Designer Diary Part II – Dominic Louis hits OAK NYC today
In the previous Designer Diary we met the gorgeous rising star Louis Mairone. This week, exciting news: Louis’s Fall collection hits OAK NYC today! Louis shares how this happened. Meanwhile we get a behind the scenes look into his work on this collection.
In these photos we see Louis working with his cute production assistant, Avtar Khalsa, and with Barry Martin the owner of the leather factory from which Louis works.
They are seen working on the outstanding, very high waist one piece recycled denim pants that both Louis and Avtar slaved on, from this Fall collection. These can be bought at OAK NYC starting today. “I’m so proud and excited to finally have the opportunity to make my collection available to the public”, says Louis, “and I’m looking forward to finding out more about my client through this experience”.
As designers, you’re probably asking yourself how Louis got to show OAK his designs (how he got in is a no brainer, they saw the designs and realized their cutting edge though completely wearable quality).
Well, the answer is he “knew a lot of people from their social circle.” ”I met Kimberly (Christenson head buyer for OAK – D.S) at the launch of their first Oakzine. I told her my first look book was coming out, and we made a date for me to show it to her”.
The lesson to be learnt here is that as a designer starting out, you are also your own director of business development, and this means a lot of networking.
It also means maintaining really good relationships. For Louis this turned out to be key; Barry Martin, who gave him the space in which he’s currently working, and who supplies him with leather, he met when working at DDCLAB as he was out of school. Mr. Yu, his current pattern maker, was the DDCLAB in house pattern maker. Louis had great relationships with both men, who are now his best working partners.
Next week – a sneak peek at the Spring collection. Stay tuned.If you have any questions for Louis, write to us at blog@senseofashion.com
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