martes, 22 de mayo de 2012

Y tú, ¿cómo te vistes para ir a trabajar?

No hay duda de que cada oficio y profesión ofrece ciertas libertades, impone determinadas restricciones o, incluso, influye en determinados aspectos de nuestra vida, tales como la forma en que nos vestimos o la imagen que deseamos presentar de nosotros mismos.

Precisamente, "Industry of one" es un blog en el que se analiza, por medio de fotografías y entrevistas a especialistas de distintos rubros, la forma en que el trabajo y la profesión influye en nuestra forma de vestir y gustos estéticos.

Y bueno, para que les dén más ganas de visitar "Industry of one", los dejo con fragmentos de las entrevistas que más me llamaron la atención y con las fotografías que me parecieron más interesantes:






Q - Your closet is full of avant-garde, androgynous pieces that fall outside the norm of typical office wear. Who or what would you consider to be the biggest influence on your style?A - My mother. Growing up she would only let me buy an item of clothing if I was absolutely sure that I wouldn't see anything else I wanted. It taught me to demand a great deal of every single thing I bought. I really invest in my clothes and I wonder if people see me as extravagant! I see it as completely the opposite: I only buy things that make my spirit soar and I love them and keep them forever. I absolutely cannot understand how people can spend money on things they don't love. It seems such a terrible waste of money.





Q - What are some of your favorite places to shop?A - I mostly shop online, which probably hints at the reason why I've had an online store since I started my company. Opening an actual, physical store location in the East Village (the address is 315 E. 9th Street) has inspired me to shop more at boutiques. Many of my friends happen to design clothing, which makes it easy. And, best of all, I can shop at my own trunk shows at VeraMeat!

Q - What work outfit gives you that "on top of the world" feeling?

A - Any outfit adorned with a VeraMeat accessory always makes my heart sing. Ha! My friend Eva from Las Pepas did a trunk show at my store recently and I bought a black fringe jacket I'm now in love with.





Q - What’s the biggest misconception people have about fashion designers? A - One of the biggest misconceptions is that we sit around mixing colors and sketching beautiful things all day. I wish! This is a tough business and about 85-90% of your day consists of communicating. Communicating with the factories creating your designs takes up a huge chunk of your time. You have to make sure your design is executed correctly or else it stays as a pretty picture on a piece of paper. There are also cultural and language barriers that come into play. One of my favorite emails I received from a factory informed me that they thought the dress they were making for us was much "too sex". It made me laugh for days.








Stacie Kristine - age 26Stacie Kristine gives Martha Stewart a run for her money. The girl can miraculously whip up tantalizing smells out of mismatched Ziplock bags of this and that left over in the fridge. She can sew. And, in fact, stitched up her own Ralph Lauren inspired gala gown over the course of a day that she later slipped into for an evening charity event. She’s run the NYC marathon, worked wonders to the interior of her shabby chic Bushwick railroad apartment and sounded out the basics of Mandarin Chinese. Stacie Kristine would have been more aptly named a Jones, because it’s nigh impossible to keep up with her.

When encountering any high capable individual, it can be tempting to not look beyond the achievements. With Stacie, the susceptibility is all the greater for her talents are very evident. And visually appealing. As a fervent enthusiast of J.Crew and all things sprinkled with Jenna Lyon’s magic fairy dust, she’s amassed drawerfuls of pristine button ups, buttery soft cashmeres and colorful patent leather heels which she whimsically interweaves with vintage finds. She injects elegance into a neighborhood that is famous for its graffiti-lined walls and fried chicken.

And she does this in more ways than one. If in doubt, ask the local subway attendant who’s received an annual pumpkin pie at Christmas. Or the owners of the corner bodega who were boisterously regaled with Christmas carols this past December. Or the dozens of hungry Brooklynites who’ve sampled Stacie’s famous four cheese macaroni. Style for style’s sake is fine and dandy. But style that reaches out and gives back is far richer. Just like her macaroni.

