INTERVIEW FASHION DESIGNER
ALTHEA HARPER
W
hen did you start making clothes and accessories? I became interested in design at an early age, but I didn’t start making things until I was about twelve years old. The first thing I made was a pair of pajamas for my sister. Describe your Project Runway experience in five words. Interesting, inspiring.
stressful,
creative,
catfight,
How is your company organized? We have three people that are usually in the office everyday, but work with a lot of different employees through outsourcing. We are located in Tribeca, NYC, but our production is in midtown in the garment district. Tell us about a “typical” day.
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w w w. S t y l e S a m pleMag.com
Every day is different, but on an “average” day I wake up around 6:30 or 7 am, go the the gym, and then grab a muffin and cappuccino before heading to the studio. I often times spend the morning getting all my emails done. Then, I usually have to run uptown to get fabric for an order, or stop in production. I do shipments, and then I either design or finish emails depending on the day and if it is during sales or show. When I am in my NYC studio I often work 12-plus hour days. What music do you listen to when you work? It really depends on the mood that I am in— sometimes I want to listen to creative underground music to get me inspired, sometimes I want hip hop to get me pumped, and sometimes I just want to sing Mariah Carey at the top of my lungs!
Images courtesy of Althea Harper
made it through Project Runway to become a success in her own right.