NEWHEART
NEWHEART OHANIAN fashion stylist
by Christopher Uvenio
(Newheart)
WOW! It’s so amazing to interview you for my blog! I have known you over 15 years! OMG! We first met at the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology! And we went to Polimoda to further our study in Italy. Those are one of our best times! I miss the golden days when we were FIT students! Now Over 15 years we have succeed beautifully in the Fashion World! You’re a very well-known Stylist and you work have been seen everywhere from Music Videos to Editorials to Fashion Magazines from New York to Europe! Many of your Work can be seen in international editions of Elle, Marie Claire, Vogue, Harpers Bazzar & a contributor to swedish magazine Plaza Kvinna magazine and several Asian publications as well to name a few.
You’re so talented as always and thrilled to have you here. You have always been like a sister to me! So here are several things my readers and I would like to know about you!
Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from? What's your educational background? What are your general professional and non-professional interests?
I was born in Manhattan, Im an Armenian American. I graduated from Fashion Institute of Technology with a BFA in Fashion Design. I have loved fashion since I was a little girl playing in my moms closet, my most favorite memory. I would get into my mothers make up and clothes as a routine, everyday. When I was child I always said I wanted to be either a singer or a tall blonde model. As comical as this sounds today, I have managed to keep both professions part of my career as a stylist. Music is a big part of my life wether its what I look for in inspiration or what I need to feed my soul. Dance is another great form of inspiration for me and has been something very important in my life.
Where did that beautiful name of Newheart come from?
I was the first born child of my parents, my father was a taxi cab driver and my mom was very young bride and first time mother both living in NYC. Going back 1 year earlier, on the day of my parents wedding my grandmother (father's mother) passed away at the young age of 48 years old, the morning of my parents wedding day. As tragic as this was for both my parents & to find the strength to begin their lives together under such horrific circumstance, I was born a year later and became a blessing for them. In my fathers own words he felt I was a new heart for their new lives together. My father wanted to name me something that had significance & meaning so I ended up with the name Newheart Zekiya Ohanian. My middle name is my grandmothers name which means intelligence in Arabic.
*What does fashion mean to you?
Fashion is a form of language that speaks no words. I love fashion and always have. For some it's a uniform, for others including myself, its a feeling & mood that influences how I dress & present myself each day. I like to play dress up, I guess somethings never change. There is something to say about fashion that is fantasy sometimes, a metamorphose which is why I love being a stylist.
*How would you define your city's fashion?
There was a time when I was attending school at FIT and spent a lot of time in the fashion district and fabric district in midtown, and felt everyone in the city lacked individuality. You had to go down town to find anyone that dressed apart from the rest of the masses. Today I feel there is fresh air of creativity and more people that care about fashion. The bloggers and social media have a huge part on getting fashion trends out there at the speed of light. I still appreciate individuality in people. The Anna Piaggi's are rare and far in between and mostly missed.
*When did you realize you wanted to become a fashion designer and later a successful Stylist?
I think I was 4 years old. I have old pictures of me that show at a very young age I enjoyed fashion to the fullest. I recall thinking as a child when I woke up on the day I knew we had a family event to attend to, I had already picked out everything from the way I wanted to do my hair (which was usually the side ponytail for big occasions cause I thought it was hot) to my dress, stockings, my purse, my usual red nail polish and my shoes which had a centimeter of a heal on them but I would pretend they were high heals by clicking my shoes while I walked. It was serious! So, it was a no brainer I was going to be in Fashion some how and my dreams of being a fashion designer was soon realized when I attended a fashion program in my High School.
*What was the first article of clothing you ever designed?
I usually made things out of altering patterns that I bought at a local sewing store in High School. I think I would consider my first design when I was at the early age 16 & I took a pair of jeans cut the legs off , turned them upside down and made straps out of gathered bandana's that I sewed on top, so the button and the zipper of the pants would be the front of this shirt. I think my mom has kept this piece because she actually thought it was genius. Looking back now, it was not early signs of being a stylist rather a designer.
What Magazine did you enjoy working with styling?
There are so many magazine shoots that I'm most excited about the styling I have done. But one that was most memorable… my first Vogue shoot for Vogue Taiwan. It was not so much about the styling on this job but how I was able to manage a catastrophe. Much like most of the happiest of milestones in my life, it wouldn't be normal if there was no huge hurdle that stood in my way. I'll never forget how excited I was to see the email correspondence's start coming through my email inbox that said VOGUE. During the week of the shoot date, when all my shipments of clothes were coming in from Asia & Europe, there was a volcanic eruption in Iceland and in which almost all my packages were stuck in London or somewhere in Paris. Needless to say, I was beyond excited for my first Vogue shoot and managed to save the shoot by the grace of the fashion gods.
*Who are some of your favorite designers?
Oh so many…remember when we both shared a true love for Gianni Versace?!?! I mean we were obsessed! I still like what the house of Versace does today, But my other loves are Chanel (for life), Givenchy, Balmain, vintage Yves Saint Laurent, although I do like Saint Laurent too…thats covering the french designers. Alexander McQueen is beyond and always spectacular. Prada is remarkable. Marc Jacobs always captures something cool from the streets.
*How long have you worked as a successful Stylist?
I have worked as stylist for 10 years but I feel it may take another couple more years for me to actually use the word "successful". There is a lot more to do and accomplish.
*How do you select your models when working ?
Sometimes I will be part of the casting and in the event I am, we first look at the concept and story and pick a girl according to that direction. Or we work from the other end of the spectrum which would be when a model agency present us with a model from their fresh face or "new face" roster. Its amazing to catch a girl & shoot her before she is everywhere and on every cover. A fresh face is always exciting to shoot because it becomes a part of a fashion moment if she becomes a well known model.
*What are some of your favorite clothing stores/catalogs/websites?
My resources are endless. I'm also spoiled w/all the designer sample sales that Im invited to. To name a few faves…Dover market New York is very cool. Beacons Closet in williamsburg has been down the street from me for 15 years, also really good for quick vintage finds. some websites: whowhatwear.com trendland.com ASOS.com is great. Net a Porter & sometimes EBAY!
(Newheart)
*What do you believe makes a quality article of clothing?
I truly believe that through the years we have become so inclined to buying clothes from capsule designer collections that Target and H&M produce, we lost the importance of obtaining good old quality pieces that become timeless in our closets and stand through the test of time. Back in the 60's you can buy a well made jacket from Woolworth and the quality was impeccable compared to the quality of clothes that are being sold today in some of our department stores. A garment should be beautifully made inside out. I especially love designers that put attention to detail in the linings and of course the over all construction of the garment is important. Yves Saint Laurent was known for his beautifully tailored shoulders in his impeccably made well known jackets.
*What matters to you most as a successful Stylist?
Its very important for me to continue to grow in this industry and to make strides everyday towards my goals. I would like to continue to have the opportunities to work with some of the most amazing talent in my industry. To be in the circle of amazing creative people is to be a better creative your self. Its the pulse of what makes you or breaks you. Its the quality and level of work thats most important to me and working with amazing inspirational talent is what makes for a successful stylist.
*How do you prepare for a fashion shoot or show?
The preperations for a fashion shoot starts with a dialogue with the photographer & the rest of the team. We then discuss the art direction with a multitude of references which are compiled images that apply to the feeling, lighting, art direction, etc..I will then see which current designer collections apply this direction & fit into the story. The next step is to send a zillion e-mails to showroom PR agencies or press offices. Confirmations for each of the designers or showroom appointments start to come in for approvals and we move on to organizing the appointments & deliveries of the clothes.
*What advice do you have for aspiring fashion designers and Stylist?
My biggest advise is to work hard and then work even harder. I hear so many young students always aspiring to be a designer or stylist. Its not just the fashion sense that is required of you but the ability to communicate and sell your self most importantly it takes a lot of business sense and a lot of money to start. The market is full so you have to think what can you do that will set you apart from the rest of them that will market yourself apart. Finding a niche. The best way to hone in on your craft as a stylist is to test with various different teams consistently and continue to work with better teams as your images & styling abilities improve. Part of being a great stylist is based on your relationships with the showrooms and designers. Yhey are the lifeline to your career as as a stylist.
*How would you define your personal style?
My personal style is always evolving & changing, but Its always a mix of feminine and masculine. I LOVE accessories you can see that in my styling. I listen to Coco Chanel, I always remove 1 accessory before I leave the house. I'm obsessed with the 70's, Art Deco period, the 20's and The London movement in the 60's. I also have a thing for all things Saffari. My personal style changes on a daily based on what mood I'm in or what country or region I'm in.
*what are some of our fashion goals?
My goals are to keep growing and to continue on my path wherever that may lead me. Of course, I would love the opportunities, working with some of the elitist of the creatives in the industry. I would love to style for some of my most favorite, most desired fashion magazines. I would also like to expand my celebrity clientele. Most of all I want to get to a place in my life that feels challenging in my career where I keep pushing myself, yet I can say Im having the time of my life doing it along the way!
*Where do you get your inspiration?
My inspiration comes from film, art exhibits, museums, music, books, travel. As Diana Vreeland always said "The eye has to travel" this means across the board with everything in life which becomes inspiration if you can see it you will be inspired.
*What are some of your favorite fashion websites, magazines, or books?
A couple of websites can include Trendland.com fashiongonerogue.com My favorite magazines will have to start with Italian Vogue, French Vogue, W magazine, Id magazine, Numero, I like what Carine Roitfeld has done with CR. I do like V magazine. Also like Love magazine, Purple magazine & Self Service. Books include anything on photographers like Guy Bourdin, Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton & Paolo Reversi. I love Carine Roitfeld's book Irreverrant, Grace: Thirty years of fashion at Vogue, Vogue the editors eye, & anything on the one and ever yours truly fashion editor Diana Vreeland, My biggest inspiration.
*What other experience do you have in the fashion industry (stylist, retail, marketing, etc.)?
Im a professional stylist & started my career as a fashion designer.before I was a designer I worked in retail for a couple of years in NYC, when I was an aspiring young designer. I had a stint in PR before I started styling, I was working at a company handling their product placement in areas of music media, tv media & editorial print during the hardest time in NYC which was 911. I had taken on this job & opportunity to help with the difficult times. Its when & where I realized I needed to persue a career as fashion stylist. That was a path that I was happy to have crossed.
*What are your favorite colors to work with and why?
I don't think I have ever thought about a favorite color to work with because when colors start to work in harmony for me (while Im styling) an editorial and the direction of colors become cohesive with each other and create a story in it self, its beautiful. I like to watch how Make up artists use color and also interior designers, you can learn a lot from them for the use of color. But it all works organically for me, its a feeling. I LOVE ALL COLORS.
*Where can readers find out more about you and your work?
my website http://www.newheartnyc.com my blog The Newheart newheartnyc.tumblr.com or Instagram: newheartnyc
Anything you would like to say>?
I want to thank you for featuring me on your blog .I have such a mutual respect for you as well and your successes in the fashion Industry. I love you like a brother and mostly I miss yo so we need catch up!
I want to thank you so much for being interviewed to be on my blog. With 801,00o readers knowing how special you are to me and that you have always been inspiring and beautiful. Love you Newheart!
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