Q: What was the first article of clothing you ever designed? Shamouelian: When I graduated high school I felt I was ready to have my own company, since I went to Parsons for two years at night to learn more about fashion and merchandising. During 11th and 12th grade I used to take the train from Long Island every day after school to go to Parsons. My dad felt I was ready to have my own business so he backed me up and then I started to design. Q: What does fashion mean to you? Shamouelian: The clothes we wear represent our aura; our external being, so the designer knowingly or unknowingly affects people’s lives. Q: Your ashion icon? Shamouelian: Dolce & Gabbana for not being afraid to make a statement and standing behind it. Q: What made you decide to create a collection based on a TV show, the “Gossip Girl” line? Shamouelian: A friend of mine who works with Warner Bros. and also loves Romeo & Juliet Couture thought it would be a perfect match; Warner Bros. contacted us and we made the deal. Q: How would you define the style that Gossip Girl Collection and Romeo & Juliet Couture exemplify? The differences? Shamouelian: The Romeo & Juliet Couture line is about monthly delivery of great fashion and trends and Gossip Girl Collection is more focused on the characters of the show and their lifestyles. Q: New trends you are working on? Shamouelian: For Fall, it’s about embellishments, leather, color blocking and fur. Q: What are your favorite fabrics to work with? Shamouelian: We work a lot with viscose blends and poly blends, silks, leather which each one in their own way best expresses the fashion trends. Q: How would you define Los Angeles’s fashion style/scene? Shamouelian: Glamourous and casual combined. Q: Any advice for aspiring fashion designers? Shamouelian: Be yourself and stand for what you believe in. Q: What matters to you most as a designer? Shamouelian: That the end consumer enjoys wearing our clothes and keeps coming back for more. That means we are doing something right. Q: What can the readers look forward to? Shamouelian: All I can say if you are looking for the latest trends and you can’t find them other than designer price points, look for our collections. by Shari Baier Photography by Kai He
www.romeoandjulietcouture.com JUNE 2012 - the Los Angeles Fashion
15