By Marcy Clark
Ardistia is one of the winners of our coveted “Are You Runway Ready?” competition and one of the stars of our February 9th Fashion Show & Fashion Week Kick-Off Event at Tela Design Studio. We love Ardistia’s fresh, fun and extremely wearable designs and we can see why she was a Gen Art Award winner in 2007. Please see below to read more about Ardistia and see looks from her Fall/Winter 2010 collection that showed on February 9th.
Women’s Mafia: The Women’s Mafia picked you as a winning designer for our New York Fashion Week events because we thought your clothes really fit a need for pieces that are smart and clean with subtle touches of the avant guarde.
Who would you say is the woman you are designing for?
Ardistia: The woman that I’m designing for are confident, smart, sophisticated, appreciate art and fashion. They know what they want and wear what they love.
WM: Your clothes manage to be structurally innovative while also being figure flattering. Where did you learn to design and how has your aesthetic evolved over time?
A: I went to Parsons School of Design to study fashion where I learned basic foundation on fashion design. My working experience in fashion companies such as Diane von Furstenberg, Ann Taylor, Gap and Tommy Hilfiger have helped me to design for real life. Then when I design the collection for my line, every new seasons is an experimentation to offer something fresh while maintain the design integrity, which becomes part of the aesthetic evolution.
WM: You are an extremely talented independent designer with a staff of four and orders coming in from across the globe, how do you handle it all?
A: We make sure to have a definite goal; and key areas that help us manage day to day business operation efficiently include team work, planning and work based on priority. Also, we try to maintain positive mental attitude at all times in the Ardistia team!
WM: When did you realize you could make your passion your career? Is designing in your blood?
A: The time was right and the opportunity was available, so I went ahead and did it. I believe designing is in my blood as I’ve been sketching fashion since I was little and I’ve always loved art and design.
WM: What energizes you? Where do you go to find new inspiration when designing a new collection?
A: The idea of fashion itself energizes me. Fashion is fantasy, dream and labor of love. I find new inspirations from life such as culture, people, history, museum, books and magazines. I also look into trend research books for new season’s direction.
WM: Your studio in now in the heart of everything in New York. Where are you from?
A: It’s great to be in New York since the city is very inspiring and everything is happening here with all great resources. I was born in Indonesia and came to the US for high school and have been staying here ever since.
WM: Lastly, and please don’t be shy, what can the Women’s Mafia make happen for you?
A: The Women’s Mafia can help the company to get great press coverage, exposure to prospect major buyers and increase brand awareness to public. We can benefit from the Women’s Mafia’s strong industry network of press, buyers and its members.