By Samantha Baize
Jessie Ostermann, is a new designer who has graciously chosen Dallas to be the place to make her fashionable dreams come true. The 22 year-old, Kansas City native talks to La Mode about her goals, inspiration and why she is making Dallas her permanent home.
SB: You are an up and coming designer who is new to the Dallas area. Tell us a little about your background.
JO: I grew up in Kansas city and spent most of my childhood in figure skating and dance classes. I was equally interested in both the costumes and the activity. By the age of nine, I was designing my own ice skating dresses. A few years later, I was bribing the younger neighborhood girls to to be my muses, as I styled, dressed, and made them over into style icons like Britney Spears and Shirley Temple. As I entered high school, I created my own company, Girlie Girls, a birthday party concept that provided movie star makeovers for girls ages 5-13. I employed my friends and worked all over the KC Metro area. Over four years, I hosted more than one hundred events including school carnivals and charity auctions. I then went on to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia and I graduated in May 2008 with a BFA in fashion design. Fashion to me is a way to express my ever-changing personality and create beautiful works of art. Whether it be garments on the runway or styling myself for daily life, to me, everyday is a costume change.
SB: What or who were your inspirations in this collection?
JO: I found my inspiration for this collection in the vibrant colors and playful lyrics of the Beatles album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. My silhouettes embody the youthful vivacity of a 1960's teenage groupie with a subtle influence of marching band uniforms. Fascinated by the infectious patterns of floral print vinyl, I anchored my collection with oilcloth fabric. Multiple motifs on each oilcloth garment are hand embroidered with cashmere, angora, and velvet yarn, then completely beaded with Swarovski crystals of every color. I wanted to create a collection that would be a show-stoping hit under the bright lights of the runway. I wanted to dazzle the audience into smiles. Like the Beatles album, I wanted this collection to be an unforgettable experience.
SB: Is your line strictly apparel or are you exploring other areas?
JO: My degree and primary focus in in clothing design. However, I have always had a passion for accessories. I am in the beginning stages of designing a spring line of handbags and clutches. In the future, I am exploring a possible jewelry line.
SB: Rumor has it that you've gotten quite a bit of attention lately. Can you tell us a little about that?
JO: I was recently published in the December/January issue of Interview Magazine. The article explains that John Galliano has nominated my 2008 graduating fashion class from the Savannah college of Art and Design as the hottest, upcoming talent in the fashion industry. He had some amazing compliments for all of us. In addition, two of twelve photos on the page are shots of my garments on the SCAD runway.I was honored to be mentioned in such an outstanding group of designers.
SB: Why did you decide that Dallas would be the perfect place for you to be for an up and coming fashion designer?
JO: Having been raised in Kansas City, I will always be a true Midwest girl at heart. Although I love New York, Dallas is where I'm meant to be. To me, Dallas is the fashion capital of the Midwest. Dallas contains some of the biggest fashion retailers such as Neiman Marcus and JCPenny, but it is also the place to find raw design talent. I'm aware of trends on both coasts, but aspiring Midwest designers have the most unbelievably original raw ideas.
SB: What are your long and short-term goals?
JO: In the short-term, I am hoping to get my lable, jessie leigh, off the ground. All you need is one signature piece to take off and I am hoping my line of statement clutches will do just that. They are girlie, bright, and full of head-turning detail. Long-term, I have always wanted to start my own women's contemporary clothing line with seasonal runway shows under the label jessie leigh.
SB: Who are your creative inspirations?
JO: My all time fav designers are Chloe, Milly, and Betsey Johnson. I also draw much styling inspiration from celebrities such as the boho-chic Kate Hudson, simply classic Gwyneth Paltrow, Gossip Girl's blake Lively, and always the totally gorgeous Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie from Sex and the City. I've been known to have a total fascination with the late fifties to early seventies as well. Those eras just completely explain my fashion style and creative energy.
