The Young Designers Collective: the interview

Do you remember I told you about Young Designer Collective not long ago? I have even more stunning news/information for you. Those guys were awesome enough to give me a interview! I really loved the way it turned out. Thank you so much Shilpa for taking your time answering on my questions! And.. can't wai to see more for YDC in future of World Domination... oh success I ment

1 How did you come up YDC idea? Was there something (an event may be) which pushed you to do it?

YDC was sparked from an idea. We all had realized while in school that it was tough for emerging designers to balance supporting themselves and working on their own designs. We also always felt that we loved fashion but that we were disappointed on the toll it took on the environment as well as the pointlessness of creating more and more unnecessary items. With this in mind Shilpa met our now marketing consultant, Patricia Reider, one day on a train and they began talking. It eventually led to Patricia wanting to find a way to connect emerging designers with non-profit organizations, which provided a platform to help new designers as well as give our designs a cause. We had already been talking for quite a while about wanting to work together and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to put something we always talked about into action. We were fortunate to have everything form shortly after graduation.

2 What was the first object made by YDC?

That seems like a tougher question to answer. We have separate divisions within the company. There is the part of associated designers that desire to create and innovate without restriction. That is where we can shine as individuals while being supported by our colleagues and is the platform we used to highlight the collective at the Heart and Soul Charitable Fund. The other half of the time, we are designers working together to address the design needs of non-profit organizations. At the moment, we are working with Navigators USA to create somewhat of an anti-uniform. So in terms of the very first object, it may be Hanh’s beautiful knit dress that was successfully auctioned at Christie’s. However, the first collection to be designed as a team is the Navigator’s line that is being prepared for Spring 2014.

3 What are your first fashion related memories?

Harmony and I (Shilpa) used to design clothes for our Barbies, while she sewed, I hot glued. We started off drawing clothing probably by 5th grade but we’ve always been creative. Hats off to our parents for getting us the supplies all the time!

Hanh’s and her sisters had an annual black and white ball for their dolls and they would go to separate corners to create their ball gowns and come together that night to attend the ball together.

4 Tell me a little about YDC plans for the future

World Domination! Just kidding. We hope to become established enough to kick start other fashion careers and brands that come through us and really provide a service to new designers who need it when they are just starting out. Also we hope to have many more lasting projects with non-profits so that we can help with their fundraising arm. We also have interest in working with international villages and communities. Other than that, look out for us in stores, online, and our own retail shop soon enough!

5. A little survey for Inside and Outside blog: some say talented in fashion people usually try to make their toys look better (repainting for example) did you do something like that? And if you did then what?

I (Shilpa) repainted my Barbie playhouse inside and out because I didn’t like the pink. I think I also painted flowers on the outside for the “garden”.

Harmony wasn’t happy with the wall colors in her house, so she used to paint flowers those.

Hanh was big on diy’s so she would embroider her initial on everything as a child and dye her shoes when she get bored with the colors.