Designer of the Month: Lusmila McColl, mccoll&clan

A brand new designer based in New Jersey, Lusmila McColl is not taking her time to ease into the fashion world. Launched this year, Lusmila has already showcased her mccoll&clan collection in various parts of the world and is quickly gaining a fan following. She started designing and sewing as a child and now hopes to bring her love for feminine fashion and beautiful Harris tweed to women in the US and internationally. I touched base with her to see what's on the horizon for the fresh sustainable fashion designer.

Krystle: You’re a brand new label! What are the most challenging and exciting things that have happened for you this year?

Lusmila: It seems that I am delightfully being ‘bombarded’ with a bit of both: challenges & exciting things. 

Definitely my biggest challenge is finances and being a ‘one-woman’ juggling act. I know I am most likely not alone in this respect, but I also do not let my meager means stop me from gliding forward and being positive. It helps to have a cheerleading team, too.  Sometimes there is the voice that says “I wish I had a backer! I wish I could hire some help”. I normally just thank that voice for sharing that with me and keep on keeping on.

I feel the most exciting thing for me that has happened is establishing new relationships and connections with people through the networking/social media sites. Word of mouth (a nom de plume for ‘grassroots’ marketing/PR in my opinion).

Krystle: What do you enjoy most about finally taking your creative talents to form a business?

Lusmila: I really love it all. I love researching for SEE (sustainable eco ethical) fabrics, I love researching for inspiration for new themes and collections, I love seeing it come to life; AND, most of all, I love the creative collaborations that transpire with other like-minded, conscious people who are using their talents to facilitate the well-being of the planet and its inhabitants. That is my primary purpose: to create with intention and to do my small part to expand on the beauty, the joy, the kindness and the peace that is already inherent on this playground called Earth.

Krystle: You’ve showcased in both London and Brooklyn. Which city do you think is more receptive to the eco-fashion scene?

Lusmila: Definitely London. I think it being a physically smaller area of land, there is much more awareness in the British culture about waste, about the environment, about the effects of their purchases and products on the greater good.

Though, for me, in the U.S., I feel it is my responsibility to assist the people here who are on the fence about the whole thing. I enjoy lecturing and speaking on conscious consumerism and sustainable fashion. I love to help people feel that ONE person CAN make a difference. That one becomes many; and, I believe, that is inherent in a founding principle here. 

Krystle: What type of girl wears mccoll&clan?

Lusmila: The mccoll&clan muse is courageous, vivacious, charismatic, conscious, feminine, fun, and flirty. She embodies the phrase “to thine ownself be true”. The clothing just magnifies that. Like a beacon on a lighthouse.

She is also someone who wants style that retains its style no matter how many times or years you wear it. That was one of the main reasons I took this pastime passion into professionalism. I would have pieces several years old and people (both men & woman) would stop me on the street and say “I LOVE that jacket” or whatever the item is that I am wearing.

Krystle: Which piece from your current collection is your favorite?

Lusmila: Oi, that’s a toughie…I guess, seeing I have to make a choice, my favourite piece is the black quilted jacket with the bows at the waist and the neck. I am really into playing with bows and tying things up. Still not out of that phase yet…

Krystle: Your pieces are very feminine. Are you quite girly yourself?

Lusmila: I definitely am a super-goofy giddy girl all the way. I think I must have stopped growing at 8 or something. LOL. Now, Do I dress that way? No, not all the time. Do I LIVE that way? Yep, definitely. If you walked into a department store and needed to find me: I would most likely be in the little girl’s section ogling and oohing at all the super girly styles and cute clothes. My best friend, the other day, said I am so campy. At first, I was insulted. But now, I embrace my campy & cute persona. I stopped denying it.

Krystle: In what ways do you hope to grow, and what should we expect to see from the brand?

Lusmila: In EVERY way.

Of course, first things first: I am focusing on getting the brand name out there and building more awareness, while I get the logistics of producing the collection in a sustainable and ethical way. It’s time to sell it.

There are so many ways in which I wish the company to grow.  My friend Dino used to say to me “when you dream, dream big, Lusmila and include OTHERS in your dream”.  That ultimately is what excites me: that this is not a growth process I will do alone, that I will get to invite other like-minded creative people. It feels so magical and adventurous! Like Dorothy when she began her journey in Oz: She may have started out alone, but she gained friends along the way. I believe fashion can make such an incredibly positive and lasting impact on the world for the greater good of all. I am just doing what I can with what I have and finding others who wish to join me in this journey.

As far as what to expect: expect my next collection to be in Technicolor. Seriously. Lately, I have re-kindled my love of Technicolor films…think Doris Day and Rodgers & Hammerstein. Definitely more bows…I’m not done with taking that theme to its fullest expression.  All made with consciousness and care. 

Designer of the Month: Athena Bentila, MuMu Organic

The popularity of sustainable fashion is big in the UK, picking up speed in the US, and on the agenda for many designers in other parts of the world. But, in Greece there are few fashion professionals working on the transition to the ethical initiatives that our world needs. Greek designer and owner of MuMu Organic, Athena Bentila is the first to make major strides for sustainable fashion in her country. I interviewed her to learn more about her line and the industry in Greece.


Krystle: How do you think the artistic influence of your cofounder inspires your designs?
Athena: As a designer, I am very much inspired by nature and by art. So, naturally his art does inspire me significantly.

Krystle: What is your favorite aspect of designing?
Athena: I mostly like to design dresses that are easy to wear, that are fresh and feminine, with simple lines, but adding some interesting details on them.

