Elegant yet comfortably wearable - a very hard combination to perfect yet Yoko Devereaux might have found exactly the right balance. High quality cuts, durable materials, dress up or down versatility, and a decent price to boot? Yes, please.
Designer Andy Salzer keeps it coming:
PSFK: Why did you start designing?
Andy Salzer: Honestly, I wanted really great menswear for myself and didn’t want to pay
retail for it. But, of course, there was nothing out there that spoke to a
whole group of guys. 6 years ago there was high end (Dior, Helmut Lang),
tons of vintage and more urban streetwear than anything else. So, Yoko
Devereaux started as a response to all that: something really
comfortable, inspired by classical menswear, but can be really paired with
the bizillions of t-shirts and jeans that you already have in your closet.
How did you get involved with Capsule?
With a brand like Yoko Devereaux, many of the traditional trade shows aren’t
the best match, so being able to showcase the brand in an atmosphere that’s
a bit more sophisticated, laid back and that actually compliments the
collection is ideal. When BPMW starting describing their vision for
Capsule, I was sold instantly. Plus, the caliber of other collections
showing at Capsule are great compliments to Yoko Devereaux - it should be a
great presentation all the way around.
What’s the inspiration/idea/theme behind this season?
Yoko Devereaux consistently looks for ways to reinterpret classical
menswear. Making tailored menswear more relevant for guys today is always a
challenge, but pushes me creatively. Spring / Summer collections are even
more challenging, primarily because my ‘guy’ is so comfort driven during the
warm summer months. This Spring / Summer collection takes its cue from
really traditional men’s sportswear (i.e. athletic gear) and that whole
aesthetic from the late 70’s and 80’s. Of course, since it’s Yoko
Devereaux, the mood tends to be a bit moodier and darker, which really helps
to invert the feel and keep the look and feel really current.
What would you be doing if you weren’t designing?
What? I can’t even wrap my head around that. I’ve been in ‘the industry’
for over 12 years, so I honestly don’t know. Probably working with
creatives in another field - music or art, I suppose. Yoko Devereaux
crosses over into art and music all the time. It keeps me excited about the
whole project.
What do you usually turn to for inspiration?
Wow. Anything and everything. Of course, Yoko Devereaux started more as a
visual dialogue between a variety of different artists in Williamsburg, so
initially, I took a lot of inspiration from that artstar meets emo meets
rockstar meets streetwear kind of guy. But as the project has grown, so has
my customer. Nowadays, I find inspiration all over the place, but most
consistently, it’s making that Williamsburg look and feel a bit more
polished and ‘grown up.’
Of course, looking around to what guys are wearing is a big part of it, but
it’s not like I just wake up and decide ‘this is what I’m going to do.’ It’s
a lengthy process because at the end of the day, I really aspire to having a
tight collection that carries one strong theme per season: a collection that
not only is indicative of the brand and my own personal views, but also
something that speaks to my customer and their lives. Again, ‘relevance’ is
so important to me. So, inspiration can come in the middle of the night,
listening to music, an art gallery, a band performance, flipping through a
magazine, walking down the street in New York, or having lunch in Paris:
anywhere and anytime.
What other designers/artists (of any kind) do you admire and why?
That’s a rather gi-normous question. For sure, Tom Ford’s ability to
completely redirect a brand like Gucci and make it relevant to a whole new
generation of people. Calvin Klein took denim from work wear to the red
carpet and showed everyone that being a successful designer does not require
a couturier background. Helmut Lang made basic and everyday clothes (like
t-shirts) interesting again. Karl Lagerfeld’s has relentlessly placed
himself on the pulse of the ‘what’s going on’ and was one of the first to
recognize the future ramifications of ready to wear. Bands from the New York
punk scene (Blondie, the New York Dolls). They made such a huge statement
without all the extraneous production value.
Andy Warhol’s ability to expose ‘the creative process’ and really question
‘what is art?’ A Bathing Apes success with ‘limited edition’ items,
especially sneakers.
What film/television has been inspiring you lately?
Are you kidding me? Televisions should just be banned except to watch films
at this point. Of course, there are always exceptions, but I don’t think
any of the programming on tv ‘inspires’ me. Instead, it’s been giving me an
idea of what *not* to work on. I would have to say that music videos and
film shorts via youtube provide me with more inspiration than direct tv or
film right now. You can access anything via youtube - I watched this crazy
piece on an opening gala at the Met from 1982 the other day - it blew my
mind.
How does music influence your design process?
Music and fashion have been so intertwined for awhile now, so the music
industry definitely is a part of the creative process. Probably more in the
vein of watching performers or bands that you respect and seeing what
they’re up to visually. My favorite video in the WHOLE world right now is
‘D.A.N.C.E.‘ by justice? Have you seen it? Ohmygod - that’s a video that
is filled with inspiration for me.
What kind of music would you say “fits” your brand, if any?
Dark, but not depressing. Electronic but not electro. Rock always, but
usually with a cleaner stripped down look. And of course, anything kind of
nerdy. Again, check out that justice ‘d.a.n.c.e’ video and track. That
clocks it for me right this second.
What are you listening to at the moment?
Hahaha. How did I know this was coming? For some reason I’ve been
listening to ‘Girl In a Coma’ a lot. Always Antony and the Johnsons. My
friends have a new band called ‘The Royal Coven of Windsor’ which totally
pushes the envelope: so beautiful. And the Klaxons are great, but their
videos are better - amazing to watch and listen to. But I listen to almost
everything - my mood changes like every 5 minutes.
Where’s the most exciting music coming from right now and why?
That is such a big question - there’s SO much out there right now. I could
spend a year on myspace and still not get a taste for everything that’s
going on. I don’t think it’s a question of ‘where’ but ‘why’. the
technology to record your own music is so accessible and simultaneously,
while the music industry in the US generally has it’s head up its ass, there
are so many other venues to hear a ton of new and emerging artists - they’re
from everywhere and it includes every genre imaginable (plus 101 I’ve never
heard of), so I’ll say ‘online’ is where the most exciting music is coming
from.
What was the last show you went to?
Hmmmmm. I tried to see Voxtrot in Philly and couldn’t get in. Does that
count?
If you could go back in time five years and give yourself some advice, what would it be?
Make sure you have your own perspective - make each item your own statement.
Understand that it can take a lot of time to get the word out there: be
patient. Most importantly, do it because you love it. Why work so hard on
something if you don’t love what you do?
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