Charity conscious and Eco friendly? That is one rising star of a fashion designer no one can argue with.  He is known for being the youngest designer to ever show at LA’s Fashion Week and his work has been featured in cycle 13 of America’s Next Top Model. It seems hard work does pay off and there is more to be done, Yotam has revealed that a men’s collection will be ready sometime in November.

Read on to find out more in my interview with the talented Yotam Solomon.

llM: When did you first know you wanted to be a fashion designer?
YS: : I realized that Fashion Design is my main calling during High School. Growing up I went to different art schools mastering Violin and then Viola in my musical studies.  At the same time I always had an eye for style, current trend and helped everyone style their wardrobe and outfits.
There is so much to create and do in fashion, through which we can inspire, empower, and support our customers as well as different charities.

llM: You believe in being an innovator, where do you draw your inspiration from? 

YS: The inspiration for me comes from Nature, which is  then combined with different aspects. Nature is the most amazing source we have, we come from it, we live in, and we eventually return to it. There is much to draw from since the possibilities are endless, this also effects my decision to only use natural fibers in my designs.

llM:  Describe your muse. What is your ideal image of a woman and what type of a girl wears Yotam Solomon?
YS: My muse is a confident woman that knows exactly what she wants in life, she has designer labels in her closet and is eager to more Avant Garde yet comfortable fashions. There is no specific body type or beauty that influences my designs, yet many of my customers inspire me in many ways.

llM: Fashion is constantly changing and in some cases improving. Since you are the youngest designer to show in LA’s Fashion Week, what do you think you have learned so far from the past collections and shows you have done? 
YS: That is very true our industry is changing every few months. I have learned so much from showing in LA fashion week, from structure, weather sensibility toward fashion, public relations and proper marketing is essential for success.  There are channels one must go through while always being on your best game!

llM:  Let’s talk about shoe design, do you often design your shoes based on your garments or vise versa? How do you collaborate the two?
YS: Foot wear design comes very naturally for me because I do my own samples and pattern making. I enjoy drawing ideas from my chosen seasonal theme. My Foot Wear and Ready to Wear don’t intertwined yet they are two different items that mix and match.  They visually counter effect each other creating a sophisticated look rather than matching each other. 

llM: . What advice would you give to an aspiring fashion designer?

YS: Work as hard as you can, don’t allow others to tell you that you can not do anything, or that you cannot do something specific. The possibilities are endless as long as you work correctly and meet with the right industry people.

llM: What can we expect from you in the future?
YS: Hopefully breaking the barriers of Avant Garde design relating to true living and Eco friendly designs, while expanding and offering these fashion to all demographics. Ultimately luxury contains the ability to allow for great charity causes, and that is the goal of my luxury label.

le la Moda Interviews

Visit us tomorrow to read my interview with Yotam Solomon

The youngest ready to wear and Eco caring designer to show at LA’s Fashion Week.  His work has recently appeared on America’s Next Top Model, but there is more to be found out about this young designer. Yotam was very pleasant and accommodating to doing an interview with me.  I have to say the most pleasant thing I found out about him is that he uses Eco friendly materials and partners up with charities.  Find out more than just the superficial you see on TV or runway.

Who and what is Mipenna? “Myth in paradise”

Mipenna is a jewelry collection built up by Wing Law.  A stylish brand that expresses a unique take on glamour in its special and one of a kind creations.

Mipenna “Myth in paradise”

“Penna” Wing’s name in Latin

Mission:

Speaks of the relationship between humans and art.  Wing believes that as a human beings we all have fantasy surrounding us. Her creations put the fantasy into design, this is what makes them unique and a part of her character…just like each man has his own story. This is the major reason why she loves designing so much!

What inspires my design?

Wing Law

“My design concept usually comes from my life and my personal feelings on life. I believe design comes from imagination, so what you see and what you think, that is your design.  Therefore design comes from the designer’s illusion, that is the spirit of design.”