Krystle: Your dresses are so playful and feminine. What inspires that style?
Athena: As I said before, I get inspired by nature to design my dresses. And the woman is one of the most beautiful and delicate beings of nature.  My dresses are designed to highlight the beauty of a woman.

Krystle: How do you hope women will feel while wearing your dresses?
Athena: I hope they will feel special thinking that they are wearing a beautiful dress, but more importantly, an ethical dress. I hope they will feel proud of themselves for being able to contribute to the protection of the environment by choosing an Ethical MuMu organic dress.

Krystle: What is the sustainable fashion industry like in Greece? How does it feel being the first producer of women’s organic clothing?
Athena: MuMu organic is the only ethical label in Greece.  I feel proud to be the first designer living and working in Greece who designs clothes from organic cotton and other sustainable fabrics. For me, it is important to do as much as possible to help to protect the environment and raise awareness for as many people as possible. Consumers must know that there are several ways we can protect ourselves and the planet, and buying organic clothing is one of them.
I hope that soon more designers in Greece will like to use eco-friendly fabrics and that more and more consumers will be familiar with the ethical clothing and the benefits they have to our skin and the planet.

Krystle: Do you think working with solely organic fabrics is more challenging than the more commonly used materials? Why/why not?
Athena: It is definitely more challenging to work only with organic fabrics as it is something new and innovative for my country. I strongly believe that ethical fashion is the future of fashion.

Krystle: What should we expect to see this autumn?
Athena: In this autumn’s collection MuMu organic designs are classy and stylish and combine organic cotton with luxurious silk fabrics.

Find a pretty dress of your own here: http://www.mumusyros.gr/

Designer of the Month: Daisy Harris-Burland, Dumpster Couture

Attending Brighton Fashion Week in late May/early June was a refreshing change to the extremely busy fashion week events that take place in London. There, I discovered the unbelievably talented Daisy Harris-Burland, south coast based designer and creator of sustainable fashion brand Dumpster Design. Two fashion lines stem from the brand—the more casual Dumpster Apparel and my favorite, Dumpster Couture. The couture line unites structure and softness, creating feminine, yet edgy gowns and dresses. They hold beauty capable of drawing in the viewers eye to look at every curve, and every detail. I had a chat with the light-hearted Daisy to learn more about her unique source of inspiration.

Krystle: What first inspired you to start designing? What’s the most exciting thing about being a designer?
Daisy: Everything inspires me, really. I bet everyone says that, but really it’s true. Although, I'm not one to flick through fashion magazines and get hugely inspired or riddled with ideas. It’s more like I go to the scrap yard and see an old engine and actual salivate when I see it’s only a tenner! I love the intricacy of engines and car mechanics. How the structure of the materials in their raw state can be so delicate and detailed just fascinates me and I really try and portray that amount of detail in my work. What’s great about being a designer is constantly being able to push my work to its limits—sometimes it works and sometimes it is an epic fail! It’s all about stretching the boundaries.

Krystle: How would you describe your couture collection?
Daisy: There’s only one word I can think of to express what I'm trying to achieve through my couture collection, and that’s 'limitless'. I’m trying to show how far you can take a material and stretch it and manipulate it into something completely different. Showing that anything has the potential to be transformed into something beautiful and daring.

Krystle: Do you have a favorite piece in that collection? If so, what do you love about it?
Daisy: My favorite piece is the 'clean sweep' dress. It’s made entirely from jay cloths, transforming them into something elegant and beautiful. It looks fit for a fairytale.

Krystle: Where do you find the materials you use, and how do you decide which ones to work with?
Daisy: I source my materials from anywhere, if it’s a company’s left over scraps of packaging or old deckchair material. Dumpster really focuses on the intricacy that can be created from such unusual objects. Working with the material, experimenting, seeing what fits and looks good. Every material is so different and you never know how it will respond to anything you try. The design then starts to create itself, always changing in structure and style as the building process continues. All working on the mannequin, never ever with a pencil and paper!

Krystle: How do you feel when you see people wearing something you’ve designed?
Daisy: Magnificent! Creating a bespoke garment is a very personal process, so when I see a client wearing a dress I have created for them and them being overjoyed with it, it feels incredible.

Krystle: If you weren’t a designer, what would you be and why?
Daisy: I’d be a stunt double for action films. No doubt.  My guilty pleasures are motorbikes and top speeds. Hopefully I’ll be able to merge my two loves of designing and daredevil somewhere along my career line! I'm nothing but an 8 year old boy at heart haha.

Krystle: Do you have any upcoming projects or things to look forward to?
Daisy: Lots of exciting projects coming up but nothing I can divulge as of yet, I'm afraid! All to be kept super secret and down low. But, be sure to keep on the lookout as big things are in the pipe line for Dumpster. We're just getting started, baby!

Photo Credit: Tori Clarkson

Find out more about Daisy and see her beautiful garments on her website: http://www.dumpsterdesign.co.uk/

Fashion & Film: Abrakadabra

I wish this is what my morning routine looks like. Abrakadabra fun!

 

Feminine Looks for Sunny Days

Summer is upon us, and I can feel it! The weather has been beautiful over the past couple of days. As we transition from spring to summer, it's best to trade in your rain boots for high heels, and coats for light blazers or bare arms. These are some of my favorite looks from Look Book for warmer weather.

I love that these heels add a bit of sunshine to a neutral dress and blazer.

The print on this skirt is a fun contrast to her crochet top. Plus, open toe heels are perfect for sunny days.

A galactic purple bustier, with a twirl-worthy pink skirt can leave you basking in the warmth of sunshine and admiration of passers-by. 

Classic red on black and white makes this outfit. Short sleeves with stripes and a short circle skirt is a great combination for spring/summer.