Robert Tagliapietra (Left) & Jeffrey Costello (Right)
We just had a quick Q&A with Robert Tagliapietra of Costello Tagliapietra as they are doing their fittings in our NYC showroom for their show at Milk Studios (September 10th @ 3 pm/EST)
Q: What is the inspiration of your new line?
A: It’s really about bringing elegance back into daytime dressing. Wearing jeans & t-shirts to work has become very common place these days and there is an assumed individuality in wearing jeans, but that isn’t the case if everyone is wearing them. We wanted to return to a time when people took pride in what they wore to work.
Q: What kind of music inspired the collection? The show?
A: We work really closely with the Misshapes. We love Ariel Pink’s new album and the Age of Consent right now. When we were designing the line we were drawn to softer sound. We listened to a lot of Washed Out and Memory Tapes. There is a nostalgia there, but also a youthful romanticism.
Q: You are showing at Milk Studios where all of the shows will be live streaming, including yours. There is a lot of buzz going around saying that this technology is democratizing Fashion Week, moving it from elitist to socialist. What do you think about the infiltration of Social Media into Fashion Week?
A: There is this burst of newness and who knows where that is going to take us. We love that this medium can connect us with our consumers across the globe in a way we were never able to before. Nothing should be elitist and change is never bad.
Q: There are a number of designers that are offering their looks to consumers right after they are shown on the runway, how do you feel about that?
A: Well, it must be frustrating for the consumer to see something they love, but can’t have for several months, so I understand that. It takes us hours and hours and hours create one of our garments because there is so much handwork done, it feels like pricing is arbitrary when the looks are made so easily accessible. For us, it’s not about creating trends, it’s about creating something to wear and love for the next 10 years. We are creating heirlooms.
BIO:
Spring 2005 fashion week marked the Costello Tagliapietra premier on the New York runways. Costello Tagliapietra went on to win the 2005 Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award and presented their second well-received collection, of twenty-four looks, in which Style.com called “expertly executed”. Finalists of the prestigious CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2005 and now in 2006, both design ers were elected to the CFDA in 2006.
The Costello Tagliapietra collection is sold at Barneys New York and select specialty boutiques worldwide.
Costello Tagliapietra’s recent collaboration with UNIQLO is also currently available around the world.
Comments
“We are creating heirlooms” – I love that!
Love their line for Uniqlo!!