People are often raised to have high expectations to fulfill and sometimes their journey toward “success” takes an interesting turn due to intangible and unforeseeable obstacles. It is fate’s little reminder that your dreams are waiting to become reality.
For designer Sarah Scott , this couldn’t be any more true. In college she studied bio-psychology, yet in between attending class and studying for exams she started a styling service for affluent business men. Her client list earned her a wealth of knowledge on the luxury industry. Ironically, after graduating from the University of California, Santa Barbara she went on to pursue interior design (product developement) with SBE properties which designed by the renowned interior design giant Philippe Starck. Her knack for creativity proved to be Sarah’s chosen path all along. Now, Ms. Scott is trying her hand at fashion with the launch of her self-titled and highly requested women’s ready-to-wear label which compliments big brother Brandon Scott’s menswear clothing line (B:SCOTT) in addition to (One of One) a handmade bespoke accessory line. Respectfully, some taste makers have already hinted at the talent of the siblings, making them the first brother-sister design duo since the late great Gianni and eccentric sister Donatella– move over Versace’s, the Scott’s have arrived.
Sarah drew inspiration for her new collection, A Stranger I Came, from the story of her grandparents arrival in the US. The autobiography speaks of a beautiful love story of chance and faith. Her grandfather, a New York architect and art collector, left Berlin to gain a better life for the family in the United States, while her grandmother stayed behind only to eventually follow. The couple reunited by a yellow balloon that her grandfather held high above a sea of people on the dock. As Sarah shared the story, her sincere eyes teared over the deep appreciation for their struggle as immigrants to be the best example of such selflessness. With humility she admits that family is the foundation of her very existence from which the lifestyle brand SCOTTxSCOTT has become a continuation of their design enriched family tradition.
Sarah Scott is the embodiment of a strong, confident, sophisticated woman in the know. Taking inspiration from her career in interior design, she structures each garment like a home — every element serves both form and function. The collection incorporates unexpected technical details with modern, clean lines. Sarah Scott takes a modernist approach to feminism by creating clothing that is tailored yet comfortable, and provocative without being risque. Her collection is influenced by all of the women in her life who employ both brains and beauty, who dress with fearlessness and fortitude. Sarah Scott is made for the progressive, young woman looking for transitional clothing.
After being taken through each piece of the collection, the illustrative verdict is full of luxurious ready to wear pieces that build and layer upon each other yet has a strong sensibility that stands alone just as splendidly. Refined blazers, coats, pants, blouses, dresses and basics are offered in a solid color palette- eggplant, copper, black, emerald, camel, and white. Distinct bags and tenderly edgy accessories such as studded belts and fine necklaces (with pendants of a Petrine cross, a heart organ, or a coffin) all have meaning both personally and universally. Our top picks –EVERYTHING– the varsity blazer, LBD (little black (and beige)) dress, lounge gown, leather shorts, power trousers, cold shoulder sweater, and well, there is much more but a lady never gives it all away and with that we will stay. But if you are in Las Vegas next week, set an appointment to view Sarah Scott’s collection which will be premiering at the Workroom tradeshow (booth #14131). Then be sure to attend the party they are co-hosting with FLAUNT magazine on Monday February 13th at XS (Encore) where Diplo & Black Banditz is set to perform.
A favorite quote by that of Buddha, “All we are is a result of what we have thought,” is something that Sarah Scott lives by and her debut is but a mere reflection of what is yet to come.
How has this new year been for you so far?
SS: It’s been crazy to say the least. I feel like I’m in a constant state of panic rush. But, even at the end of the day when I am completely exhausted, I feel totally fulfilled to be doing something I’ve wanted to do my whole life with the people that matter to me most—my family. I have these moments when I’m driving in my car (when I’m not battling my epic road rage) that I take a breath and think, “wow, this is all really happening.” It’s a great feeling.
Why did you make an exit from interior design into fashion? Tell us about your transition and the similarities & differences?
SS: Many of B:SCOTT’s customers would ask Brandon when he was coming out with a women’s line, but designing menswear was much more of his thing. Having a background in design, and a sick obsession with fashion it just seemed like the natural fit to keep the family business in the family. To me, B:SCOTT is how a man should dress—masculine, comfortable, and a little hard. Sarah Scott is the perfect complement to the B:SCOTT man in the sense that it is sexy without being risque and sophisticated without looking uptight. Together they look like the perfectly dressed power couple.
I approach designing anything in the same way whether it’s a room, a business card, or a garment–it’s all about finding the right proportions, colors, and textures. Designing a home is much like designing a collection in the sense that each piece of furniture is like a garment, each fixture is like a trim, and blueprint like a tech pack. Just like interior design an inch can go a mile and one wrong proportion can throw off a whole room or garment.
Creativity seems to be steady flowing through the veins of your family (ahem, B:SCOTT), is there anyone else in the Scott family whom you lend your talents?
