Linden Colby is a second year from Maine Fashion Design student at Savannah College of Art and Design. Her passions extend from the classroom to an active lifestyle and a refreshing Earth conscious approach to Fashion. Her personality and style ties together graceful, poised femininity with confidence and self assurance.
HC: Well first off, the generic question, why SCAD and why Fashion?
LC: I have never been drawn to anything more than I have been to creating, and while a lot of that has come in the form of drawing I have really found my passion for designing and developing garments. It was an amazing privilege for me to have a mentor at the age of thirteen who helped me focus my talent and realize my potential. As for SCAD– it was not my “top choice” school, but I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else now. The learning environment at SCAD is geared towards the creative process, but also learning to market one’s end product successfully– a healthy balance of art and business! Furthermore, I love how SCAD promotes the importance of collaborative creation, something that is so imperative to creative industries.
HC: Where do you draw inspiration from?
LC: I tend to pull inspiration in unconventional ways. While I may begin with a visual piece that attracts me, that picture will take me into a more conceptual theme of focus where I will then extend my research. I have done quite a few studies into different religions, or the juxtaposition of religious figures with modern interpretations and themes. My current project is a visual exploration of my relationship with nostalgia, often a very powerful feeling for me.
HC: How do extra curricular activities help you in the classroom? What is free time like?
LC: I am very susceptible to stress, so having an active outlet for that negative energy is incredibly important to me! You’ll find me at the gym almost every day. When I have the chance, I will engage in more social activities with friends. I am more of an extroverted person, so being able to connect and laugh with others helps me to keep a positive mindset.
HC: Who is a current designer that inspires you?
LC: I have always been moved by the artful creations of Dutch designer Iris van Herpen in all aspects of her work. She is the kind of designer who can visualize the most broad, deep, abstract concepts and turn those ideas into breath-taking garments. Her continuous experimentations with new materials and processes (3D printing, laser cutting, magnetic surface treatments, etc) have gained her recognition as a pioneer in technological fashion design. As a designer, I can also see myself creating for more of an avant garde mindset like van Herpen, and her fruitful ideas have inspired me to explore and fabricate some of my own abstract concepts.
HC: As an up and coming designer, how do you feel the fashion industry must change?
LC: As it stands, we have a massive environmental crisis on our hands, and one of the biggest contributors is the fashion industry. With overconsumption and fast fashion on trend, we are buying and throwing out at a sickening pace, contributing all too much to landfills and greenhouse gases. There’s essentially no choice but to move towards a more sustainable practices in the fashion industry. It is exciting to see brands like Patagonia, Reformation, and Girlfriend Collective working towards that future by using recycled materials, ethical production, and environmentally responsible manufacturing practices. These sustainable practices need to become more common, even expected within the industry and I think that starts with educating the consumer population on the importance of sustainability.
HC: Where ideally would you like to be in 10 years?
LC: In ten years, I definitely see myself established in the fashion industry. I have no idea whether I will be working under my own name at that point or working for other companies, but that doesn’t matter so much as long as I am doing something I am passionate about. Along with my goal of working in fashion, I have this dream of moving to Montreal and working on the design team for Cirque du Soleil.
HC: What is your favorite quote and why?
LC: Favorites for me are always changing, but currently it is a quote by poet Nayyirah Waheed, that reads “I am a brutally soft woman.” This stands out particularly to me as a way of saying “I am strong, I am rugged, I am tough and even a little rough around the edges at times; but I am also a delicate, graceful, and feminine creature.” It symbolizes the juxtaposition I see within myself and many other women. It is the idea that power and femininity can coexist.
Linden will be spending her summer studying Fashion in Lacoste, France, before returning to Savannah to finish her Fashion Design major and Accessory Design minor.
Photos courtesy of SCAD and Linden Colby