I don’t know much about Frank Tropiano, as I rarely know much about any emerging designers we feature. Which is sort of the cool thing about this series. We get to discover, or in this case have them discover us, before they become celebrity designers. You get them when their desire is raw and real, before it turns into design students doing all the work for you. Not to say ALL major houses do that, but many do, and there’s no need to deny it.
But today isn’t about what other designer may or may not do. It’s about Frank Tropiano and his Fall 2014 collection.
How did you get into fashion?
I went to Parson here in NYC after attending college in Ohio (I was a Finance and Political Science double major). I just always like making this as a child…Legos and tinker toys were my favorite toys as a child. And I think that carried over in to my adult life.
What’s the inspiration behind this specific collection?
I think every collection starts with NYC in mind. The city, all is has to offer and the mentality of the city of being non-invisible I think are what drive every collection.
What’s your favorite piece?
I like the jackets a lot. I think they came out pretty well this season. And I think in general, that is my favorite type of piece to design. It can be an extremely versatile piece of clothing.
Tell us about the materials, fabrications, and details used.
The materials are super light-weight jacquards, a chintzed super fine wool gabardine, and fine heavy weight cottons. These materials create structure, unbearable lightness and softness in the garments. The jacquards and mohair are from England. The cottons are Swiss. And the Wools and Silks are from Italy. I am always open to using any type of fabric, as long a sit looks great
If you compared your designs to any place in the world, where would it be?
That is interesting…I like this line of thought. I think since New York is such a point of inspiration for me, you can definitely draw comparisons to New York City. There is a mix of everything in the collection, but it is still strict in it ideas and thoughts.
What fashion rules do you think should never be broken? (ie. sequins in the day time).
Well, I think we have reached the point were there are no more real rules in fashion. You can basically do anything and everything. But one rule I am glad to see being broken is the idea that you have to spend a lot of money to buy classic pieces that you will have forever. We are getting to a point were you can find ‘high-street’ pieces
If you weren’t a designer what would you be doing?
I try not to think about this a lot. It would definitely be in the arts. Maybe a sculptor or wood-worker. I would definitely like to try my hand at furniture making at some point.