COLLECTIVE SHIFT DESIGNER TO WATCH: GEORGIA LAZZARO
With just one season under her belt, Georgia Lazzaro is quietly but fiercely taking Protagonist from an insider’s label to a must-have for every woman’s wardrobe. The fledgling brand’s chic minimalism has already gained a cult following for its sleek, precise staples ever since it debuted in 2013 as an exclusive on Vanessa Traina’s e-comm site, The Line. BY PAIGE REDDINGER
FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M
What first attracted you to fashion? I always loved drawing and painting. When I was in high school, I used to have a romantic idea about being an artist. When I went to college, I attended an art school, and I was working in retail and merchandising at one of Australia’s leading design companies, Scanlan Theodore, to support my studies. They were working with really amazing European fabrics, and in my art studies, I found myself increasingly in the fashion section of the library. Everything evolved from there. Tell me about your first job out of school. I really wanted to go to Europe or America to do an internship. I read about this new fashion foundation called AUSFF, the Australian Fashion Foundation, which was founded by Australian expats in New York and helped young Australians obtain internships here. Back then, about seven years ago, it was very difficult to get access to international fashion from Australia— the distance coupled with the difficulty of getting into the fashion industry was really hard. I entered this competition through AUSFF, and I was lucky enough to win it. It was an incredible opportunity. I wouldn’t have been able to get a job at Calvin Klein, or have had the trajectory that I’ve had, without that initial step up it gave me. I feel indebted to the founders Julie Anne Quay, Malcolm Carfrae, and Brana Wolf. Did [former Calvin Klein EVP and chief communications officer] Malcolm Carfrae help you land at Calvin Klein? When I interviewed for the award, you are asked to nominate where you would want to work. Aesthetically, I’ve always loved Calvin Klein and Narciso Rodriguez. They were the two companies that I had asked to intern for, and it was fortuitous that Malcolm Carfrae was working at Calvin Klein at the time. When I came over here I had a year on my visa, so I did six months at Narciso and six months at Calvin; Calvin Klein ended up hiring me. How did you come to Protagonist? I was at Narciso Rodriguez, where I worked after Calvin Klein, and Vanessa Traina contacted me and told me about this position. I was really happy at Narciso—I really love him, so I wasn’t looking to leave, but in the end I really felt that it was such an amazing opportunity that I would be crazy if I didn’t take it. Narciso was so lovely and understanding. What was surprising about working for a smaller brand and running the show? The process of samplemaking. With the previous two companies, I had the luxury of having in-house pattern makers and an in-house atelier, which means that your design process is so fluid. You really can refine and hone each piece. With Protagonist, we use local factories, and our studio is in the Garment District, so there’s close proximity there. But I’m trying to bring more of that atelier culture into the brand. It’s been a massive learning curve for me. It’s changed the way that I’ve designed and the way that the clothes are put together. Learning to trust my judgment and decisionmaking is the biggest hurdle of all. Vanessa is still very involved, and I love that collaborative process. She’s got an incredible eye. Since coming onboard, what have you learned about the Protagonist customer? They are just starting to sell my first collection now. The collection was done in six weeks, so it was an absolute whirlwind. In terms of the shift in direction and aesthetic, we picked up a lot of new stores. Protagonist needs to be essential and functional. I love the opportunity to design for my peers—the women around and above me who are working really hard in their careers, going about their day-to-day—and really
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