pleats are utilized to create texture, depth, flow, and dimension within a carefully-designed piece. 

To pleat, the fabric is folded in a zig-zag pattern at the top of where the pleats begin. This process can be made easier by using a pleating tool to make sharp turns in the fabric. 

The origin of pleating is actually quite an interesting one. Coming from ancient Egypt, pleats were used in the clothing of royalty to signify they were rulers and had power and wealth. 

This pleating was usually done on natural materials such as silk, cotton, and wool, which are still some of the easiest materials to pleat.

 

Picture provided by Tess 

Darts

A dart is a simple technique that makes a big difference. Darts are small, folded pieces of fabric that have been tapered and stitched down, which helps flat fabric take shape. 

They can be used to give shape to a shoulder, neck, bust, and even waistline. There are also several different types of darts such as the standard dart, French dart, curved dart, and several others. 

Used to create texture and dimension, this is such a simple way to spice up a design. Darts can be a challenge of trial and error sometimes to get the fabric to lay just how the designer likes it, but it’s a simple technique of lining it up and sewing. 

Referred to as “fishes” in the 19th century, darts were very popular in high-end men’s attire.

Ruching

Ruching is a similar technique to pleating but produces a totally different look. The layers of the fabric create a frill, ripple-like effect. It constructs extreme volume and texture, as well as catches the eye. 

When it comes to ruching, it’s visually similar to pleating, but the technique is done very differently. First, take a long piece of thread, and sew it across where you want your ruching to be. Next, pull the thread and the fabric will bunch up. 

Then the designer can meticulously place the ruches and sew over them to keep them in place. Pins are going to be your best friend as a designer when using this technique. 

Ruching dates back to ancient Greece which used ruching just like we do today, as an intricate design on our clothing.

Pockets

Pockets can add a lot to a design. Not only are they a nearly necessary functional technique to put into your piece, but they can be created and placed in so many different ways. 

Pockets in dresses have become increasingly popular, especially in the wedding dress scene. Pockets have a knack for being able to go anywhere on a dress: the sides or maybe just one side, on the inside by the leg, or a small insert on the sleeve…the possibilities of hiding a pocket are truly endless. 

Pockets can create more volume among the skirt of the dress if that is preferred. They can be placed on any style of dress. Pockets can also be made out of any material if it is hidden beneath an opaque fabric, making it easy to implement something sentimental such as a piece of fabric from a late grandparent or parent. 

They can simply be added to a garment after the design process upon request, as well. Cut out the pocket pieces in the desired size. Figure out placement for the pocket. Open up the side seams on the inside and sew on if you are putting them on the sides of your dress, or simply sew three different sides on if on the inside. 

Recapitulation

There are so many design techniques that can be used to give wedding dress designs that distinctive flare. Couture wedding dresses have become the best way to get the look you want for your perfect day. 

Having an expert fashion designer to work with can give brides a good idea of what techniques are important to implement into “the dress” or designs you might not have thought of before.

Picture provided by Tess 

Thank you so much Tess for taking some time off, but most of all for giving me the permission to share this interesting piece about Wedding dresses. 😍

Hope you like my blog.....Until next time.....Have a nice day 

Renata (Seadbeady) 

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts and receive the next blog posts in your Email inbox  

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Interview With Fashion Model Maggie Vlasaty

Hi There..... Are you ready to meet a new fashion model and actress? Maybe it's about time to peek behind the scenes of the fashion industry.

Picture provided by Maggie Vlasaty

https://www.instagram.com/maggievelocity/

Well, hold on to your haute couture, because I’ve got the inside scoop on one of the most driven models out there. At least, that is my opinion. I wonder if it matters? 😕

We often perceive fashion models as individuals who solely focus on their appearance and physical fitness. Something that is absolutely the case. 😇

Nah, of course not. Behind the glamorous photoshoots and runway shows, there is a world of creativity, dedication, and hard work. Ah, ok, that must be the reason I like to write about models, because they are creative, just like me. 😁

Nope, that’s not a joke. I am waiting for a new shipment of witty remarks to arrive because I am all out at the moment. That would be cool if I could just order them online. 😂

Well, don’t let my silly remarks or this model’s stunning looks fool you - there’s more to this beauty than meets the eye. 😊

When she’s not working her magic in front of the camera as a fashion model, she’s behind the scenes acting. 😎

Time to fasten your seatbelts and prepare for an exciting journey. I guarantee this dive into the fashion industry to be fun! 😍

Picture provided by Maggie Vlasaty

What is your name? How old are you?

