08 / 03 / 2011

Kelly Bergin Interview

After falling for her Resort 2011 collection shown here, I have just been lucky enough to interview LA designer Kelly Bergin. Read our interview below and admire her choices of reference images used for her Resort 2011 collection. P.S.. sneak preview of Fall 2011 coming soon too!! Tell me about where you live in L.A. […]

Posted in Fashion

Tell me about where you live in L.A. and the affect it has on your work.

I live in a cozy pocket of the Silverlake hills that overlooks LA (love a view for inspiration) and is walking distance to a lot of great independent shops and cafes. I like to wander around town and get inspired.

I loved looking through your references images on your website. Can you tell me about a few of them and why you found them inspiring. Also how you feel they have been integrated into your designs.

Some of the starker images, like the Calder mobile and mid-century architecture, informed the minimal sensibility of the line. I like taking simple, wearable silhouettes and giving them impact through the addition of interesting details. The image of Spiral Jetty is mirrored in the “knit knotted” pieces in the collection. Lauren Hutton and Katharine Hepburn, with their shared tendency towards menswear influenced clothing, have been major sources of inspiration.

How would you describe your designs? Who is your ‘Kelly Bergin’ girl that you design for?

One goal of the line is to simplify dressing. I have a uniform that revolves around layering, and I’ll wear an iteration of what is essentially the same outfit over and over. I start by updating my favorite classic pieces, like t-shirts and men’s style button downs, and will then fill in the gaps with wearable pieces I can see fitting into many women’s daily wardrobes. My hope is that the final product translates into a really wearable collection for someone who wants to look and feel good, but doesn’t want to spend a ton of time thinking about what she’s going to wear.

You have designed vintage cocktail dresses, sportswear and basics, as a designer do you feel there is a natural progression with your design in terms of what would most likely reflect your personality at the time?

The capsule dress collection I did straight out of school was my way of testing the market to see if I could handle running a business, albeit a very (very) small one. At the time, there was a lot of vintage inspiration floating around, so it didn’t seem like much of a stretch. The business has since evolved into something way more aligned with my personal taste. I’m pretty casual, and tend towards an easy, masculine/feminine mix, which I hope comes through in the collection.

I love your two black dresses in the Resort 2011 collection. Both so classic and timeless. How did you decide on the rest of the palette for this collection?

The Resort 11 collection was an experiment in solidifying our basics, which serve as the foundation of the line, so the palette was intended to be simple but strong. I started with black, white and camel, and brought in the silver metallic silk and oxblood suede to add some texture and richness.

What piece of clothing do you think that every woman should own? ….And what about a non-garment item?

It’s so cliché, but a great black dress is a really solid, versatile piece. I’m so glad you like the two from resort! I layer them with chunky knits if I’m bumming around, or I’ll dress them up with a leather jacket or vintage coat if I’m going out. As for a non-garment item, not that I’d call her an item, but I couldn’t live without my French Bulldog, Romy!