Maki Oh Designer: Maki Osakwe Launched: 2010 Key retailers: Maryam Nassir Zadeh and Totokaelo Birthplace: Lagos, Nigeria, where the label is based Astro sign: Virgo Mentors: “Tonye Osakwe and Duro Olowu” First summer job: “Worked at London fashion week as a hostess” Dream job: “Dancer for Fela Kuti” Hobbies: “I like to smell things” Obsession: “Auras, energy, and chi” Industry bestie: Adobe Photoshop Motto: “Gentlemen, start your engines, and may the best woman win” Distraction: “Does Wallpaper count?” Voted most likely to: “Try to become a Formula 1® driver” Can’t live without: “Teas and clicky pencils” Illicit crush: “Nigerian musician Burna Boy” Pipeline projects: “Maki Oh accessories”
Tanya Ta ylor Designer: Tanya Viyada Taylor Launched: 2011 Key retailers: Moda Operandi, Louis Boston, United Arrows, Satine, and Owen Stats: Former designer at Elizabeth and James Birthplace: Toronto Astro sign: Sagittarius Mentor: “My Persian cat, Oscar. He has a way with fur.” Nerd factor: “I can remember the number of every credit card I have ever owned.” First summer job: “Window display girl at a vintage store called PaperBag Princess” Dream gig: “Ballet dancer…or accountant” Bedside read: “Men Are Stupid, Women Are Crazy” Distraction: “Garden and Gun” Voted most likely to: “Fall asleep midsentence” Survival technique: “Coconut water, pomegranate seeds, and dancing” Can’t live without: “La Colombe coffee” Illicit crush: “The possible son of Rose Byrne and Ryan Gosling” Pipeline project: “Working on a coffee academy in Haiti with The Clinton Foundation”
Ostwald Helgas on Designers: Susanne Ostwald and Ingvar Helgason Launched: 2008 Key retailers: Browns Focus, Opening Ceremony, Fivestory, Louis Boston, Ikram, Brown Thomas, and Club 21 Birthplace: (SO) Germany (IH) Iceland Astro sign: (SO) Sagittarius (IH) Aries Mentor: (SO) “Marjan Pejoski” Secret skill: (SO) “Tetris” (IH) “PC Man” First summer job: (SO) “Archiving for a German writer” (IH) “Gardener” Dream gig: (SO) “Zookeeper” (IH) “Bioengineer” Obsession: (SO) “K-Stew and shiny things” (IH) “Reese’s Cups” Industry besties: “Mira Duma, Anya Ziourova, and Natalie Joos” Motto: (IH) “At least nobody died!” Distraction: (SO) “The New Yorker” (IH) “The Economist” Survival technique: “Keep running and don’t look down”
Public S chool Designers: Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne Launched: 2007 Key retailers: Barneys, Bloomingdale’s, Odin, and Ron Herman Stats: (DC) Former creative director at Sean Jean (MO) Former intern at Sean Jean Birthplace: NYC Astro sign: (DC) Pisces (MO) Virgo Industry cred: CFDA Incubator alums Secret skill: (DC) “Lightsaber” (MO) “Rolling a perfect cigarette” Nerd factor: “Our last answer” First summer job: (DC) “Selling rollerblades at Paragon” (MO) “Working retail at Tommy Hilfiger” Motto: “Find perfection in imperfection” Distraction: “New York Times Magazine” Voted most likely to: (DC) “Get pregnant after graduation” (MO) “Get arrested” Survival technique: “Stop, drop, and roll” Illicit crush: “This week? Kat Dennings!” Pipeline projects: “Accessories, made in New York denim, and our own retail shop” And we quote: “This questionnaire took us three hours to answer.”
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