Maggie Vlasaty, 24 years old

Are you on Social Media? How many followers do you have?

I am active on Instagram! I have just above 1.3k followers.

Do you work Full-time or Part-time as a Fashion Model?

I am a full-time model and actress.

What made you decide to become a Fashion Model?

Ever since I was a kid, I would feel a connection with characters on television and practice out scenes by myself. 

When I got a little older, my sister and I watched America’s Next Top Model, and I got infatuated again by the distinct characters, themes, ideas, and stories. I remember so vividly telling my sister one day that I wanted to be a model, and she said “You totally could,” and I’ll never forget that feeling of confirming my dreams out loud.

How many hours do you spend modeling?

It really depends. Some weeks I’ll spend 20-30 hours, others 50, 10, or less. I would say when I’m in front of the camera, it’s typically only a handful of hours at a time. But, when I’m not on set, I’m always working - sending auditions, attending castings, and submitting photos.

Picture provided by Maggie Vlasaty

Is fashion important to you? Why?

I love fashion in the sense that I can use it to express both myself and a story for a campaign or project. It’s important, I'd say, but I definitely have other things that are of a higher priority in my life. 

Fashion is an interest of mine, and I spend my free time usually reading fashion magazines, watching runway shows or reviews online, and studying what stylists and designers are putting together. I really enjoy it.

What are your successes and how did you achieve them?

I’ve done a handful of campaigns with some very large brands; some of those haven’t come out yet, but I am excited to see and share them. I am constantly scanning castings, but I’d say that the more that I put my personality out there and express myself, the more I can book jobs that are truly meaningful.

What’s something you might want to do in the future?

I’d like to dive deeper into acting, beyond reading some lines for a product commercial or giving a one-liner as a background character. Outside of my career, I want to find my place in the fight against climate change. I am a climatarian now and do what I can to cut down on plastics and make use of more sustainable products, but my goal is to make a true impact and give that part of my life a larger focus.

Is the name of the Brand important to you when you model clothing?

Yes, and no. Yes, in the sense that if I know a brand doesn’t have a good reputation or is generally unethical, I will stay away from it. But “No” as well, because to the extent that a brand name may be small or unknown to me, it does not in any way discourage me from considering working with them, especially if their mission and values align with mine.

Describe your personal style of clothing?

I’d say my style is a mix of minimalistic, athletic, and secondhand. I try to bring some flair into my clothing by using statement pieces I find while thrifting, but often you’ll see me rocking neutrals, blacks, and whites.

How did you find your personal style? Do you have a signature look?

Through a LOT of trial and error. I consider myself a reflective person - meaning that I reflect my surroundings through my mannerisms and sense of style - and I’d say I went through a variety of styles growing up, even up to now. 

I was an athlete in high school and studied sports in college, so you could usually find me in some sort of athletic apparel. It took me a while to really figure out how to dress once I determined wearing sweats all the time wasn’t going to cut it in an office job.

I don’t consider my style a signature, but you can usually find me in something centric, timeless, and comfortable.

Picture provided by Maggie Vlasaty

Do you have an influence on other people’s clothing style?

I’d say probably not.

What are in your eyes the best trends at the moment?

Great question. I’m loving the multiplicity that we are seeing with jeans right now. For the longest time, I think we were swapping out between different styles of jeans, but I think we’ve hit a point where anything goes - skinny, flair, bootcut - it all works. I love that, and so do my wallet and closet. I also love the more subtle hints to the early 2000s again; neons, chunky shoes, bold see-thru tops (and bottoms!).

What are in your eyes the worst trends at the moment?

