Smashing Darling Blog

Lara Miller’s clothing is simple enough to be worn anywhere, and flexible enough to be worn in numerous ways. We love the versatility of her clothing…you could literally buy one item and wear it for a week and never wear it the same way twice. She has a very unique style that is definitely her own.

We sat down with Lara over the phone for this interview. Here’s what she had to say:

SD: How did you end up in the fashion industry?
lara: I ALWAYS PLAYED WITH CLOTHES AND WORE THEM DIFFERENTLY, BUT WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL I THOUGHT I’D WANT TO BE IN NEURO-RESEARCH, SOCIOLOGY, OR PSYCHOLOGY. THEN I WORKED AT A DENIM BOUTIQUE, E. STREET DENIM, WHERE I WAS ABLE TO EVEN DO SOME ASSISTANT BUYING, AND THAT SPARKED MY INTEREST IN THE INDUSTRY. AFTER I TOOK A CLASS IN FASHION AND INTERIORS AND KNEW THAT THIS WAS THE ONLY THING THAT ACTUALLY MADE SENSE FOR ME. I BEGAN AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY AND THEN TRANSFERRED OVER TO THE SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO WHERE I WAS ABLE TO BE VERY CONCEPTUAL AND FINE-ARTS FOCUSED.

SD: When and how did you know you would choose this path?
lara: I THINK THE FIRST TIME I KNEW WAS WALKING THROUGH THE MERCHANDISE MART WITH MY BOSS AND THINKING THAT IF I ONLY PHYSICALLY KNEW HOW TO, THAT I COULD REALLY MAKE THINGS THAT MY CUSTOMER WOULD WANT, THEN TAKING THAT CLASS, I BEGAN TO LEARN HOW TO PUT SOME OF THESES IDEAS ON PAPER. AFTER THAT IT WAS ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT.

SD: Where did you go to school and what did you study?
lara: SYRACUSE - FASHION DESIGN/TEXTILES THE SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO (SAIC)- FASHION DESIGN/FIBERS

SD: What was your first job in the industry?
lara: E. STREET DENIM IN HIGH SCHOOL, INTERNSHIP WITH LAUREN CELESTE, AN ORGANIC BABY CLOTHING COMPANY, CYNTHIA ASHBY, ANOTHER WOMEN’S WEAR DESIGNER IN CHICAGO WHO WAS REALLY INSPIRING.

SD: What inspires your designs?
lara: GREG LYNN’S ARCHITECTURAL THEORIES… THE IDEA THAT THE BODY AND THE BUILDING (OR IN MY CASE CLOTHING) INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER AND SHOULD REFLECT EACH OTHER.

ALSO INTERSECTING GEOMETRIC SHAPES.

SD: What is your design process?
lara: IT DEPENDS ON THE PIECE. THE SWEATERS ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE JERSEY OR WOVEN PIECES.

THE SWEATERS ARE VERY ENGRAINED IN THE ENTIRE KNITTING PROCESS. AS I KNIT MY SHAPING IDEAS FORM AND THEN I DO A LOT OF DRAPING TO FINALIZE MY PIECE. I ALSO PLAY A LOT WITH MEASUREMENTS AND PROPORTION WHILE I’M KNITTING TO MAKE VARIOUS PIECES… THE KNITTING IS ALL DONE WITH HAND LOOMS, SO THERE IS A DEFINITE HANDS ON PROCESS THAT I GO THROUGH, BUT IT ISN’T AS INTENSIVE AS KNITTING WITH 2 NEEDLES.

THE WOVENS AND JERSEY PIECES I DESIGN MORE WHILE WORKING ON MY FLAT PATTERNS AND DRAPING AS WELL…JUST CUTTING A LOT OF DIFFERENT FABRICS AND EXPERIMENTING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE UNTIL I FIND THE PERFECT SHAPE.

SD: Describe your philosophy behind your designs?
lara: THEY’RE REALLY ROOTED IN A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WEARER. THE HOPE IS THAT THE FABRIC, THE FIT, AND THE FUNCTIONALITY WILL BE BOTH FUN AND INSPIRING FOR MY CUSTOMER. I HOPE THAT WHEN SOMEONE FEELS MY FABRICS, THAT THEY JUST WANT TO BE IN THE PIECES, WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT TO PLAY WITH THE SHAPES DOESN’T MATTER AS MUCH AS IT DOES THAT THEY’RE HAPPY. ALL OF THIS WITH A PERSONAL ASPIRATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY THAT IS ENGRAINED IN MY COMPANY.

SD: What does your average day entail?
lara: EACH DAY IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. TYPICALLY I’LL WAKE UP AT 6 TO RUN AND THEN BY 8 I’LL BEGIN MY DAY… FROM 8-10 I’LL BE WITH MY KNITTER, THEN AT 10 WILL BE BACK AT THE STUDIO TO DROP OF SWEATERS TO MY SEAMSTRESS AND TO GIVE MY INTERNS THE TASKS FOR THE DAY, THEN I’LL CHECK/RESPOND TO EMAILS AND BY NOON TRY TO BE AT MY CUTTER WHERE I’LL MAKE MY MARKERS AND WORK ON PRODUCTION AND/OR SAMPLES… THEN BY 4 OR SO I’LL BE WITH MY SEWING CONTRACTORS THAT WORK ON MY JERSEY AND WOVEN PIECES AND TYPICIALLY GET BACK TO THE OFFICE BY 8 WHEN I’LL CONTINUE TO RESPOND TO EMAILS, WORK ON DRAPING AND DESIGNING, AND GETTING THINGS IN ORDER FOR THE NEXT DAY…I TYPICALLY GET BACK HOME AT 11 OR MIDNIGHT… THEN BACK TO IT THE NEXT DAY!

SD: If you knew then (before you entered the industry) what you know now, what would you do differently?
lara: IT COULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL TO WORK FOR ANOTHER COMPANY FOR A WHILE, GO TO NY OR LA AND GET INVOLVED WITH THE INDUSTRY A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT I WAS SO LUCKY TO HAVE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES WHILE I WAS STILL IN SCHOOL AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN BEGIN MY COMPANY. IF I WOULDN’T HAVE ACTED ON THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, THEN I DON’T THINK I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO START MY BUSINESS NOR HAVE HAD AS MUCH SUPPORT FROM MY COMMUNITY.

SD: In your opinion what is the best and worst current fashion trend?
lara: I TRY NOT TO PAY ATTENTION TOO MUCH TO TRENDS BUT I’D SAY THAT THE BEST IS HIGH WAISTED WIDE LEG TROUSERS/DENIM AND THE WORST WAS THE TRUCKER HATS, BUT THOSE I GUESS ARE OUT OF STYLE NOW… WORST IS PROBABLY LEGGINGS WITH REALLY SHORT MINI DENIM SKIRTS ON ANYONE OLDER THAN 25.

SD: What do you think the hardest aspect of your industry is?
lara: ATTEMPTING TO PRODUCE SOMETHING IN YOUR CITY WHILE COMPETING WITH MUCH LARGER LINES THAT PRODUCE OVERSEAS AND ARE ABLE TO MAKE THINGS FOR MUCH LESS MONEY… FINDING TIME OUTSIDE OF WORK.

SD: Do you have any events you are getting ready for in the near future? If so tell us a little about it.

lara: LOTS OF THEM… HOPEFULLY DOING SOME TRADE SHOWS THROUGHOUT AUGUST, THEN THERE’S ECOMODA, A SUSTAINABLE FASHION SHOW THAT WILL BE HERE IN CHICAGO THE END OF SEPTEMBER, THERE’S SEATTLE FASHION WEEK OCTOBER 4-7TH, AND THEN CHICAGO FASHION FOCUS OCTOBER 9TH-14TH WHERE WE’LL BE IN VARIOUS SHOWS AND WILL ALSO SELL AT GEN ART’S SHOP CHICAGO…

SD: If there was one designer on Smashing Darling you could ask a question to who would it be and what would you ask them?
lara: Laura Dawson… I’d say hello! and ask her if her styling
experience still influences her ready to wear line?