THE FASHION DESIGNER Alexis Monsanto What happens when fashion designer meets the ruway in a t-bone collison called the fashion show PHOTOGRAPHED BY IRVIN RIVERA The Los Angeles fashion circuit is home to several elite designers that are household names on the Fashion Week runway every season. These designers have become staples to the industry by proving themselves as true artists with a solid voice that resonates through their collections at every show. One designer who always stands out as a visionary on the runway is the incomparable Alexis Monsanto. This upcoming season, Alexis Monsanto will be presenting his newest collection inspired by what he calls “women in power.” For this collection, Monsanto drew inspiration from real-life women and fictional characters from film and television to create a collection that, as Alexis states, “goes from boardroom to bedroom”. Monsanto has created some of the most impressive shows to ever grace the runways of L.A. Fashion Week, by pushing through boundaries with every new collection. What audiences see at a Alexis Monsanto show is that he really knows how to make his vision come to life. Joshua Pinkay sat with Alexis Monsanto during a photo shoot with famed photographer, Irvin Rivera, to get an in-depth Q&A session about Fashion Week from the designer’s perspective. JP: As one of the prominent designers on the runway of L.A. Fashion Week, what would you say is the best part of the Fashion Week experience? AM: The best part is getting to showcase my artistry and creativity to the whole world and premiering my collection for a particular season. It’s a little nerve-wracking, but from an artist’s point of view, it’s like unveiling a piece of your soul. You make yourself open to any type of criticism whether it be positive or negative, and to that I say, “Bring it on. I can take it!” This is like a test or gauge of your artistic capacity. JP: You’re considered one of the prime elite designers in Los Angeles. Do you ever feel like you’re competing with other designer on the runway? AM: I’ve seen other shows and those designers have really great collections. When you talk about presentation as a whole, the only person I feel that I compete with is myself. Year after year, I feel that I top myself with my shows. This is why it can be difficult at times, because I expect a lot from myself. I ask for feedback from stylists, interviewers, or anyone in the industry about which of my shows they like the best. They usually answer that they like my latest show, which means that I have to outdo my last show. JP: What is your main goal when presenting on the runway? AM: My main goal is to make sure that my shows are entertaining and that the collection lives up to the expectations of the crowd. If in a prior year I received a standing ovation from a crowd of one-thousand attendees, then that’s validation that I did well. I’m a very quiet person and generally I like for my work to speak for itself. I don’t like to brag or talk about the clothing before I unveil a collection. I prefer to wait for what the people have to say right after I present. I think saying too much about the collection before it’s unveiled can hurt the audience’s expectations and ruin the element of surprise from my work. Expect the unexpected. JP: Have you ever had a negative runway experience, and if so, what measures do you take to avoid that? AM: In 2012, I had a big issue with my music. I couldn’t come up with it until the very last minute. Everything else was taken care of from the collection, to the styling, etc., but the music wasn’t finalized. Thankfully, I had help from some creative friends who worked on my music in the editing room, because I refused to start my show without finalized music. I took that experience to make sure that I always had every element finished weeks before the date of the show. JP: Not including the show production staff, about how many people do you bring in from your own team to help put your show together? AM: I usually have a team of creative people helping me, comprised of interns, seamstresses, sample makers, and stylists. My sample makers have been working with me since 1996-97, and I keep them around because they know my work ethic and what I expect from them. They understand the finishing and quality of work I want because they’ve been trained. As for my stylists, I collaborate with Jesse J from Jesse J Collections, who has been working with me for quite some time on photo shoots and shows in different states and cities. The whole team ranges from between five to eight people. JP: What is your take on L.A. Fashion Week in comparison to other cities that you’ve presented in? AM: L.A. Fashion Week is very different from the other cities, mainly because Los Angeles is the manufacturing capital of fashion 118 The LA FASHION MAGAZINE
Model: Olga Aleksa Make-up: Sheryll Nebrida Hair: Kris Ann Orana Styling: Jesse J The LA FASHION MAGAZINE 119