Ok So, The Show presents its inaugural episode featuring New York City based label Interlude.
Often what the zeitgeist deems worthy of relevancy has more to do with access to resources than any inherent substance.
Let me tell you what I mean— the cultural cachet of New York beguiles the masses as it often spearheads sartorial trends. Though those canonized rarely get there without abundant ties. Throw a rock in these circles and you will hit at least one rich kid you never looked twice over as hipsterdom has equalized aesthetics.
What is worthy of relevancy to you? Can you create the story yourself?
Interlude
The designer duo behind Interlude, Willard Chung and Belinda Stahl, met while under apprenticeship at New York indie label, Gauntlett Cheng. (Another duo with heavy emphasis on textile and knitwear within the downtown fashion scene.)
Self-proclaimed “textile nerds” Chung and Stahl emphasize fabric over form, and credit their former experience at Cheng as the foundation of how they currently operate.
Their premiere collection, under the formerly known Bliss United, was an exercise in throwing what they loved at the wall to see what stuck.
“First collection was like, ‘All right, let’s see how this goes.’” says Chung.
“The love of textile was there but was random and scattered,” Belinda adds.
Re-named Interlude as it indicates a slow down, a beat. With a rejection of fast fashion at one collection a year, they aim to pause and create with purpose rather than churn product by a set calendar year.
Collection II— Prepare For The Freefall, We’ll Float is described as “lightweight, sheer layers, mesh” by Chung.
The fabric comes first then the woman forms.
With an “affinity towards weird fabrics, we don’t just want tailored pieces. We want them to be a little fucked up.” Their love of textile speaks with command, a cool sensuality exists. The multitude of which communicate symphonically in a single collection.
All wearable enough yet lux to do life and to be life in the city.
Whether it be an insulated steel chain mesh cardigan softer than the eye deceives or a cotton nylon yarn dress smoothed to the body, Interlude evokes “downtown glamour” as my friend Zach proclaims. It has the energy of a girl who dances around the in-between of personas. In control of her style, so cheeky enough to subvert it.
Does Interlude exist at the intersection of fashion glams meet art-woe New Yorkers?
“I feel that’s where the ethos of the brand is right now. Fun wearable clothes”, states Chung.
“A certain sensibility you don’t gain from school, more just living in the city”, he furthers.
The entirety of my New York life has been in the independent fashion community. At times, it is in fact lost on me how lucky I am to bear witness to this slice of subculture. Personal biases and easy access to such is taken for granted and waived aside so very often.
The conversation we have in this premiere episode contains a day inside the life of New York artists who do not exist at the forefront of popular recognition— that is why we are here.
Thank you to Willard and Belinda.
For Inquiries— info@interlude-nyc.com | Instagram— @interlude_ny
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