SS: I’m lucky to have come from a long line of extremely creative people. My Grandfather was an architect and art collector and built the house my father grew up in out of a chicken coup. It was this incredibly modern home with an indoor pool and surrounding art gallery. He and my grandmother seemed to live this sort of fairy tail life filled with amazing art, travel, and impeccable style. My father runs the corporate side of our business and is a computer genius (despite still using a PC). He puts together all of our websites and has built an extremely intricate software program to run all of our businesses. My mother is a teacher and to me, this is one of the most creative fields one can have because you are really creating the way that children see the world and helping them discover who they are and how they want to contribute to the world.
How would you describe your point of view on fashion, your angle?
SS: Fashion should be something fun and creative. So many women are concerned with being on trend, matching or wearing the right designer bag. The most stylish women I know can rock a $5 flea market dress the same way they rock a designer gown—it’s all about the attitude. But, not all women can carry that sort of attitude naturally so they depend on fashion to to do it for them. Fashion is a form of expression but it is also an extension of how we want others to perceive the person we wish we were.
Living in LA, you see a lot of women that look like they just spent 3 straight days at Coachella festival and rolled out in some dumpster hippy jump off. It’s so easy to look schleppy here because the weather is always perfect and style is a more loose here than it is in New York. I want to bring the look of comfortable refinement back to a woman. I want women to put on my clothes and feel elegant and sexy. I think the woman that wears my clothes is someone who stands out because she looks put together and not because she is wearing something on trend or in your face. To look beautiful you have to feel beautiful and the only way to do that is by finding clothes that are comfortable and accentuate all of the right curves which I feel my clothes do. To me, the sexiest features of a woman’s body aren’t the obvious ones like the breasts and bum but rather the back and collar bones which are accentuated in a lot of my garments.
What is the meaning behind the theme of the debut collection: A Stranger I Came ?
SS: The collection is titled, “A Stranger I Came,” after my Grandmother’s autobiography that she wrote about her transition from Berlin to New York. The story of my Grandmother is much like that of any modern, fashionable woman of her time or ours—acclimating into American society while maintaining a powerful presence and sense of style. My Grandmother has always been a style icon to me. She dressed up in full garb to breakfast and would think it was disrespectful if we wore jeans in her presence. My story as a designer is much like that of my Grandmother. As my first collection I am coming into the fashion industry as somewhat of a stranger, trying to create something that is larger than myself and my ideas. I want women to act confident, understated-ly chic, and a bit provocative when they wear my clothes.
If you could choose any 5 retailers (domestically and internationally) to carry Sarah Scott, which would they be?
SS: Hmmm such a hard question! There are so many! But if I had to choose I would say, Mecca A.K.A. Barneys New York, Colette Paris, Selfridges London, Beams Japan, boutiques like Intermix and American Rag and an online retailers like Shop Bop or Revolve. Okay that’s more than 5 but I tried!
Will we be seeing Sarah Scott on the runway during any of the upcoming fashion weeks?
SS: We are still contemplating doing a fashion show this year. This year we wanted to focus on doing short films that encapsulate the essence behind the collection. We worked with an amazing fashion photographer/videographer, Bell Soto. My film is a story of an entrepreneurial woman who has an amazing life independent of a man and suddenly finds love. The mundane things become points of inspiration and she sees beauty in a whole new way. She welcomes love into her life but is still very much independent. It is not just a love story between a man and a woman but rather a woman and her own life. In my opinion, it pretty much sums up the modern woman today. We plan on doing an official launch of the video later this month.
A woman whom wears Sarah Scott is _____? A man who wants this woman is _____?
SS: A woman whom wears Sarah Scott is strong,confident, and a bit sassy. A man who wants this woman is smart and better be on point.
What was the last film you watched in the theatre? Album/ musician always playing on the i-pod? Most impressive art exhibit?
SS: It’s been a minute since I’ve been to the theatre but I recently saw the Bill Cunningham New York documentary. It was such an interesting dichotomy to see one of fashion’s most influential street fashion photographers live in a tiny little apartment eating microwavable lunches wearing the same thing everyday. It made me think that there is something to be said about those that have style and those that can recognize style are maybe not as related as we think.
I’m lucky to have two of my favorite djs as my boyfriend, Patrick (Pase Rock), and best friends, Marylouise & Vanessa (Posso) who keep me in check with the music scene so I pretty much listen to any mix they throw my way which is usually filled with a mix of disco, funk, and house.
The last art exhibit I went to was Naked Hollywood at the MOCA Grand Ave which was really refreshing to see distorted photography pre-Photoshop. I fell in love with his kaleidoscopic images and his interpretations of distorted fame. He also had some weird obsession with colonic places—soooo Hollywood.
Which interior design category pin points your overall style personality? why?
SS: I’d say my style is a mix between Modern Baroque and Eclectic Minimalism. I like things that look fresh, a little gaudy, have unexpected elements, but are still understated. My ‘Just the Tips’ collared shirt is crisp and clean like a classic tailored shirt but has spike rivet buttons, monochromatic collar tips, and an elongated placket.
If you had a theme song to start each day off right, what would it be?
SS: Uhhh…I don’t know..Chaka Khan’s I’m Every Woman?? haha “I’m every woman. It’s all in me. I can read your thoughts right now. Every one from A to Z.” Now those are some bad ass woman power lyrics. Feeling that.
Images Courtesy of SCOTT X SCOTT Inc.
