I think about this all the time in design. Certain dishes only take a few ingredients but can be reimagined just based on the process and execution. I love watching cooking shows for that reason, and I can relate it back to design very easily. Any books or stories that dive into process or craft, or even founder stories are always a good way of reigniting creative energy for myself. I think the biggest battle I face as well as so many other designers right now is the speed in which our industries are moving. If I’m having a creative block I try to look outside of fashion and eyewear. The people that I think of that have a creative energy, aren’t necessarily the most creative people as much as they have an attitude about them that wants to push forward, get things done, and innovate in whatever they are doing.ĭo you have any favorite books, artists, or podcasts that leave you feeling more creative? The people that I think of that have creative energy, aren’t necessarily the most creative people as much as they have an attitude about them that wants to push forward, get things done, and innovate in whatever they are doing. For me, it’s always meant problem-solving. There’s also so much history throughout the city – from Old Hollywood to the Lords of Dogtown, we seek inspiration from what made those eras timeless and iconic. It’s is a huge part of the brand’s DNA and there is so much here to be inspired by! There are characters and creatives at every turn that have an individual sense of style. I’m also constantly inspired by the city I live in, Los Angeles. From our phones, the world looks like it’s becoming more homogenous, but we’re really just in a virtual bubble that shelters us from seeing how diverse it really is. As much as I reference trend forecasts and online photo galleries, I find that seeing things first hand is still the most relevant. All the frames are cut from blocks of acetate and hand made so the actual production time can be anywhere from 4-6 months.Įlena: My biggest inspiration comes from traveling. Eyewear is incredibly specific, and even a single millimeter can change the way a frame feels on your face. Once we’ve made all of our changes the factory produces very precise molds that create the final shape. I usually take the prototypes around with me to our stores and close friends to see how they wear on different faces. Once we have an approved CAD they create a hand made prototype with which we do multiple rounds of fittings to make sure it’s exactly right. It starts with illustrations that turn into CAD drawing (computer-aided design) that is created by the engineers at the factory. When we make a new design it takes about a full year from the time we start drawing the first outline of the frame until we receive the finished product in our warehouse. We connect on what is inspiring for us and have an ongoing dialogue about the collection and where it needs to go. I have an amazing design and development team at Garrett Leight and it’s a very collaborative process. Can you tell us about the design process? How do you go from inspiration to finished product? You’re head of design for Garrett Leight. We’ve now been working together for almost a decade, and excited to be approaching the brand’s 10 year anniversary next year. We instantly clicked, and I had such an appreciation for his passion. I met Garrett when I was searching for something outside of the apparel industry, and I was specifically interested in finding that people still valued, since I felt clothing was becoming a victim of fast fashion. I went to school for Fashion Design and worked in apparel for a few years before ending up in eyewear. Tell us a little about you and how you got to where you are today? She also talks about the key to “success” is to keep working. She talks about how you can flip the narrative and turn negative self-talk into a positive that fuels you to do better work. We wanted to have Elena explain her experiences with self-doubt and how she overcomes it. Even with ten years under her belt, Elena still struggles with Imposter Syndrome - as most creatives do. She went back to school to study business and she now uses her skills in design and business as Head of Design for the Los Angeles eyewear brand Garrett Leight. She studied fashion at FIDM, but fast fashion left her feeling disenchanted and wanting more.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |