Designer Christopher Uvenio talks the importance of history in modern fashion
by Ryan Brinson
Why I love him: He knows his stuff. He’s worked so long in the
industry, he has seen it all and he’s able to bring that into everything
he does now.

What made you want to pursue design vocationally as opposed to it just being a hobby?
My grandmother Anna Cipolli was a fashion model when she was young.
She was a beautiful woman with high cheekbones and dark hair. I was very
close with my Nana who I always admired her looks and style. Nana would
be shopping every day for her newest clothes to match her purse,
scarves, belts, shoes, lipstick and jewelries. Everyone I know has said
my Nana was a beautiful woman with style and good taste. She was
classic. She was my “Mame Dennis.” She was one of my inspirations.

I’ve been in the industry most of my life, but my career changed when
I received a phone call from Pratt Institute, the fabulous Rosie De
Pasquale who was the Chair of fashion design at the time, asked me to
come on board to teach draping and patternmaking. A semester later, the
dean of fashion at Parsons School of Design, Tim Gunn of Project Runway, offered
me the opportunity to teach Couture and several other classes. I had an
incredible ride working with one of the most classic gentleman I have
ever known. I taught at the three top fashion universities in the
country, Pratt, Parsons and FIT, for eight years. I am now the fulltime
professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology and work closely with
students on the CFDA scholarships, the Fashion Art and Design Club I
created, and I continue to work in the industry. I wake up every morning
with excitement to come to FIT and work with my colleagues.

Besides doing what I love as a blogger of my own, Christopher Uvenio Collezioni, I
am working with Vasilios Christofilakos who is a shoes/accessory
designer and a colleague of mine as well, on spectacular coffee table
book, it has something to do with first supermodel of the world, Janice
Dickinson.

What was your training in design?I got my interest and training at the very prestigious Fashion
Institute of Technology where I received my BFA and continued to study
abroad at Polimoda in Florence, Italy and ESMOD in Paris.I learned a lot from my idol, Gianni Versace when I was studying at
Polimoda: Draping, hand sewing, embroidery and fittings. My favorite and
most unforgettable experience was working with Donatella Versace during
Milan Fashion Week. I was a male dresser backstage, dressing the 90’s
Supermodels of the World: Linda, Naomi, Christy, Cindy, and Claudia. I
was extremely lucky to work at the time when the fashion world was
bigger and more glamorous.

When you begin designing new garments, what is the starting point for you?
I seriously love this question. Since I’ve been a designer for over
twenty years, I love to research. I enjoy life by seeing the world
around me, traveling, seeing a classic film, going to the gallery, and
looking at amazing photographs from European fashion magazine including
Vogue Italia. Painting, colours and architecture all become the
inspiration. When the colours come to life, I start developing designs
on paper. I ask myself, “What does my collection want to say?” Most
times, my collection is fashion-forward, cutting edge with a twist of
Avant Garde.
The internet has changed the fashion industry in numerous ways. How
have you utilized it and social media to get your work and your brand to
a larger audience?
Diana Vreeland famously said, “The eye has to travel,” but these
days, the eye gets really tired. There are so many images being flung at
us — as editors and consumers — it makes you crave simple beauty and
great design. Fashion is by definition a reflection of what is going on
in the world. We live in a moment of total disruption as our tools
change and the speed increases. Everyone is surfing a tsunami, trying to
understand how to deal with waves of so much information, so many
images. When in periods of change, clarity and quality become
imperative. The world of social media and fashion is on fire because
people are so attracted to it.
Where has that attraction got us? How has that social dependency we have on imagery changed modern runways?Nobody claps anymore because they’re busy taking pictures. Fashion is
now full of people doing crazy things just to make people talk. I don’t
want to be part of this system. I just want the beauty and the dream.
As an industry, in the past decades we have been transformed by
globalization and now digitalization, the latter of which is really just an iceberg with the tip showing. Why can’t we embrace
this time now as a golden age of fashion, a time in our history where we
have more abundant opportunity than ever? We are a desired industry,
wanted by the art world, the tech and digital sphere and by all forms of
entertainment—theater, music, film. The collaborative lines are
blurred, we all inform each A true visionary or an industry that breaks
new ground is one that doesn’t look to the past, but just keeps moving
forward. Everyone certainly feels the pressure of delivering more. Marc
(Jacobs) now goes into the resort collection with a different mind-set.
It’s not clothes on a rack anymore, but a show. And shows themselves
have become such a spectacle, with all the extra material that can be
generated. There are very different goals now. You find yourself at 2
a.m. doing a whole fashion shoot before a show — on top of working on
the looks and the fittings. It’s all out of hand, but it’s all in your
hand. You’re taking on the world in your hand.
FAST FASHION FACTS
My aesthetic in five words: Defiant, individual, slick, blend, knowledgeable.
My client is… the one who wants Bold. Fashion forward. Cutting edge. Sophistication. Classic and some drama added to the twist. My potential clients will look at your portfolio, point their fingers at a piece of work and say: “I want exactly this, but different.”My dream client is…my all-time favorite supermodel of the 90s, Linda Evangelista. She was primarily known for being the longtime muse of photographer Steven Meisel, as well as for coining the phrase “We don’t wake up for less than $10,000 a day.” She holds the record for her multiple appearances on the cover of Vogue Italia, all of which were photographed by Meisel. Beautiful cheekbones and hair, the walk…I always admire her beauty.
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