I don’t know if there is anything that marks itself as the “worst” in my eyes, but I am seeing a trend of almost a plateau in creativity. I’ll explain: I feel like I’m seeing more people wearing “more, bigger, brighter” exaggerated items, and I almost see that as a lack of creativity. 

I’m not super educated on the world of fashion, and I think that some of the pieces

are cool, but some things truly are a little too over-the-top for my personal taste.

What kind of fashion advice would you give us?

Fashion is an individual experience and expression. What works for you, works for you. If others seek your advice and guidance, great! In the end, however, fashion is for me the ultimate form of visual self-expression.

Who is your style icon and why?

I would say that the previous years have gone solely to Emma Chamberlain and Billie Eilish, but recently I have been loving the styles that Mimi Cutrell puts together. She is talented enough to work in any sector of fashion, and the styles she puts together for Madelyn Cline specifically are uber-amazing to me.

Is there something else you would like to share with us?

Nope - thanks for this!

Picture provided by Maggie Vlasaty

Thank you, Maggie, for taking the time to answer my questions. I think your pictures are very inspiring.

If you have some time on your hands, you're welcome to look through some of my past interviews with fashion models:

https://seadbeady.blogspot.com/2023/03/interview-with-fashion-model-edwige.html

https://seadbeady.blogspot.com/2023/02/interview-with-fashion-model-alissa.html

Hope you like my blog.....Until next time.....Have a nice day 

Renata (Seadbeady) 

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts and receive the next blog posts in your Email inbox  

Follow me on Instagram

Join me in my Facebook group to get more involved, if you want to be in my next gift guide, or just keep in touch 

Follow me on Bloglovin to save posts, create collections, and follow other blogs all in one  

Want to be on my blog next time?? Want me to review your product?? Just send me a message.

Liked my blog post? Share it with your friends by using the buttons below, or let me know what you think with a comment.

Interview With Fashion Designer Igor Sergeev

Hi There..... Are you a fan of leather bags? Perhaps you are more than ready for my next fashion designer interview?

Picture provided by  Igor Sergeev

https://www.instagram.com/lermeofficial/

I bet you are since it has been a while since I last posted any type of interview. Ah yes, I am glad somebody noticed that I was a little less active. 😌

At least I would like to think some people noticed. For all I know, the key person I keep on writing for is me. Is anybody going to notice this new leather bag fashion designer interview? 😨

Would you miss me if my blog was to disappear in a huge black hole? Ah, come on, humor me and say yes. 😜

Not that I have ever been in a black hole, but I can imagine it must be dark inside, and this scaredy-cat is afraid of the dark. 🙀

Enough about me. I had the privilege of interviewing this amazing leather bag designer to get an insight into his creative process. 😊

What drives this fashion designer to create such beautiful pieces? If you’re curious about what inspires him, this interview is a must-read! 😉

Picture provided by  Igor Sergeev

What is your name, function, and the company you work for?  

My name is Igor Sergeev. I am the founder and CEO of “Lerme”.

How old are you?

I’m 32 years old.

What kind of work do you do, or what are you studying to be? 

I design "Lerme" bags and other accessories from the leather of this brand. I also create digital designs for our products.

What made you decide to become a Fashion Designer?

I never made that decision. My dream was to create beautiful bags. To take the handicraft to an unattainable level. Over time, that dream morphed into the Lerme brand. It eventually turned into my career path in fashion design.

Is fashion important to you? Why? 

I love fashion. I love to see how silhouettes, materials, and shows change depending on the historical context. Fashion is a visual chronicle of our lives. It's undeniable that fashion has a powerful influence on how people think and I would like to contribute to this industry.

However, I suggest we should take temporary trends lightly, even with a hint of irony. We didn't make a single Lerme leather bag because it was fashionable at that time, but we were building a city within a bag because it was a challenge for us.

Picture provided by  Igor Sergeev

What are your successes, and how did you achieve them?

My major success is that I managed to gather a team of the best workers: men and women from different countries. I inspired them with the idea of making the best bags on the planet. They all changed their lives, came from different parts of the world, and joined together in the House of Lerme.

I also consider it our success that by launching the brand during a pandemic, we were able to grow, open our own mono-brand boutique and take over the shelves in the country's major department store. We never even had to advertise. People's word of mouth about Lerme got spread exclusively by our customers.

