Laura Vassar Brock distilled the struggles of an emerging designer best on Thursday night. “One of the biggest and most constant conversations we have internally is: how,” the designer said.
Vassar Brock was speaking at a Swarovski-hosted panel at Parsons School of Fashion along with husband Kristopher Brock and three of their fellow nominees for this year’s Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent: Gabriela Hearst, Sander Lak of Sies Marjan, and Fernando Garcia, one-half of the Monse label. The conversation was moderated by Kenneth Cole a month ahead of the awards, and each discussed their individual journeys and how the recognition as well as the CFDA’s guidance has bolstered their businesses. Virgil Abloh of Off-White, also nominated, was unable to attend.
Cole will receive the inaugural Swarovski Award for Positive Change on June 5 for his tireless work towards ending HIV and AIDS and his advocacy for many other causes. “I’ve struggled over the years because to be successful in this business, as these guys will tell you, it requires significant personal compromises,” Cole said. “And at the end of the day, you wonder why [am I doing this]? And I realized that when there’s a greater purpose than just how much revenue you can generate, it gets you through.”
The designers discussed the challenges of beginning a business in today’s fashion landscape and how they are distinguishing their brands in what is a hyper-saturated marketplace. “We thought we were going to be viewed as a diluted brand of Oscar de la Renta, so that was really scary for us,” Garcia said. He noted that Monse distinguished itself by looking for holes in the market and creating house signatures of manipulated shirting and distinctive striping. “You create a DNA that isn’t already out there.”
Hearst also noted that there is even more pressure when your brand is a namesake. “There’s nowhere to hide, so you become obsessed with everything,” Hearst said. “And I don’t think you can do this, do what we do, unless you have that intensity.”
Following the talk, guests skipped four blocks south to Omar’s La Ranita for a post-panel cocktail. Leigh Lezark, Carlos Campos, Fern Mallis Ellen von Unwerth, Jeffrey Kalinsky, Roopal Patel, Isa Tapia, Rebecca Minkoff and a host of editors were among those toasting Swarovski, Positive Change award recipient Cole and this year’s emerging Swarovski talent. Find out who the winner is on June 5th!
