| We talk to the man behind 'BROOKLYN ZOO'... |
| Written by Sacha Young | ||||||
| Tuesday, 24 May 2011 00:00 | ||||||
'BROOKLYN ZOO'. The fashion label that is. Created from the depths of Joel Williams' bedroom, with a whole lot of passion, a breath of fresh air and a dose of positivity, New York inspired local label 'Brooklyn Zoo' was born. 'Brooklyn Zoo' represents the multi-faceted city that Joel believes to be the center of the universe: "It's got the biggest and best of everything, in my opinion." I'm excited to see the adventures and journey that 'Brooklyn Zoo' take us on, uncovering Brooklyn culture one collection and season at a time. Oh, and did I mention we went to his runway show a few weeks ago and were blown away with his soundtrack (The XX & Jay-Z) as well as the incredible Michael Whittaker opening and closing the show? Yeah... enough said. Check out our interview with the young mastermind Joel Williams below...
COUP DE MAIN: What inspired you to start 'Brooklyn Zoo'? JOEL WILLIAMS: I felt like there was a niche in the market for [a] really nice, fashionable menswear/unisex clothing label. So being a fashion guy, I felt like it was hard to go out and buy stuff that was not feminine, but just more fashion savvy. If you look at the girl's cuts, they are way ahead of the guys'. Guys are so conservative in New Zealand. I wanted to sort of merge a unisex brand that had more of a sophisticated feel, and not as in a suit and tie, but more streetwear. That is where the whole New York aspect comes into it. I've always been obsessed with New York and Brooklyn. I can't really put my finger on it, I know I love tall buildings and landscapes, mixed in with natural landscapes, with the harbour and the geographic layout of the land, mixed with all of the man-made features. Something about a huge city, with the bridge and also the culture. It's so raw, so much has come out of Brooklyn, and New York. So I wanted to merge an urban feel into a clothing label without it being hip-hop or gangster. CDM: What do you think sets 'Brooklyn Zoo' apart from the other local labels that may be doing something similar? JOEL WILLIAMS: I think worldwide there are only a couple of brands based around New York, one of them being 'Zoo York' which is very skate and underground, which for me is not what I'm going for. In a sense 'Brooklyn Zoo' is unique, internationally, I feel like it brings in combinations that nobody else is doing, especially for menswear. CDM: Tell me a bit about your creative process when designing? JOEL WILLIAMS: Well, basically I work out of a big bedroom/office. I have this massive desk which has a conference-end, and I have a big seat with a chair. I plaster my walls. I go online and look at brands I look up to, print their stuff off. From there I look at New York and different angles of people capturing it. From there I sort of sketch together - because I come from a graphic background - I sketch together all my looks. Taking into mind how big I want the collection to be, and being a small company how much I can do, without too many complicated things. From there, looking at fabrics, getting swatches. Then I go to the patternmakers and start working on patterns and samples.
CDM: What were you studying before 'Brooklyn Zoo'? JOEL WILLIAMS: I haven't studied anything in Fashion. I came out of school, went to Africa to do some relief work, then went down to Christchurch to start a clothing label called 'Absurd Clothing' with my former partner. That was really poppy and grungy. So I worked on that for a couple of years, and now I've moved up to Auckland to start 'Brooklyn Zoo'. CDM: Do you think you'll venture outside the 'Brooklyn' theme, or is it something that you will continue to uncover? JOEL WILLIAMS: Many people refer to New York being the center of the universe, and for me it feels like if there is anywhere that would be the center, it would be New York. It's got the biggest and best of everything, in my opinion. So it's great to have a label based around it because it's so big, that obviously I'm branching out of Brooklyn, but the whole city has got so many different facets. So I'm hoping through the years it will be a progression of stuff that represents New York culture. I still have love for amazing cities around the world and I would love to bring myself to study more abstract feel and it wouldn't be so themed around the New York aspect. CDM: What does 'Brooklyn, New York', mean to you personally? JOEL WILLIAMS: For me, and I've grown up and seen movies from New York... I've always been that kid that wanted to grow up in that urban culture, with the stairs outside the front. It's that Brooklyn lifestyle that really gets me. And the skyline that you can see of Manhattan and the Statue Of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge. CDM: And the label... JOEL WILLIAMS: What does the label mean to me? It's my personal creation for what I want to be dressed like, which is the most awesome thing in the world for other people to enjoy. To be creating and give back to the community really. Because everything is made in New Zealand I get complete control over the whole design process, all the features I can decide on and come up with a cool process and a good product at the end. So really that's why I love what I do, I do every aspect of the business. It's got a really cool community vibe, I just love creating and being able to do that for a business and make money out of that.
CDM: What did you dream of becoming when you were younger? JOEL WILLIAMS: Professional skateboarder. CDM: What's the best advice you've ever been given? JOEL WILLIAMS: Coming up with the concept for 'Brooklyn Zoo', my mentor that owns 'Storm' clothing, she said to me that making stuff in New Zealand would be a good way to go. I think that was the difference between my old label and 'Brooklyn Zoo'. I wanted to make stuff in New Zealand and I could market that. People would appreciate stuff that was crafted locally. That was a great piece of advice. CDM: What is one thing that you can't live without? JOEL WILLIAMS: I could not live without beaches!
CDM: Have you got any styling tips for our Coup De Main readers? JOEL WILLIAMS: For this Winter? For the Auckland climate, because I've been in Christchurch, last year I was layering up with heavy trenchcoats. What I'm really digging for the subtropical climate, when the days are a bit milder, are the super lightweight knits for guys. I'm liking the Chronicles Of Never have a light-knit called 'The Black Mass', basically the bottom is ruched and cut up... also the cotton is imported from Europe. This Winter, style wise thin black knits, cardigans, and lots of layering dressed with tapered jeans and boots. Something more grungy and more work inspired.
www.brooklynzoo.co.nz |
