The Tomboy Turned Dressmaker
lara schilling interviews sari gueron
The buzz around young designer Sari Gueron has been growing steadily over the past few years among independently-minded celebrities and creative city girls alike. At the recent showing of her fall 2008 collection in Chelsea, actresses Maggie Gyllenhaal and Julianne Moore were among the guests. Sari’s interest in the infinite possibilities of the dress—easily the most emblematic feminine piece—combined with a keen eye for detail and a simplistic, relaxed attitude toward dressing have made her the go-to designer for unique pieces that don’t scream for attention. In an age where many designers feel the pressure to create “look at me” garments in an effort to stay one step ahead, Sari is content to focus on what she thinks real women want: comfortable clothing that flatters the figure and highlights the wearer’s individual beauty. Now, three years after her breakout spring collection, Gueron is branching out into new territory with a contemporary line that will combine her original design philosophy with more practical, day-wear fabrics.
Tell me a little bit about your background. Did you always want to be a designer?
I didn’t, I was actually a huge tomboy growing up. I didn’t wear dresses or skirts until I was 15 or 16. I was really into sports and was always following my older brothers around. I did have distinct views on fashion though, like specifically not wearing skirts or dresses and always wearing Adidas or something. There was a period where I wouldn’t wear buttons, or anything in my hair. My mom gave me bangs so it wouldn’t be in my face all the time. And even in high school I wore all black, like a uniform of black—always specific, but it wasn’t girly at all. It’s all really ironic because now I’m most significantly a dress designer.
Where did you study fashion design?
After high school I went to RISD [Rhode Island School of Design], and I didn’t go specifically for fashion, but during freshman year I took a pattern-making class and realized that I loved making clothes ... just everything about it—the technical aspects, and draping, and touching the fabric. Dresses were the most appealing to me because they somehow express best the tomboy simplicity that’s such a big part of my personality. I’m not prissy and I don’t like putting complicated outfits together. It’s easy to just throw one piece on, and there are so many possibilities for making dresses. The softness and comfort level of wearing a lightweight, easy dress is so appealing to me.
Once I took that class I never looked back. I interned with Galliano in Paris twice, for both the winter and summer sessions. I worked with Oscar de la Renta after I graduated and learned a lot there too. And then after that I was really antsy to start my own thing. I won a GenArt award, and that really helped me get off the ground in the beginning.
What inspires you in the design process, and how do you get your ideas for each collection?
Now it’s moving more towards the fabric—the fabrics and prints have been really inspiring me. But it’s also always a continuation of the season before. Like let’s say you do skinny pants for two seasons, but by the third you just get bored with it ... that’s kind of why the fall fashion world seems to be doing similar styles at the same time every year, even though it’s not as obvious anymore. But for instance, we did pencil skirts for a few seasons and started getting bored with it. This season our designs have a lot more volume and were really inspired by these vintage floral prints that we found. They were really the starting point. A lot of designers will try to tell you they were inspired by some child wearing a hat that they saw on a trip to Tibet, but it’s not really like that. For me it’s less about a distinct inspiration and more about a feeling or mood that I want to convey. You work with the colors together and then usually a technique will emerge that runs through the whole collection.
So would you say the fashion cycle is kind of like a pendulum?
Yeah, it is. What I do is always sort of similar though—these easy dresses that have a lot of detail but don’t overwhelm the wearer or give them a particular look. It’s about being subtle and not looking like you’re trying too hard. The goal is for the woman to look pretty and natural—she’s in a beautiful dress but didn’t spend a ton of time getting ready. I feel like my customer is a little bit smarter that way. She knows it’s not a show—she doesn’t wear a ton of makeup, and she wants to be able to breathe in her clothes.
You’re starting a contemporary line. Can you tell me more about that?
The idea for it sort of came from my own clothing choices. I like to dress really casually during the day but super luxuriously in the evening. And I really don’t think you can make super luxurious looks for cheap, nor should you make casual clothes for a lot of money. So it just made a lot of sense for me to have these two lines separate. The same philosophy runs through both though—the contemporary line is still in keeping with soft, comfortable dresses and the same attention to detail. The designs are just cut from more casual fabrics and have fewer embellishments. I was originally doing a lot of casual clothes in the main collection, but they were making them with these really expensive fabrics and selling for eight or nine hundred dollars. I wanted to appeal to a wider audience, essentially, and design a larger variety of looks.
And do you know where the new line will be sold yet?
It should be sold at Barney’s Coop, but it’s not official yet. Everything is still kind of in the works.
What are your goals as a designer?
At the moment, to really work on growing both lines and have continued success. I want to build a business that will last. \\\