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subscribe to style file blog via RSSJasmin Shokrian, Draftswoman
May 13, 2009 6:01 pm
Reports that Michelle Obama is single-handedly saving fashion may be exaggerated, but it is true that the lady (ahem, First Lady) has a way of thrusting designers into the spotlight. We’ve all enjoyed watching morning news anchors wrap their tongues around Junya Watanabe, but the new name to know is Jasmin Shokrian. MObama turned up for a speech yesterday in Shokrian’s double-faced silk crepe skirt for Fall—and lucky for all bandwagon-jumpers, the designer has just introduced a new gently priced range called Draft No. 17. Available for a year and comprising 30 “experiments” on the concept of the slipdress, Draft No. 17 is in part an homage to Shokrian’s fans. “Each dress was inspired by a real woman I know,” explains Shokrian, citing her friend, stylist Jessica de Ruiter, as an example. “She asked me to make her an oversized version of a classic slip we have been making for several years, and whenever she wore it, people would tell her how they can never find anything so versatile and simple.” The Draft series, she goes on to note, is intended both to fill that void and to give Shokrian herself the opportunity to play with ideas outside of the fashion industry’s seasonal constraints. Over the course of the year, weights of fabrics and colors may change, but the silhouettes—which include not only slipdresses, but tops, pants, a jumpsuit, and a few accessories, as well—will remain the same. “It’s a focused, limited-edition idea,” says the designer. “And we’re also using this as a platform to collaborate with artists we love.” A video is in the works; in the meantime, the Draft No. 17 collection can be found at the shop Maryam Nassir Zadeh in New York, with additional deliveries due at Creatures of Comfort and other stores in July.
tags: Jasmin Shokrian, Jessica DeRuiter, Michelle Obama