I would say that the third important success is that during the four years of the brand's existence, we have never betrayed our key principle: every Lerme leather bag is made with perfect precision. Today we have 33 bag models, each one being handmade in two to four weeks.

What’s something you might want to do in the future?

I would like to transfer the Lerme principles (impeccable precision, perfect quality, respect for the profession) to other areas of work. For example, to create a collection of clothes and shoes.

Is the name of the Brand important to you when you buy clothing or jewelry?

Since I, unlike most customers, am on the other side of the curtain, I know who makes things, how, and from what. I know which brands make excellent quality clothes, shoes, and jewelry. In that sense, yes, the name of the brand is important to me. For me, it is not the popularity of the brand behind the logo, but its attitude toward me as a customer.

Describe your personal style of fashion?

Smart casual. Only natural quality materials, clean lines, comfortable fit, no decor, in a favorite blue-brown color scheme.

How did you find your personal style? Do you have a signature look? 

I think it came out this way: I looked at those whose images I liked and divided them by 5.

It's important for me to feel calm, comfortable, fresh, and elegant every moment of my life: I'm negotiating, drawing a new design, sewing, or doing a shoot. 

Perhaps "signature style" is an overstatement, but more often than not, you'll find me in a cashmere jumper, cardigan, and straight trousers without arrows.

Picture provided by  Igor Sergeev

Do you have an influence on other people’s fashion style?

As far as handbags go, yes. Over time, all my loved ones have developed a persistent allergy to uneven seams and cheap materials.

What are in your eyes the best trends at the moment?

I admire technological advancement. New virtual reality technologies are fascinating. For some of our projects, we use neural networks. We are experimenting with designs created by artificial intelligence. 

It is important for me to remain an "earthly" person. I take great pleasure in picking up the needle and thread when I have the opportunity. Working with my hands gives me a special appreciation of time.

That's why I will point out two trends as positive. They are even a little contradictory. But I think it's important that they exist simultaneously.

- The development of artificial intelligence. It opens up a whole new world for designers.

- The slow life movement. It allows you to remain an 'earthly' human. Enjoying the long, meticulous, but important processes: cutting, sewing, painting - creating things with your own hands and feeling every minute of your life.

What are in your eyes the worst trends at the moment?

I think overproduction in favor of fast fashion remains the bad and dark side of the industry. Lerme categorically does not support fast fashion.

What kind of fashion advice would you give us?

I don't consider myself qualified to give fashionable advice. Everyone is different and my words would be very subjective. Although, I would say this: be curious about fashion. 

When you know why one of the interpretations of the Dior Saddle bag has a bee on it, or why Gucci handbags have bamboo handles, or how the Preston bag by Lerme and the American artist William Preston Dickenson are connected, fashion things stop being strange, incomprehensible to you. They will take on a deeper meaning for you.

Who is your style icon, and why?

Vincent Cassel. The only man who looks good even in a black shirt. And I hate black shirts.

In all seriousness, I don't have any icons. I love to observe the stylistic experiments of all people. The people closest to me in spirit are Tom Ford and Ralph Lauren. I like the old-money aesthetic.

Is there something else you would like to share with us? 

Lerme wishes every reader of Renata's blog to be in tune with themselves, regardless of fashion trends.

Picture provided by  Igor Sergeev

Thank you, Igor, for answering my questions. I think your bags look amazing. I just love the miniatures you made inside some of them. 😍

This fashion designer specifically asked to make his leather bags speak for him. I didn't mind that pictures from the workroom replaced his selfies, so I hope you can respect this. 😉

The website is in Russian, but if you go to Google Translate and click above the text box on Websites, you can enter the link to the website you want to be translated. 😎

Ready for some more? Check out some of my previous fashion designer interviews:

https://seadbeady.blogspot.com/2023/02/interview-with-fashion-designer-charles.html

https://seadbeady.blogspot.com/2023/01/interview-with-fashion-designer-kara-mac.html

Hope you like my blog.....Until next time.....Have a nice day 

Renata (Seadbeady) 

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