ALL GOOD STATEMENTS ARE REMEMBERED IN PRINT!
–The Art Behind Printed Fabric
One of the things I am most asked as a fashion designer who started out his career on the NY fashion scene which was at the time usually devoid of bold colors and strictly solids, “Why do I like Bold & Colorful Prints”?
“For several reasons” I always replied.Once I moved from NY to LA I was bombarded with so much color it bombarded the creative senses. One of the things I learned as a NY fashion designer now taking up residence in LA, life was a complete opposite of my days in the style trenches of NY. The residents of LA were less pensive about time & work and more preferential to life & leisure. Not to say that business was never a priority, it just had a certain ease on how business was conducted. In this new landscape suits & such were primarily for special occasions and the usual uniform of the day was shorts & flip flops, even during business meetings. What I came to understand that in this new plane of existence called; Los Angeles. Was the lost powerful man in Hollywood didn’t require the usual “Power Suit” armor to wield his power or command attention. His resume and both professional & personal acumen did that before he walked in the door.
Technically showing up to the business meeting in question was just a courtesy to closing the deal. Having had some of those meetings at outdoor cafe’s and hip eateries (That would last 30 minutes), instead of the usual conference room or office (usually for 2 hours, with the result the five more meetings was imminent) I felt like a fish out of water. One of the many amazing gifts bestowed upon me by God Almighty , was the ability to learn and adapt very quickly, even when it seems I am a staunched supporter of the old way of doing things. It would be these experiences that allowed me to see imminent creative change and prepare for it. Once I settled in to this new creative mainframe, I started to see color differently. For the residents of LA it was a way of expressing or invoking various current moods or changes, defining a sense character or aesthetic and a way of conveying the other side of NY’s discerning style sensibilities. There was a certain freedom in not having to conform to the NY Fashion mandate (except during Oscar season).
Soon I was reveling in this new creative space of color, then the day would arrive when while out fabric shopping I would come upon a printed fabric that would become my next creative evolution. I bought two yards of this fabulous print created my first dress in LA. As I stepped back and looked at the design, I realized that there was a story behind the “Print” on the fabric. I began to wonder who was the graphic artist that conceived the print itself and what was he/she thinking when they used the color combinations on the print. I realized at that moment that the print was as important as the design itself. Within the story of the print was an artist, who to many fashion and interior designers, was an unsung hero! Conceiving both simple and complex use of patterns with a subtle or bold use of color.
In the words of fashion designer Halston ” I let the fabric speak to me”, however for me the print was the story. It defined the shape & silhouette of each design. It would be six years later that I would depart LA and head to FL and from the experience in LA, I forged new life-long friendships, embarked on new creative endeavors, established a clientele base, forge relationships with manufacturers and fabric suppliers, redefined the Mochachino brand, with a more polished image and product…..More importantly I understood change is inevitable and creative evolution whether accepted or not is essential to personal growth!
Sabre Mochachino
Founder | Creative Director of Mochachino: LA/NY
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