Designer Crush: Ana Chang

A new year, a new post. To begin 2012 the right way, I am excited to start off by featuring an inspirational and fashionable female who is also my newly coveted designer crush. Fearless and fancy, this 20-year-old bombshell is taking on the international design world and making her mark. Ana Chang is the maven behind her original self-titled clothing line. Currently residing in Guatemala, Chang's latin roots fused with her eye for feminine detail make her pieces both flirty and functional. I got the chance to interview Ana about her fashion icons, personal style, her recognition from Teen Vogue and what's next for her line in 2012. 

[Poprocks&Peacoats] Being an up and coming international designer, what (or who) would you say influences your personal style the most?

  

[Ana Chang] My influences come from my everyday journey: music, blogs, magazines, fashion icons and the people around me. In Guatemala I believe we have the perfect weather, so basically we combine different season clothing in one outfit! I’m a very practical girl when it comes to fashion so you can find a lot of denim, cardigans, jumpers, flats, oversize t-shirts and one or two men’s shirts in my closet.

[P&P] Where does the fashion story of Ana Chang begin? Did you always believe you would be designing?

[AC] Yes, fashion has always been my only option when it comes to what I want to do with the rest of my life. Since I was little I have been designing and painting. I see fashion as the perfect and unique way to express what you feel, think and want to communicate to the world.

[P&P] What are some challenges (if any) you have faced being a young designer? What advice do you have for other young up-and-comers?

[AC] My main challenge has been organizing my time because of my school schedules, but I’m really working on that! :) I’m a very visual person so I always keep my agenda as organize as I can to work on school, my blog and other projects.

My advice is

1.   Believe in your work and your own ideas! Unique ideas have more value than copied ideas :)

2. Work hard for what you want and always take the good things out from the bad situations. In life being positive has its rewards!

[P&P] How would you describe your latest line? What (or who) inspires the look of your pieces?

[AC] I made my first collection last year and was inspired by architecture. It had shift dresses, vests, black blazers and skirts. The main colors where: pastels, gray, white and black. I wanted to create a collection with basic clothing; easy to combine with anything else you have on your closet.

[P&P] Has living in Guatemala particularly influenced your work? Are there certain styles or trends that are original to your Latin roots that we can find in your collection?

[AC] Yes, it has influence on my work. The fashion industry in Guatemala is in a growing stage, where appreciation is taking place and I’m happy to be part of that. I’m blessed to live in a country with such wide material to get inspired from like: nature, colors, prints, native culture and clothing, are good examples of where my inspiration comes from when it comes to designing.

[P&P] Last year, you were featured in Teen Vogue as Blogger of the Moment, how cool was that?! What was it like to be recognized by such a respected company?

[AC] It has been the most amazing feeling ever! It’s such a great privilege to be recognized by them and I love that they are so open to new designers and the fact that they appreciate your work is indescribable. This gave me a lot of impulse to my new projects and ideas in fashion!

[P&P] Are there any fashion bloggers that you keep up with? Tell us a little about your blog, when did you begin blogging?

[AC] I’m a twitter fan so I follow all my favorite bloggers and designers and keep in touch with what they are doing and thinking. I keep up with Andy Torres from Style Scrapbook  Elizabeth M, Craig Arend from Models Off Duty,  The Persian Babe  Refinery 29 and many more.

I started my blog a few years ago. My posts are about what I like in fashion and in music, my experience in fashion and achievements! You’ll see me posting a lot more this year! Be ready : )

[P&P] Last but not least, how can we get our hands on your one-of-a-kind threads?  Can you tell us what is next for you?

[AC] I don’t sell my designs online yet but anyone that likes my work can send me an email and we will figure the shipping and everything out! Next year (2012) you’ll get to see all the process of my new collection and ill be posting all my designs. I’m planning my next fashion show with one of my friends that is also a fashion designer that will include two different lines, hopefully will be at the beginning of 2012. Can’t wait to share that with Poprocks and Peacoats :)

Want to keep up with Ana Chang? Find her on twitter, check out her blog or email her at info [at] anachang.com

Garage Pop & What Not

Monty Montgomery // High Octane 

It's always sunny in San Diego and yesterday was no exception. Especially when you find yourself on the eighth story over looking the downtown skyline at 2 in the afternoon. This is where I met up with San Diego artist Monty Montgomery at his Studio in East Village, to chat about his work as an artist and graphic designer. I met Monty while he was showcasing his art and painting live at the Thread Show this past November. I had assumed he would have been a San Diego native, maybe an inner-city hipster because of the bright colors, energy and cartoon feel of his work, but I've learned that this small-town Virginian is a San Diego transplant and was raised in woodsy Louisa: population 12,000. 

I wanted to start with the beginning, so I asked him to begin with his life as a kid in the country. I find out that Monty spent much of his childhood in the woods, building forts with his brother and drawing at the kitchen table. "My mom recently told me that she always knew I was going to be doing what I'm doing right now since I was two years old, being an artist". But even though he was raised in the country-side, the meaning behind the colors and shapes of his work are very reflective of Montgomery's childhood. He shares with me that the bright stars that appear in a few of his pieces are the memories he had with his grandfather learning about the constellations as they would watch the night sky. What else inspires Monty's work--numbers, traveling, and "Even the lady in line at the grocery store can be the reason [behind inspiration]". When it comes to a starting a new piece, Montgomery carries around a mole skin to jot down ideas and even sketch something while he is away from his art desk at home. 

 Sneak Peak of some of the photos I took of Monty's Art Space!

His work was proclaimed by a fellow artist and friend of his as "Garage Pop"--edgy, energetic and all the while clean, modern  and bold. As for advice for other artists, Montgomery insists that opening your eyes and taking the time to listen to others is what has helped him to discover the most about himself and his work. This is advice I would not normally expect, but after  thinking about it, I can totally relate to life being about listening. Tuning into the world around you and learning to coexist and understand that we really are in constant transition and will forever be moving from one stage of ourselves to another. 

The full article will be debuting soon on the Proxart website! 

For more on Monty Montgomery, visit his website and online gallery here.