Kelly is a young intimate apparel designer inspired by beautiful classic beauties such as Marilyn Monroe and other retro pin-ups. I found her through Tumblr and I was in awe of her stunning, lacy and sexy designs and I absolutely had to feature her on our blog! I think that Kelly Lin is certainly one to watch in the future of lingerie because of her incredible attention to detail and ability to capture the essence of what it is to be a woman. Here on T&B we've delved into her mind further to find out what gets her ticking and where the inspirations are from for her stunning collection, as well as finding out a little more about what it's like to be a student with a passion for intimates!
· K
J
When
did you first fall in love with lingerie? Do you think it was a significant
event that attracted you to it or was the attraction always there?
I don’t
think there was any one event that triggered my love for lingerie. I remember
back in high school not knowing much about intimate apparel but when I would go
lingerie shopping, even just for underwear, I always enjoyed it.
I
wanted to be a fashion designer since I was six years old which lead me to go to
the Fashion Institute of Technology. I remember the first week of going there
our one Professor mentioned how in the BFA program you had different areas of
study (children wear, evening wear, intimate apparel) As soon as she mentioned
Intimate Apparel I knew that was it and I didn’t want to do anything else. I
already put lace on ever one of my projects and my Professors said I had an
intimate apparel vibe to most of my garments already. I think another factor is
my love of vintage and pin ups which go hand in hand with lingerie.
I
honestly can’t really imagine doing anything else.
·
What
influenced this particular collection?
The
first two outfits in my look book (the black lace bra, corselet and lace skirt
and the cream colored bustier) were my senior thesis collection ‘Dream On’. The
rest of my garments are my school projects through out the years of FIT. Most
of my inspiration comes from music and there have been times I can listen to
one song and due to the mood and lyrics can influence a full on collection. A
lot inspiration comes from the eras of the 20’ s-50 of course, as well as other
things. My senior thesis ‘Dream On’ had a few influences but mainly film noir
and the iris flower were the main sources of inspiration. I kind of went with a
whole ‘Saint and Sinner’ with these two outfits. The good girl in the movies
and the femme fatale.
 |
| The "sinner"... |
·
What
advice could you give to aspiring lingerie creative’s?
Really
push hard. At FIT the Intimate Apparel program only had a certain number of
spots. If I had not gotten in the day of selections I wouldn’t have stopped
fighting in till I did, which one of the girls I graduated with actually had to
do before getting in.
People
might just think that lingerie is just frilly under things but for someone who
has a passion for it you know its much more than that. Lingerie can really
shape a woman’s confidence in herself and that’s something ever person who
makes lingerie goal should be.
Get
into school for fashion design. Other than FIT and a school in England I don’t
know if anywhere else has an intimate apparel design program but just try to
get into fashion design program in general. If you know the construction of
garments then you really truly can design something.
·
How essential do you think your education in contour design has been to your knowledge in lingerie development?
How essential do you think your education in contour design has been to your knowledge in lingerie development?
Absolutely
essential. I don’t think I could have been able to develop most of this with
out my schooling at the Fashion Institute of Technology. I remember my first
day at FIT, in which I had pattern making and hadn’t a clue of what to do. I
learned a lot in the construction, which is the most valuable thing. You can go
and design pretty lingerie with some color pencils and markers on a piece of
paper but if you don’t have any idea about how it’s going to be constructed
that sketch is just pretty art.
·
Will
your lingerie be available for purchase any time soon?
No this
was all my school projects and as much I as I would love to create and start
line, as most fashion designer do, I don’t have the means yet to do so. Maybe
one day but for now these creations are my own to keep and are reminders of my
four years I spent at FIT and all the sleepless, sometimes funny nights in the
workrooms sewing with my classmates and friends.
·
Aside
from lingerie, what are the other loves of your life?
Tattoos.
Drawing them, getting them, being inspired by them. My whole family has tattoos
and before I could walk I probably had some fake ones on me. Tattoos need to
have meaning to me for it to be a valued tattoo. I have one for my Irish roots,
a few for my mom, a pin up with a mannequin for my love of fashion and
lingerie. The next one I plan on getting is my dad’s firefighter badge number
with two seashells on both sides of it.
Pinups. This is was
one of my loves that lead me to lingerie. Anything related to pin ups I love
and die for. Marilyn Monroe in particular. I have an obsession of her, not the star
but the person. I even have her tattooed on my side with a poem in her
handwriting. I found her to be a very deep complex person and I like that side
of her more than the pretty face most take her for.
Vintage
anything. My whole room has vintage pieces weather its been passed down in my
family or it’s something I found at the store or yard sale. If it looks old or
worn or it looks like it’s going to have a story behind it I just love it.
·
How
will you be spending your summer?
Currently
I’m working at my little summer job I have been at the past four years trying
to save up some money to move closer to the city. I just started, now that I
have my look book ready, to send out my resume to places. I have a possible
interview soon that I am looking forward too, so fingers crossed.
Favourite Lingerie Brand?
Elle Macpherson Intimates
·
Lingerie
or Loungewear?
Lingerie
·
Stockings
or tights?
Stockings
·
Bras
or panties?
Bras
·
Lace
or silk?
Lace
·
Personal
favorite lingerie piece that you own?
My Elle
Macpherson Coranto Bra. A black lace bra is a staple every woman should have in
her lingerie drawer and the geometric lace pattern makes it even more unique. I
feel like a total bombshell every time I wear it and it makes my breasts look
great in it but its still supportive at the same time. My friend even nicknamed
it “My Nookie” Bra.
·
Personal
favorite lingerie piece that you have made?
·
Links
http://kellylinosnato-lookbook.tumblr.com/
kellylinosnato.wix.com/intimateapparel
Follow us on
Such a fun interview-- makes me want to study intimate apparel design! Kelly's stuff is lovely.
ReplyDelete