Perceptions
Foile Zine ISSU04 INTERVIEW, CREATIVE DIRECTION
INTERVIEW, CREATIVE DIRECTION
PAIGE HANSERD
“In the peak of a NYC heatwave designer / creative / pop culture preservationist Paige Hanserd,
put on a great outfit and showed us around her Bed Stuy living room.
1. What is one mental image you would like to keep forever?
There’s a photo I found during lockdown. It’s me in my Mother’s arms and she’s the age I am now. Cheesing extremely hard, super excited to be a Mom.
2. What does ‘gaze’ mean to you?
By definition it means to look steadily and intently or in admiration of. However I think now it has a creepy connotation? I think the word means a lot of different things, but if the intent of gazing were positive, I think admiration is very beautiful and fuels inspiration.
3. How do beauty and gaze interact or converse for you personally?
As I've gotten older I've become more comfortable in my body and it’s cliché but I really do believe that beauty comes from within. Accepting compliments and love is tough if you don’t admire yourself. That shit takes work but it’s doable!
4. As a designer and creative person, what is your driving force?
Inspiration — the opportunity to be excited, to experience that youthful vigour again. The world is in a shit place at the moment and if you find inspiration in something I think you have to go with that, and use it.
5. Is there a subject or topic you wish to see re-contextualised? Is this a factor in your work?
I think there is too much emphasis on self branding. I loved Tumblr because it was a way to throw up all your interests, to learn, share and connect with likeminded people. Kind of like a spot for your ADHD to flex. Now Instagram mixed with celeb culture there is less fun sharing, and more emphasis on strategic branding. I think it has made us all a bit confused.
6. What is the most interesting thing the eye cannot see?
Imagination.
7. Do you believe design or art has a responsibility to be ‘good’ or ‘ethical’, how do you navigate this?
There is a lot of factors on which that depends but, I think… no. I don’t think is has to be either. I believe it should convey a story, or evoke an emotive response. The current emphasis on being ethical or PC is too much, it’s folding in on itself and we’re losing the plot.
8. When do you feel most at home in your skin?
When I am not thinking about being a human with skin probably, I’m just existing in a nice moment.
9. You have a deep appreciation for popular culture, a kind of looking back. What do you believe is the main point of difference in pop culture from past to present?
10. Social media has completely changed pop culture. For better or worse I am not sure, but we definitely know A LOT more than we did before I will say that.
GEORGIA HEMBROW
“From New Zealand, an ode to nature in existing and creating. Georgia Hembrow talks with us
about her label Wixii, family business, style as intention and all the beautiful little things in between.
1. A tremendously loaded word, what does 'gaze’ mean to you?
Viewing something with purpose and intent.
2. Describe when do you feel most at home in your skin?
When I am surrounded by nature - specifically at the beach, in the ocean.
3. Your brand Wixii elevates natural fabrics, creating beauty in the understated. Describe Wixii as cocktail party attendee?
Natural and wild. Taking the afterparty to the beach.
4. What is the most interesting thing the eye cannot see?
Instinct, listening to the unseen messages and reacting to them.
5. Gaze and subjectivity are synonymous, what is something you hope to communicate with your work?
We try to translate our love of nature through the imagery we create. Whenever we feel lost in our brand communication / personality we always come back to this. We can’t wait to spend the summer shooting in nature.
6. Is the hand that makes something always visible?
I think not always as a lot of people are so disconnected from this idea. We try to educate our customers about the many skilled hands it takes to make our garments.
7. How do you find working with family, and the funnelling of different viewpoints to one vision / business?
My mother and I are best friends, this makes working together easier than some expect. Whenever I tell someone I work with my mother their reaction is usually “I could never work with my family”.
I feel lucky that we have created something together that we’re so passionate about, and we get to share in this process each day. Although like any relationship we do have our differences, when these occur whoever is most passionate usually ends up deciding often surprising the other person - it keeps business fresh.
I couldn’t do this with any one else and I think she would agree too!
8. The gaze meeting the face is how we exist to one another — what was the last thing you looked at intently?
My partners blue eyes - they are the colour of the sky on a crystal clear day.
9. What is something often unobserved you hope to see draw more observation?
There is a growing observation of the feeling clothing give us as being equally valued to style and funcion - people expressing fashion as a statement of personal intent to planet.
10, What is one mental image you would like to keep forever?
I think my answer to this question is ever changing, depending on my mood. I would like to say a time with my friends and family but I feel like that lives in my heart. So I think right now, the mental image I would like to keep forever is a beautiful sun soaked image of the beach — so calm and relaxing.
11. What is seen only in nature?
True beauty.
12. We live in a world saturated with images, what do you look to images for?
To spark an emotion, images from true creatives that surpise and delight.
13. If the gaze can be used to re-contextualise, what do you hope Wixii revises about ‘Slow Fashion’?
Always stay small enough to sustain care in all you do.