Merline Labisierre
HOLLYWOOD, CA (LA ELEMENTS) 3/23/2016- We caught up with Merline Labisierre on day three of the much anticipated Art Hearts Fashion segment of LA Fashion Week, held on March 16 at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood. Amidst the backstage joyful chaos that erupts when a designer is on the verge of showing their latest collection on the runway, we were able to gain insight into the inspiration and technique that went into creating this particular line. By the end of the night a memorable fashion show was presented. One that showcased designs of a powerful and in some cases eclectic structure best described as corporate chic.
Who do you design for? Who is your muse?
“I design for the creative woman who works in the business world because I am that creative woman who works in the business world.”
What were some of the questions you asked yourself while designing this line that made it helpful for you to fulfill your vision of a clothing line for made especially for the creative businesswoman?
What do we wear when we go from work to a cocktail party? What do we wear when we’re just hanging out, going to the coffee shop to meet a client?
What was the inspiration for the silhouettes?
What I did with this collection is on some of the silhouettes and on some of the designs that you will see, I went back home, my family’s from Haiti, and I did a satellite view of the country. When you see the cutouts of some of the garments, it’s from the island map. Also, my background is in architecture so I see lines and shapes. That’s how my brain was thinking for this collection.
How important is comfort in this collection?
I wanted this line to look very cute but I also wanted it to be comfortable. In this collection I use a lot of support-wear material, a lot of neoprene, neoprene mesh, so I’m kind of doing that balance, which is what I wanted for this collection. Sometimes as a creative person I’ll think outside the box but I wanted to make this line practical as well.
We first came to know you from the last season of Project Runway. What has changed about you since the show?
If you look at my portfolio, the Project Runway portfolio that I submitted and my collection now, it’s like day and night. I’ve grown before the show, during the show and even now, I’m still growing. I think I gotten more practical and when I say practical, I mean that I used to design very conceptually and then put it on the mannequin. This is the first time I’m actually fitting it to the mannequin, which is a big difference. Also, I re-branded my name. My clothing before was Provoke Style so after Project Runway, everyone’s like, ‘Who’s Provoke Style?’ so now my brand is just Merline Labisierre.
All photography by Arun Nevader.
Art Hearts Fashion is produced by Eric Rosette in association with Parker Whitaker Productions
AIDS Healthcare Foundation is the official charity sponsor of Art Hearts Fashion.
Cadillac Concierge served as official car sponsor of Art Hearts Fashion.
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