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| Interview by Cameron Towsen: FrontRowEdit |
Sally, congratulations on another beautiful show. Can you tell me more about your collection and inspiration for this season?
SLP: Thank you very much! Yes, this season was inspired by the comic book East of West, a Science Fiction western set in a dystopian America. I wanted the collection to reflect the mood of the books, which was a mix of traditional and modern. It was an exploration of color and material.
How do you and the team forecast and plan for the season ahead?
SLP: We plan very far in advance. Being a small team, it is what we have found works for us. I’m not a last-minute kind of designer, I don’t operate on stress. We start each season about six months out. I am actually working on Fall 2019 right now so that should tell you something! I feel lucky for the team I have, they keep me on track.
How important is a show location/set design to tell your story?
SLP: I think it’s everything. I love the drama and the 360 experience you get with a show. I love scouting new places to show, and working with my production team Dizon Inc to bring the collection to life with the set.
In what way would you describe the SLP girl?
SLP: Cool, easy and luxe.
Where is the most offbeat place you have found inspiration?
SLP: Great question! I find inspiration in a lot of different places, I would say one of my favorites was about how Lillian Bassman discarded decades’ worth of unprocessed film only to be found years later and developed. I did a whole collection inspired by this.
How did you start in the fashion industry and where did you study?
SLP: I started in the fashion industry knowing nothing, and no-one. I graduated from RISD with my best friend Sarah Adelson and moved to NYC. We both got jobs working corporate for a few years before we decided to just go ahead and start our label. It was a lot of trial and error, but we feel proud that we are 100% self-taught and have built a company organically with a strong team around us.
Since you started out, how do you think the culture of fashion has changed?
SLP: The culture of fashion has changed so much since I started. If I’m honest, it feels a bit political at times, which distracts from the core of fashion which is a beautiful product, raw talent, and having something meaningful to say.
What is next for the brand?
SLP: We have so many new things happening with the brand. We have some great new partnerships coming soon, we have launched a capsule e-commerce collection on our website, so there are some major things shifting right now which are very exciting to me.
