I have been fortunate to have made some incredible friends in LA, many of great talent. Katy Rodriguez is a friend I’ve always held at high regard. I’ve worn and performed in her striking clothes from an early part of her design career and have sectioned off a part of my closet specifically for her clothing. Most of my vintage pieces were purchased at her vintage specialty clothing store Resurrection which she shares with her partner Mark Haddawy. A store where designers and creative types go for inspiration and treasures to treat themselves. Katy and Mark often partner up with either a gallery or auction house to hold special exhibitions or auctions of rare clothing as well as vintage couture. If you are ever hoping to discover a random exclusive of Katy’s collection I suggest you visit either one of her stores. There is one in Downtown NYC on Mott street or in LA on Melrose in the Melrose Heights shopping district. Her collection can also be bought at a list of other stores around the world.I find that Katy Rodriguez is always able to draw from such interesting and different influences when starting up a new season and this season is a perfect example. Katy launched her Spring 2010 collection this year at a private cocktail party held at their gallery space in the Marais district of Paris where everyone was treated to music by Katy’s boy friend Tony Alva. The looks were an homage to the erotic and artful polaroids of Carlo Mollino displaying mysterious women partially clothed, sometimes surrounded by animal skins. The custom photographic prints were presented on bustier dresses, slip dresses, and ballet skirts made of chiffon, taffeta, and cotton. Mollino’s polaroid tones were present in the color palette and traditional lingerie was reinterpreted in metallic leather, pony skin, and stretch lace.
Outside of Katy’s heavy involvement in the world of fashion, she is also a huge supporter of different up and coming artists. Always recruiting friends to join in and see shows. On special occasions she may even show up with her camera to take photographs of the new artists who inspire her, another extension of her creativity. Please visit her site for more information.
www.katyrodriguez.com
CM : What is your creative process like when designing a new collection?
KR : It’s an adventure. Some how ideas and inspirations present themselves in the most unexpected ways. At this point I have developed a catalog of inspirations that I have drawn on since childhood and I mix those influences with what’s happening right now.
CM : Carlo Mollino’ s polaroids were a big inspiration for your spring collection, how did you discover him?
KR : I actually first discovered him as a furniture designer. My business partner Mark bought some of his pieces when we were just kids. Later I discovered the polaroids and fell in love. Portraiture is my first love and I consider Mollino’ s to be some of the best I have seen. Mark gave me one of the polaroids for my birthday after we finished the collection. The inspiration is not only filled with Mollino’s history, but my own.
CM : How would you describe the Katy Rodriguez aesthetic?
KR : That is impossible for me to say and i know that is the wrong answer. I have had people tell me if I cannot sum up what I do in a sentence that I don’t know what I am doing. Mollino thought that was a question for other people to answer and I agree with him.
CM : How did your venture into vintage clothing begin?
KR : Just from my love of fashion and the authenticity of time.
CM : Out of your large collection of vintage, which piece do you find to be your most precious?
KR : Today I will say my collection of Kaisik Wong. A fellow San Franciscan and a great designer. He died young, but left some great work behind.
CM : How would you describe your day to day style?
KR : At this point I am more interested in how other people dress than myself. I only like to dress up in costumes.
CM : Were there any Spring 2010 collections you absolutely loved? If so which designers?
KR : I thought the McQueen collection changed everything. It was perfect on every level. Nothing came close to it. It did not even make some of the season’ s top ten lists which is sad but typical. The truth is people will be talking about that collection in 50 years as long as we are still here !
