03/09

Frenchy

Dead Boy Productions Interview with Dressed to Kill Clothing

 

What inspired your interest in fashion and designing clothes?

For me, I was honestly just bored. I never liked anything in conventional stores and would love to go to thrift shops and buy cheap clothes to rip apart and change. My biggest fashion inspirations have always been punk/street fashion (especially Japanese punk fashion)  and glamorous old Hollywood.

When you were little, did you find yourself a fashionable child growing up?

Well the 80's were a very fashionable time.... If you consider puffy paint, neon spandex, and baggy socks fashionable- then by all means YES. I actually had huge glasses and wore dangling troll earrings, Hawaiian shirts, and spandex shorts. So to answer the question, yes I thought I was very fashionable. (I was pretty much "Little Miss Sunshine")

Who are your fashion idols?

I find inspiration from so many places and don't really have any set fashion "idols" per se, so lets go with Frankenstein.

How and when did your clothing line Dressed To Kill Clothing start?

Dressed to Kill Clothing was spawned officially in my grandparent's living room around 5 years ago. I had originally had a business called Pink Ink., which was revamped vintage clothing that I had hand sewn and sold at local flea markets with two of my best friends. I absolutely loved the feeling of designing/making/selling something for other people to see and say "OH WOW I HAVE TO HAVE THIS". There was nothing better than seeing someone walking around wearing something that I had made. So I decided to pursue a clothing line that was replenishable (being that vintage is limited to just whatever you are able to find), and I drew up a business plan.

Where did the name Dressed to Kill come from?

Dressed to Kill Clothing was originally called Halloween365. I had changed the name because I decided I didn’t want to make it sound like all of the clothing was "spooky", since I wanted to do some straight-up vintage reproduction as well. I liked the fact that Dressed to Kill is a cheesy saying, but also applies when your clothing has monsters/bats/skulls all over it, giving it that double meaning.

What are your future goals or aspirations with Dressed To Kill?

Well currently we have begun selling wholesale, and are so proud of all of the amazing stores we are now working with! I am aiming at getting into Menswear, and bringing some DIFFERENT types of subculture styles for men that you can't generally find in the US. We will also be producing a line of swimwear at some point.

Were there any obstacles that you had to overcome with Dressed To Kill?

Only five million. Starting a business when you are young is a very difficult thing to do- if you are serious about making it work. It takes a lot of drive and persistence to learn from the mistakes and setbacks and to keep moving forward. The hardest for me was the fact that I am very DIY and had to be able to go from doing every single thing myself in my living room, to expanding and overseeing.

What article of clothing would you like introduced into fashion more?

I am actually all about bandanas and have a coordinating bandana for about everything I own. (It’s true; ask anyone that has seen my crazy bandana collection). I think they are a great add-on to any outfit and you can wear them so many ways. I guess that doesn't really count as an article of clothing, but there you go. I’m nuts about accessories and I think that over accessorizing is the only way to do it!

You have a lot of retro inspired pieces such as halter tops and pencil skirts in your line. What is it about the culture that attracts you the most?

I love anything that is a bit of trash mixed with a bit of class. I think you need the proper balance of both to look good. I love the silhouettes from the 50's, and the way they captured femininity, without being overtly sleazy. I think that we need more of that in today's fashion world, and less maternity style shirts!! What is up with those???!

How do girls go about modeling for Dressed To Kill and what kind of models are you looking for?

WELL, I actually get a lot of girls contacting me about modeling. Most of the girls that model for me (the repeat offenders on the site/MySpace) are my best friends. I absolutely love meeting/working with new models and would love to work with different people. We occasionally hold contests, like our hair bow contest, that allow girls to try out to model for the company. My main goal is to find models that really enjoy the product, as opposed to girls that model for EVERY company out there. I like my models trashy classy and sassy!!! Big hair, big attitude and a lot of fun! I am always looking for new models and even models outside of the area who want to represent wherever they live and spread the word!

What in life makes you the happiest, and have you been able to incorporate that with your clothing line?

My business definitely IS everything that makes me the happiest, being that it allows me to meet new people, work with my friends, go to different cities all over to music festivals/car shows/etc, and have something fun to wear all the time. Other than that, my dogs are amazing, and I would love to make some Dressed to Kill Clothing doggie wear. That would OFFICIALLY include everything I love.