Q - Stacie Kristine: you work a 50+ hour work week, whip up delicious dinners for your boyfriend at the drop of a hat, and still manage to sew your own dress (pictured above) for a charity gala. How do you find time to sleep?
A - (Self-deprecating laugh.) I'm like a little kid. It's hard to settle down at the end of the day, whether it’s because something exciting holds my attention at the moment or I'm anticipating something exciting scheduled for the next day. That said, I spend about 45 minutes rationalizing why I should stay under the covers for another 10 minutes every morning.

Q - It has been said that your hostessing abilities rival those of another acclaimed hostess, Betty Draper. When or where did you become interested in the details of mood, setting, decor?
A - Some guy who hasn't had a home cooked meal for months probably made that comparison. They only see women cook on TV! I started drawing outfits and decorating my room when I was 5 or 6. I sewed my first outfit when I was 9. I had a computerized touchscreen sewing machine by the time I was in high school -- long before the iPhone! My mother is an awesome seamstress and had her own interior design business for many years, but she never said, "you just don't do it like that, it isn't right." She would let me find my own solution, whether sewing or cooking or in interior design. I studied economics in college, but would stay up late redecorating my college apartment over and over, scooting furniture around. I think my place was the only one with custom curtains on campus...

Q - Do you put an outfit together in the same way that you approach decorating a space?
A - Now that you mention it, yes. I always start with context, asking "what makes sense here?" I like attaining the gestalt of a thing, "the essence or shape of an entity's complete form," or to put it another way, "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." You don't want an outfit or a room to make the viewer think about the separate elements, but rather appreciate the whole effect.

Q - Switching subjects a bit, what’s your day job like? I know you used to work in finance and then left that to work in India for a year with a non-profit involved with freeing trafficked slaves. Does your current job feel like a happy medium between the two?
A - Definitely. I get to make a difference while enjoying first world conveniences like good health. I'm moving into a role managing corporate partnerships in-house for a non-profit. Since I've sat on both sides of the table, both in the corporate office and in the field, it’s easier to understand each party's needs and broker mutually satisfying partnerships. When you sit down with a corporate partner and the charity asks, "What does success look like for you?" it takes them by surprise.

Q - Who do you look up to for sartorial inspiration? Jenna Lyons notwithstanding...
A - I do love Jenna's ability to mix high and low. I usually reference established style icons' new collections (Oscar de la Renta! Ralph Lauren! Balenciaga!) and pull silhouettes and detailing that I like. If they've been around for 40 years, they must be doing something right. That said, I follow what Vogue Nippon's Editor-at-Large, Anna Dello Russo, is up to religiously. She's kooky and confident enough to pull almost anything off. She recently was seen wearing a clear vinyl poncho like Burberry's trompe l'oeil trench coats. I swear I made one of those in 5th grade from a clear table protector. Reinterpreting her Met Gala dress with the swan helmet is my next project, but I'll take it down 10 notches to a winter white wool-silk blend shift with feathered cap sleeves.

Q - Do you feel like your style has evolved since living in NYC or Brooklyn for that matter?
A - Absolutely. I skewed towards preppy in college, but since I also rowed, I was in full-body spandex half the time (accessorized by pearl studs). In New York I feel free to experiment, because so many more people self-actualize through their clothing. I loved wearing saris in India -- they are the most flattering thing a woman can wear -- but haven't figured out how to pull them off in NY yet.

Q - What are some of your favorite places to shop?
A - Should I hide the fact that even my underwear is from J.Crew? Their fit model is spot on for me, so they're my go to in a pinch; I know it will work. Some of my favorite pieces are courtesy of Ralph Lauren, DVF, Reiss... The problem with knowing how to sew is it makes you crazy about fit. I alter off-the-rack a lot. I also love shopping in my grandma's closet and jewelry collection. The woman has more cashmere sweaters than days in a month. Tonight I'm hosting a 60's dinner party in honor of MLK, and I'll be wearing a vintage 60's cocktail dress she wore when she was my age.

Q - What work outfit gives you that "on top of the world" feeling?
A - There's always something about wearing an outfit (any outfit) for the first time.







