SfRD

I would go to these Riot Grrrl fests and make pillows to trade with girls for their mix tapes. That’s where I kind of learned to sew and put things together and create on my own and make things happen on my own

With Ashley, Mary-Kate, Kate Moss, Nicole Ritchie and Erin Wasson as just a few of her fashionable supporters, Corinne Grassini has drawn from her Riot Grrrl past, added some jersey and silk, and  created a label which by wearing it, conjures a feeling of being inducted into an exclusive organization; the newest member of the Society for Rational Dress

I met up with Corinne in Los Angeles. The call of palm trees and crashing waves drew me away from the concrete embrace of New York.  I was pleasantly surprised with my fashionable discoveries while in this foreign land.  At the opening of her appointment only store in downtown LA, knowledgeable fashion aficionados browsed through her latest collection, champagne in hand. Jerseys mixed with chains, washed silks, and leather detailing all spoke strongly of the designer’s personal influence on each piece.

I was lucky enough to sit down with Corinne for a bit to chat her label, Society for Rational Dress, and about punk music, growing up in the country, and our mutual love: Yogurtland.

Corinne Grassini: In the late 1800s, there was a group of women called the Rational Dress Society and they banded together to free themselves from all the corsets and crinoline of the time so they could become more functional in society. They were sort of tied down by what they wore, so they started wearing bicycling costumes and bloomers and started to become more functional. It was a group of women who had an opinion, who had something to say.

AVANT:  And this, of course, is the focus and inspiration of your label?

CG: Well from the inception of the company, we have always used real women as models and it sort of goes back to that independent spirit of just using what you have and growing things from a little seed and talking things step by step. So we’ve always involved friends and family in the company.

AVANT: And that relates also to video projects in which you are involved.

CG: Yes, we had this idea to do profiles on these women we are interested in and do a video on the women we would like to dress and want involved in the company.  It gives a background to what kind of woman would wear the clothes.

AVANT: And what is your focus with the video: their style, their personality, their cultural preferences?

CG: We focus on what makes them special as a woman, as a human being. We have them tell their story and what they think defines their life as they know it right now.

AVANT: What is your cultural background? What kind of music did you listen to growing up and does that have any influence on your collections?

CG: Definitely.  Music was a huge thing for me growing up. I didn’t really get into it until I was probably like 14. This friend of mine was straight-edge and so I would go to a lot of shows with him. When I went away to college, I met all these people in the music scene and started to get into Riot Grrrl music. I was really never into the mainstream stuff. I always liked the smaller bands and going to the smaller shows. It really promoted this sort of independent spirit in me. I would go to these Riot Grrrl fests and make pillows to trade with girls for their mix tapes. That’s where I kind of learned to sew and put things together and create on my own and make things happen on my own.

AVANT: That sounds so inspiring! Where did you grow up?

CG: Bell canyon.  Here in the Southern California area. We grew up back in the woods sort of. We had horses and goats and zip lines. It was really magical. It was like how a kid should be brought up I think.

AVANT: My upbringing was quite similar!

CG: It creates a balance within you mentally. You know you can go to the city and be one way but you also have this calm world out there where you can be a little more relaxed.

AVANT: So SfRD has been around for 5 years. What were you doing before that?

CG: I went to school for sociology and then was living in Santa Barbara for a year just messing around, making clothes. Then I started my own pattern making business and began making patterns for various designers in LA.

AVANT: How are you involved in the design process? Are you the sole designer?

CG: It has changed a little bit recently as the company has grown. I have an assistant that helps me through ideas and throws things around with me. Every Friday night we have a creative meeting. We sit down with a bottle of wine and discuss where the collection is going and what we are thinking and what ideas are good and what ideas of mine are stupid. I used to design really isolated. I wouldn’t want anyone to see my designs until they came out. But now I am more comfortable with my designs so I can throw my ideas off of people and see how they react.

AVANT: Why do you think you are more comfortable with your designing now?

CG: I think that I know my style and what I like more now.

AVANT: So this is the first store you have opened. Where else are you sold?

CG: This store is appointment only but we are carried in about 60 boutiques internationally.  We also did an exclusive collection for Barney’s.

AVANT: That’s exciting! A lot of the attention you receive is, in my opinion, because of ingenious fabric combinations.

CG:  I love pairing fabrics, especially silks and leathers. It is always fabrics that sit well with a leather or metal detail.

A lot of the shapes I do translate well into jersey but we put a little twist by adding a little chain or leather detail, something that’s not obvious but it dresses it up a little bit. Every season that is a fun design challenge; to reinterpret the basic t-shirt.

AVANT: So this space of yours is called the reserve. Why?

CG:  We call it the reserve because every season we end up with extra fabric and trim and we have this surplus. We go through our inventory and bring back pieces we have done in the past and then rework them for the store. We revamp them by changing the detail or by washing, cutting, bleaching, or dying the garment. I like to bring it back to the DIY style.

AVANT: And so is each piece one of a kind?

CG: Yes. Each piece is worked out individually.

AVANT: Always back to the idea of individuality.

-bradley smith