Haute and the City

So, one of the perks of being a fashion blogger (as opposed to a fashion journalist), I get to assault you with my opinions and any other little thought that flies through my brain.

Today, one of my completely biased opinions I will be sharing with you is about my favorite accessories designer EVER – Chris Habana.

I don’t even remember how I discovered Chris’s jewelry and accessories line, CHRISHABANA. It was certainly before I jumped on this fashion journey, probably back when I was in a work-induced coma.

I fell further in love when I attended a GenArt sample sale, during which I was broker than a joke and couldn’t buy anything (water, water everywhere…).

Because I love CHRISHABANA so much, I naturally had to write about it!

Chris graciously took some time recently to answer some interview questions so I could introduce him and his work to all of you! Be sure to check out his website.

What have you done so far today?

Woke up, showered, threw some stuff in a bag and headed out to Fire Island…I’m on the beach in Cherry Grove writing this at the moment.

How did you get started in designing accessories?

I’ve always been doing something in fashion since I could remember. When I moved to New York in 2000, I started to make recycled jewelry and fur pieces.  Seven [New York] picked up a few styles and it went from there. I was in and out of doing jewelry, also designing clothing for a bit, but it wasn’t till 2007 that I got more official and pursued CHRISHABANA as a real business.

What do you love about accessories?

I love that accessories and jewelry have a transformative effect. I’m also into the “more is more” philosophy so I feel naked when I don’t have at least 2 necklaces on and a wrist full of cuffs.

What inspires your designs?

My accessories and jewelry are heavily inspired by growing up in the late 80′s and early 90′s in San Francisco. I love the mix of POP elements from that time such as Madonna and Moschino with harder elements from underground movements such as punk, goth and house.

Do you do anything special while you work?

Nothing out of the ordinary, really. I sketch a lot, and have an inspiration board with tears that help shape my collections. When I take breaks, I walk around my neighborhood in the East Village to recharge and get re-inspired.

Do you have a favorite piece you’ve designed? If so, which?

Some of my signature pieces are actually my favorite to wear, such as the Cross Cuff and the Cage Cross Necklace, but I am also really into the Bed Of Nails Group from my FW2010.

Many pieces from your collections seem to reference a sort of gothic-glamour feel. Is this intentional?

Not really intentional to make it glamorous, but more intentional to make it POP. I want to translate goth and fetish into something that is more POP. In doing so, the results can sometimes be glamorous. That was the case when I designed the Bed of Nails group from FW2010. I created different forms and drove nails into them. When cast in my gunmetal and copper finishes, the nail heads look like organic, shimmering paillettes, till of course you get closer and realize they’re pretty bad-ass pieces.

What are your wardrobe staples right now?

I have a pair of 10-year old combat boots that I wear almost everyday, even in a heat wave. And of course, my jewelry.

What are your fashion pet peeves?

I hate when people say “dress it up, or dress it down with jeans.”

Where are you from originally?

Originally from the Philippines.

Why did you choose to live in New York?

Well, I always fantasized about New York and the art scene in the 80′s such as [Jean-Michel] Basquiat and Keith Haring. But I didn’t choose to move here. My boyfriend at the time got a transfer from his job to move to New York so I moved with him. I guess in a way, New York chose me.

If you could live anywhere but New York, where would it be and why?

Don’t make me a traitor to my home.

What’s your favorite thing about New York fashion?

That it’s always changing.

Where are your favorite places to shop in New York?

I wear and customize a lot of vintage, so I love going to flea markets, 10 Ft. Single and About Glamour. I’ve started to wear “newer” clothing from boutiques like Oak, so I guess I’m growing up…a little.

What’s your idea of a perfect New York night?

Having friends over to drinks and dress-up, then out to eat ramen at Rai-Rai Ken, then dancing, dancing, dancing.

You’ve had a lot of great success so far with CHRISHABANA. Where do you see yourself with your work in five years?

I try not to think about the future too much. I want to keep things as organic as possible. At this point, I’ve gotten a good amount of attention and support from press and shops and I am so thankful for that and hope it continues to grow.

Photos courtesy of MAO PR.

It is 6:13 on a cloudy Saturday evening and I have just made myself a cup of coffee.

Since I’m unable to go out tonight, Nathan is curled up in my lap enveloped in his bright blue Snuggie For Dogs, like I am enveloped in my Feathered Wrapped Cardigan from Urban Outfitters [UO is offering free shipping on shoes this weekend, by the way].

My reflective mood over the past few days has lead me to wondering about fashion. I don’t even really know what sparked my interest; I feel as though all of a sudden it consumed me. Was it my trip to the the Guggenheim to see the Kandinsky exhibit? Was it seeing Lady GaGa on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards in her Armani Privé dress?

I think it all started when I attended a GenArt event back in the fall. I believe it was the Fresh Faces in Fashion show, but I’m not entirely certain. There was a fashion show, which was followed by a sample sale of great lesser-known designers. The whole thing was sponsored by a Russian vodka and there were free cookies, which I took by the handful! My favorite accessories designer, Chris Habana, had a booth there and was selling his work for amazingly low prices (like a fool I didn’t purchase anything on this date). But what was most striking about this event/party was the people; everyone was dressed immaculately in every style imaginable.

From this moment, I started to really pay attention to what people were wearing. I began to notice the artistry of it all. I began to notice what people thought of themselves most of all. After all, if you dress yourself in a ratty t-shirt and sweats everyday, what are we supposed to think of you? [This is not to say, of course, that anyone should be expected to be dressed to the nines in the privacy of his or her home; I myself own some particularly horrifying but cozy loungewear].

The other day, as I headed to work in a simple new shirt from H&M with my tan leather jacket and Carrera sunglasses, I realized how great I felt. I’m not saying that I was made happy by the great clothes I was wearing, but that I felt great and I was made happy by presenting myself as such. [I really did look like something out of The Sartorialist].

But that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? As much as you try, the pimple on your nose isn’t going to go away before you go to that party, but you don’t have to let that matter! Wrap yourself in something that expresses how great you feel, and that’s what others are going to see.

Why does fashion matter to you? Has it been an ongoing interest, or did something cause it?