Galore Girls – Interview with Lisa Perry
Name Lisa Perry
Occupation Fashion Designer
-Your mod A-shape dresses are very 60’s, how has that era inspired you as a designer?
The 60s inspires my designs in all ways. It was a time of optimism as people witnessed space travel and the future. There was opposition to a senseless war so radical behavior and protests surfaced, the world was changing and people felt like speaking out and making a statement. Women wanted to be free in all ways including their dressing. Bras were burned; mini skirts came to be and dresses without waists were the rage. The Pill was invented as was plastic! People were happy with a newfound sense of freedom.
My line focuses on pieces with a-line and shift shapes always above the knee, bold happy colors, vinyl trims, comfortable knits and graphic patterns. The collection is based on the 60s but looks toward the future and is modern.
I often incorporate words into my designs and one collection each year is a collaboration with a great artist from the 60s or an artist inspired by the 60s.
One of our favorites was your collaboration with Jeff Koons, how did that come about?
Our Jeff Koons collaboration came about as I am a collector of Jeff’s work and I thought his whimsical, wonderful designs would be amazing on dresses. I asked him if he would be interested in doing a collaboration, and much to my surprise he said yes! He was very generous with his time and during a tour of his studio he said I could pick any of the paintings to work from as well as everything on jeffkoons.com! I was a bit overwhelmed but excited as a kid in a candy shop.
You have an amazing pop art collection, who is your all time favorite artist?
It is hard for me to pick one favorite artist. Although I do have a large collection of pop art. I collect minimal art as well and I think at heart I am a minimalist. If I have to pick one artist I would say Ellsworth Kelly.
What is the inspiration of your new collection, and can we expect anymore artist collaborations coming up?
The inspiration for our spring/summer 2013 collection was from Ellsworth Kelly and the night sky at my home in North Haven, NY. I loved the juxtaposition of the very minimal colorful Kelly works and the dark sky with a full moon and endless stars. Our next artist collaboration is in the works but it’s a SECRET…for now!
Suppose you could throw the ultimate dinner party, but you could only have 6 guest dead or alive attend, who would you invite?
My ultimate dinner party? I would have to have more than six guests…sorry! Audrey Hepburn, Hillary Clinton, my twins, Pierre Cardin, Andre Courreges, Aero Saarinen, Steve Jobs and Tina Fey.
Your taste in art is amazing, would you ever want to curate an exhibition? If so which artists would you incorporate?
I think it would be interesting to curate an exhibition that shows how art has inspired my fashion. I would hang a painting and have the dress next to it. Artists would include Warhol, Lichtenstein, Koons, Martial Raysse, Wesselmann, Kelly, Bridget Riley and John Mcglaughlin to name a handful.
What can we expect from Lisa Perry in 2013?
As 2013 approaches we will be launching some small leather accessories and gorgeous leather totes. We will continue to add to our beautiful new website which includes e-commerce. We are working on an LP home collection, which is fabulous. We will have a fall presentation in February and the collection is coming together as we speak. And of course we are working on our next artist collaboration. An exciting 2013 lies ahead!
