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[ HOT DIGGETY ] by Erin Telford Jennifer: I think that New York has so much creative
energy. It's a natural part of the city's vibe. It's great to be able to
travel other places to see what else is going on. A lot of my design ideas
for the bags and backpacks come from the outdoorsy, camping lifestyle,
especially our nylon group. But Triple 5 adds an urban twist to these bags. .
. I think I could probably design from another city as long as I was touch
with what was happening in New York. It really helps to be in New York
because of the vibe and creative energy. That's the biggest thing that being
in New York does for me. It pushes me to stay on top and work hard. There's a
lot of competition out there so knowing that you're never really stable at
what you do only makes a person work harder or fall off. Erin: That's so true. Play your game right or
you're out. So, would you see a kid on the street struggling with his bike
and think "I need to put a bike lock key pocket on my next bag!"?
Are you taking your inspiration from the function of the line, i.e. the
camping line or from what you see on the streets? J: A lot of both. . . I do my research as far as
what else is out on the market. I shop so many different kinds of
stores-sports stores, army/navy surplus, cheesy department stores. . .
there's so much out there in the lamest places. I try to keep it practical
too, to not overdo things. This is something I'm still working on-how to make
the strongest statement without saying too much. Maybe on 2 really cool
details on a bag and not 5 mediocre ones. As far as on the streets, I'm constantly
checking out what people are doing. On the subway, I'll check out an older
guy's laptop bag or some homeless person's tattered duffel. . . and DETAILS.
. . I see details everywhere! On the guy sitting next to me-his jeans might
have the zipper that that runs form the knee to the hem. . . it's been done
before but the stitch detail and zipper pull were interesting enough to catch
my eye. E: How do you see your role as a designer? Are you
creating new trends for people? Are you creating functional fashion or just
interpreting what's out there in a new way? J: I try to create new things all the time. I know
that most everything's been done but if I haven't seen it then it's new. I
try my hardest to come up with new things-different types of zippers,
webbing, side release clips, printing techniques, and all the extras. as far
as trends go, bags will always be a dope accessory. New shapes and functions
are what I like to come up with. It's a lot of engineering. I wish that we
had research and testing facilities at this company, like the real backpack
companies have. Triple 5 bags are great because all of them do more than one
thing. . . some transform, some extend, some have built in chairs. It's about
being creative and taking everyday things and applying them sensibly. E: Since Triple 5 has sort of a preset customer
type you really don't really have the luxury of saying, "hmmm, I think
this season we'll do a retro 80's look", how do you revamp the urban
look for each season? Do you feel hemmed in or that you have boundaries on
the look you are designing? J: Our biggest profit for bags comes from what
we've always been doing. Fortunately when I got on board, it was agreed upon
to add new fabrications and expand the "look" of our bags. We just
showed them last month and the denim bags got a good response but I'm anxious
to see how they'll do at retail. Well, I hope because the new stuff is what I
can get more creative on. The nylon bas are our staple and there is the same
theme for those. I try to change it up each season with different
colour-ways, different types of nylons, and different details but all still
have the "outdoorsy" feel. E: I know that you get a chance to work on clothes
with your designs for Staple, do you miss working on clothes as opposed to
accessories? J: I thought I would miss it more because I used
to work at a clothing line in Seattle called "Reactor." It was my
first design job and that's what I knew. So at first I was a little hesitant,
thinking that I might pigeon hole myself and my work by just doing
accessories. Now, I actually love doing the accessories. There's so much
thought and creativity and so many details that clothes, most of the time,
don't have. But I actually DO get to work on clothes at Triple 5. I did some
of the men's fleece, cotton bottoms, and poly twill group for holiday. So I
get both! I'm so psyched. I love Staple too. I think Staple is the closest
thing to my true expression of creativity because the design is much less
limited. It's more of a design centred line than Triple 5. It sells because
of the uniqueness and the great branding and labelling. Jeff is such a
talented individual that I feel so fortunate to be able to work with him. E: So you discovered a strong point that you
didn't really know you had in accessories, that's cool. I know that you have
a solo project in the works, are you going to be including accessories in
this project? J: Oh yes. . . this project is still in it's conception
though so I can't jinx it. Let's just say that it's men and women's,
accessories, and some clothing. It's gonna be hot!! |
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