Personal Style

I love many different styles, however my favorite pieces are vintage, inspired by England. I love to wear something unique and special, mixing and matching. As far as color, I have a bright and colorful wardrobe and I think that makes people feel happy. Solid sharp colors and fashion sportswear is my favorite this season. 

What do you do for fun where you live?

I live in a small but modern city, Hong Kong.

The character of this place is like fried rice, there are lots of different cultures and that builds up the Hong Kong style. In my free time I love to go to cafés and the countyside on holidays.  When I work I love to listen to music and light yummy candle, this is my “work mood”.

Background?

Fashion design in HK Polytechnic University and a self taught accessories designer. 

What is in your future?

I want to expand my brand and sell my creations in different countries.  I want people to know the Mipenna’s story.  When people wear my designs I want them to feel special and relaxed in their life.

You can view more of Mipenna on my PORTFOLIO page.

PAST

PRESENT
DEBY DEBO quickly catapulted into a full-blown clothing range, with its designs being worn by a French TV presenter and celebrities. Today, the brand is distributed all over the world and has five shops in the best shopping area in Paris.

50 rue d’Argout 75002 PARIS

19 rue de Turenne 75004 PARIS
95 rue des Martyrs 75018 PARIS
11 rue Antoine Vollon 75012 PARIS
94 rue St Dominique 75007 PARIS

Their boutiques are very intimate with delicate wallpaper and embellishments and this design-focused collection combines contemporary silhouettes with vintage styling. Please visit the website http://www.debydebo.fr.  The brand has decided to open a E-Boutique as well: http://shop.debydebo.fr  (they ship all over the globe)

FUTURE
The company continues to show nice progress and is planning to enter into retail with the opening of new stores in different cities.  This is to be followed by various department store concessions.  DEBY DEBO gives young women easy essentials that can be worn alone or in combination.  The sophisticated collection, together with the boutiques, truly creates an original look.

So you think you can start a high-end label of your own?  Read about the unique brand development as it comes to you straight from a very dedicated individual, Mickael Casol. 

Click on images to enlarge. 

PAST
Everything started in 2002 when French painter Maryse Casol launched her first professional art collection. A limited edition catalogue came with it and her paintings started to be sold in a Montreal, Canada art gallery. In 2004, seeing her amazing talent for colour & while being in my second year of business school, I decided to help her get to the next level (later to learn that instant success does not exist: success has a pre-requisite of 1,000,000 hours of hard work in the dark). The real fun took off in September 2007 when we organized a private exhibition in Manhattan (West Village), NYC. A Russian art collector bought 5 paintings and the word spread rapidly in the Art World. It was good but not great. Being a champion in Muay Thai and training among MMA world champions such as Georges St-Pierre and David Loiseau, I have learnt that there is always another level, you should never settle with your present situation. Therefore came the idea of bringing art to fashion with a made in France silk scarf collection competing with Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Pucci and Salvatore Ferragamo.

PRESENT
After one year of travelling the world for the Casol silk scarf collection, we’ve decided to focus on the ecommerce part of www.MaryseCasol.com . Having your designs in stores is exciting but you never control the quality of service or visual presentation of your brand. Not good when your name is Casol. As Donald Trump said it once: “if I can’t get my hands on it, it’s not for me”. With ecommerce however, it’s a process, and we make sure that process brings excellence to our customers. From making the scarves in Lyon, France with Brochier Soieries (leaders since 1890), to using Paypal as a partner for payment process, and Fedex for express delivery, every step is executed the way a champion wins his fights!

FUTURE
The future looks amazingly bright, we have just launched a full collection of silk ties and silk scarves from famous artists such as Picasso, Dufy or Van Gogh. This collection is also made by Brochier Soieries, and are available at MaryseCasol.com. On top of the silk ties and silk scarves we have a premium collection of fine art prints. With more products coming soon, our goal is to become the online shopping destination for French & European luxury brands. Of course, Maryse doesn’t stop painting, you should see her new landscapes, c’est de la couleur en puissance!