To coincide with Wednesday’s blog about last week’s 58th DAAP Fashion Show, I bring you an interview with DAAP’s very own fashion design student, Lacey Voss, for inspiration. Lacey will be a Junior as of this fall and is excited to be releasing her own self-titled capsule collection. The collection will be available in local stores at the end of this summer! Find more out about Lacey and what she’s been up to…—-
CityBeat: Lacey, can you tell me where you are from originally? Why did you choose UC?
Lacey Voss: I am a born and raised "Cincinnatian." The West Side, to be specific, and Delhi to be even more specific. I grew up knowing about the UC DAAP program. I was very involved in art through school and had always heard it was a great program. When I started looking for schools I thought I wanted to move away and go to New York- "anywhere but here." I got accepted to a few other places but after realizing how expensive out-of-state tuition was, I decided Cincinnati wasn't so bad and went for UC. It was actually kind of a struggle for me to get in on account of my SAT/ACT scores and the fact that they don’t look at portfolios. But I was pro-active because I knew this was what I wanted to do with my life.
CB: When and how did you first realize that fashion design was for you?
LV: I have known for a long time that I wanted to go somewhere in this field. I was about 13 and in middle school when I knew I wanted to be in design. I made a lot of my own clothes and had always reconstructed vintage things. It was what I did while my brothers played video games. I would have loved to be an artist because I love to paint and I need a creative outlet to be happy, but I found I needed a stable career more. When I realized I could make clothes for a living I knew I wanted to be a fashion designer. Design was the perfect balance fore me, it's functional art.
CB: What are some current inspirations of yours?
LV: I went to public school on the West Side and for being a public school, I had an extremely strong background in classical art training. I credit my art teachers for my artistic eye. That being said, I find my inspirations in the same way a painter would. I relate very much to nature and the beauty of the human form. I value individuals in a body conscious way and put that into my designs. As far as inspirations go, its whatever sparks my interests. Some past inspirations have been rock crystals, geodes, oysters, Chladni Plates (frequency patterns)...
CB: Can you tell me specifically about your designs? Is there a common theme or favorite style you tend to follow?
LV: I generally don’t like to design bright colorful things. I love black, grey and navy but I do like to add color here and there. I like to design wearable garments that are still high design and very interesting. Detail is important to me. You want to get what you paid for. I also like to play with proportions and how they accentuate the body, but always in a body conscious way. I want to make women look sexy and powerful.
CB: UC DAAP students are required to complete six co-ops throughout their college career. Can you tell me about your co-ops thus far and what you are doing currently? What was required of you? Did you learn anything that was useful?
LV: After this summer I will have completed three of my six co-ops. For my first I went to New York to work for Garan, a children's wear company that makes Garanimals clothing line. I was an assistant designer for the young girls and misses. My second was in Columbus for Abercrombie and Fitch as a woman's tech designer for all brands: A&F, Abercrombie, Hollister, Ruehl and Gilly Hicks. Both were large corporate companies where I learned a lot designing on a large scale with an established brand. For this summer and my current co-op, I opted for the opposite experience and have decided to create my own mini-line. It is self-titled, LACEY VOSS, and will be a women's high end line that will be sold locally at the end of summer 2009!
CB: What do you hope to accomplish in the future as far as your career in fashion design goes?
LV: I know I am very happy in this field. Whether I want to work for a label as a designer or start my own, I'm not totally sure just yet. I guess it depends on how this summer goes....
CB: Is there currently any way to view or purchase your work? If so, how may we go about finding it?
LV: Yes, I am very excited! I am currently working on my mini line, LACEY VOSS. It will be for sale at local stores at the end of this summer. So please keep an eye out for me and I will fill you all in on the details!
** Stay tuned for more information on Lacey’s line and for more interviews with fashion forward Cincinnatians!