Q - What's the story behind your actual job? A - Right now I'm working as a full time nanny for a family who lives on the Upper East Side. I hang out with two really amazing kids all day, playing in Central Park, taking long walks, going to bookstores, museums, the zoo, and so forth. It’s really not a bad way to spend time. It’s been a nice introduction to New York and has allowed me to get to know parts of Manhattan I probably would have only had a vague idea about otherwise. Living in Brooklyn and working on Park Avenue has given me this fascinating big picture of New York. Occasionally, I feel like I'm involved in an anthropological study of some kind. I'm looking forward to hopefully getting back into teaching next year, but I'm definitely enjoying this experience as well.

Q - What is your dream job?
A - Is it silly that my dream job might not have changed since I was eight? That a little bit of me still would like to be an author - slash - illustrator? I have a little show up right now at Simply Polished in Bed-Stuy of some of my paintings, and while getting ready for it, I thought about how nice it would be if I could just paint all the time. I also have a little dream of opening a store in my neighborhood that sells new and vintage kitchenware. Honestly though, being a teacher in a good school with great faculty and administration is also my dream job. I miss teaching very much.




Katie - age 27The fact that Katie Hanson spends her day among books says it all. She works as a managing editor for a major publishing house, sports flaming red hair like a heroine you may have read about, and proudly confesses to bookwormish ways. She may even sneakily add in a year or two to appear older. At 27 she's managed to cram in a lifetime of stories.

This pale wisp of a thing was raised in brassy, buxom Southern California. After graduating from high school in L.A., she moved to Iowa — the antithesis of palm tree lined boardwalks and fake tans — to attend a liberal arts college. From there she skipped her way through internships, the odd post-college job and a stint in Europe at one of Francis Schaeffer's schools only to land in New York. In her three years here, she’s become a neighborhood fixture. After work she walks to her CSA to pick up her half crate. On the weekends, she attends ballet.

Like many, she's worked her way up: from a fluorescent lit cubicle to an office with a window, from a room share in the heart lands of Bed-Stuy to a cozy apartment in the Upper West Side crammed with books and friends. She’s still working on her pirouette.





Q - If you didn't work your current job, would you dress any differently?A - Nope. Currently there's no difference between what I wear to work and what I wear most anywhere else... unless I'm going swimming.

Q - When do you mentally map out what you're going to wear to work the next day?A - Generally, I figure it out when I get out of bed and realize that I'm not wearing anything and decide that should probably change before I leave the apartment. It’s a combination of weather, plans and that vague "today I feel like.." Most variations are subtle, as I pretty much wear the same thing everyday.

Q - What are some of your favorite places to shop?A - Thrift stores are best.

Q - What work outfit gives you that "on top of the world" feeling?A - I don't really like the way things feel when they're new, so I prefer something that is well worn, like a broken in pair of jeans. I like clothes that feel like they can take a beating. I also like cold weather clothes best, so I like to add a couple of layers, one of which is definitely woolen, a scarf, and a sturdy jacket. I usually top this off with a pair of boots. High-waisted pants are cool.







Q - What story does your personality or style most resemble or lend itself to?A - Ever since I can remember, I have been strangely obsessed with both the 1920s/30s and 1960s eras. I don't have a particular story that reflects my style or personality except to say that it's always been about the past. I'm intrigued by the time before I was. I have always resonated, in art, literature, fashion, and interior design, with the early part of the century, as well as the sixties. I've been wearing scarves on my head and buying vintage clothes from Salvation Army since middle school. Over time, I've paid more attention to wearing items that actually fit my body type and my style has also evolved into a more feminine one. I guess one of the most memorable compliments I've ever received regarding my style was from my painting teacher during my undergrad. He saw me out of class one day in a colorful outfit and told me that I dress like I paint.

Q - What are some of your favorite places to shop?
A - Salvation Army, Atlantis Attic, Beacon's Closet, Urban Jungle. But above all, small town thrift shops and flea markets.









No hay comentarios: