Q&A: Jasmin Shokrian on her sophisticated spring collection
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L.A. native Jasmin Shokrian launched her eponymous collection in 2002 after earning her degree in film, painting and sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Twelve collections later, she’s definitely hit her stride, creating chic, architectural collections that appeal to fashion-forward women who are over chasing ‘hot’ trends (for example, Michelle Obama, who has worn a Shokrian piece or two).
For spring, the designer is offering a range of dresses and separates in muted tones (and plenty of black) that incorporate romantic sheerness and classic geometric shapes. Nearly every piece is eminently wearable -- by a rainbow of body shapes and ages.
We caught up with the designer -- who launched an additional capsule line of souped-up basics, Draft No. 17*, last year -- to hear about her newest collections:
What was your inspiration for your namesake collection for spring?
For spring, I was inspired by the idea of mixing heritage handcrafted techniques with futuristic geometric shapes and wanted the pieces to evoke an emotional response. I used elements of delicate and rough texture, moody moments brought about by looking at artists like Louise Bourgeois and the treehouses of Japanese architect Terunobu Fujimori.
You used a lot of black for spring, which I love! Why do you think black works in warmer seasons?
To me, black is very understated, season-less and always looks elegant, sexy and somehow mysterious. In warmer seasons, I like to balance dark colors with light and sheer fabrics such as flowy silks and add some pop colors to the collection. For spring ’10 it was an almost saccharin electric peach.
What led you to sheer fabrics this season?
I was inspired by geometric forms and wanted to emphasize the wearer’s core body. I like how the sheerness shows the true volume of the shape and the punctuation of the geometry that the seams create in the garment.
What’s the concept behind your secondary line, Draft No. 17*?
Draft No. 17* is a yearlong capsule collection that runs alongside my main collection and gives me the opportunity to collaborate with other artists. Initially the idea was inspired by real women around my studio: friends, clients and artists I know who were looking for easy-to-wear but interesting basics that they could buy with slight variations on an ongoing basis. I use color in a way that wouldn’t work with the mood of my main collection.
What type of women, do you find, are attracted to your clothes?
Overall I’d say strong and self-confident women who enjoy the arts, love to travel and enjoy discovering new ideas. [They are] maybe a bit eccentric and want to define and express their own sense of style.
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