With Project Runway, the rise of Pinterest and the proliferation of personal style bloggers, careers in fashion are highly sought-after and difficult to obtain. In a sea of many, countless designer hopefuls journey to New York City with the hopes of becoming the next legend. As a young Atlanta fashion designer, Abbey Glass sees her own road map and that road appears limitless.
Embarking on my own career switch, I met Abbey Glass - a young designer and entrepreneur creating her own line. As a Rhode Island School of Design graduate, Abbey interned at Marc Jacobs as well as Calvin Klein and showed in the 2012 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Supima Design Competition. Upon meeting, Abbey was preparing for her Fall/Winter 2013 ready-to-wear show at the W Hotel-Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia. As a 23-year old, her determination was apparent to the models walking for her, the interns working for her, and the press buzz surrounding her.
Speaking of buzz…did we mention she has dressed Miss Universe 2012, Olivia Culpo, in one of her original designs?
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In the midst of preparing for her August San Francisco “Life Forms” collaboration with artist, Tobias Tovera, at the 111 Minna Gallery, I reached out to Abbey to learn more about her inspiration, drive and advice to aspiring designers.
Q: Who were the designers that inspired you growing up and who inspires you now?
A: I am very inspired by my late grandmother’s sense of style. She never really got ‘dressed up’ in my presence, but her wardrobe was filled with treasures. Her signature look was diamonds with pleated high-waisted trousers and an Escada striped blouse. I love the idea of a touch of glamour found within a simple but classic look. I never lost interest in the amazing basket I found in one of her spare closets filled with costume jewelry, evening gloves and handbags from the 1950′s and 60′s. There was never a time I went to visit her without rediscovering some fabulous amber pin or wicker clutch. When she passed away, she left me an incredible archive of vintage silk scarves, cashmere sweaters, silk gowns, wool suits, Ferragamo’s, and small handbags. They are very much my staple references when designing a collection.
My concept inspiration when designing a collection usually comes from science or nature. Both of my parents are doctors, so I’ve always been very fascinated by the overlapping space between art and science. There are so many aesthetically beautiful pieces of the human body and nature that inspire a garment’s shape or surface design.
As far as other influential designers go, I really look up to people with a strong sense of self and a love of nostalgia without compromising creativity. —I love Muccia Prada’s view on women and the world. She explores such interesting relationships between people and their environment. I am also very inspired by Christopher Kane’s incredible imagination with fabrics and shapes, yet great focus which has lead him to such commercial success.
Q: Why did you decide to start your collection in Atlanta as opposed to NYC, LA or Rhode Island?
A: A lot of factors went into the decision to start in Atlanta rather than another city. Atlanta is an emerging market for luxury fashion and is home to a lot of people interested in art and culture.
My style appeals to the classic dresser with a more adventurous, fashion-conscious flair. People in Atlanta are always looking for something different and are always very fit-conscious. They want to look polished.
Also, renting or owning property in Atlanta is much less expensive than New York. This allows me to spend more money on my fabric, production, travel, shows. I am also close to my support system and my investors which allows me to make sure the business side of my company is on track. That is frequently where designers fall through the cracks.
Q: Starting your own line, in general, is daunting especially as a young adult. Why did you decide to pursue Abbey Glass right after college?
A: In school, I was constantly told cautionary tales of failed designers starting out young and naive, so making the decision to go out on my own was hard. I decided to start building my brand right out of school because I had so much passion, motivation, and support for what I was doing that I couldn’t guarantee would be there when I was in my 30’s or 40’s.
I always tried to have more personal connections to people, at work and school, and frequently, I asked them about their quality of life and what they would choose to do differently as an artist if they could go back. A lot of people in the industry had told me that they became very comfortable working for someone else. They never realized their dream of becoming an entrepreneur. Starting my own line is a big risk, and I’d rather be risky when I am as independent and energetic as I am now.
Q: I love so many of pieces from your F/W 2013 collection. I can see your pieces being styled in magazines from Teen Vogue to Interview. Where can I buy your line?
A: I meet all my clients privately, but I keep track of all my orders online at http://www.abbey-glass.com.
Q: You have your upcoming San Francisco collaborative collection from August 2 to August 30. For the collaboration, were you and Tobias able to mutually influence each other’s work in preparation for the show?
A: I chose the pieces of Tobias’ art that I thought would translate well into clothing. I want these pieces to be wearable and fun. He had sold a lot of my favorite works. So, Tobias started painting in similar color patterns to the pieces I had chosen to use. In the exhibit, the dresses and paintings will have a dialogue and not be completely different.
Q: What’s your next big project?
A: Tobias and I plan on doing another show in New York in September. Atlanta will be sometime after these two shows, but I’m trying to focus on San Francisco for now.
Allyn Woodward
