By Pablo Breton | Facebook | Twitter
Editor, IndieFashionDaily
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IFDaily: What inspired you to be one of the first brands to “go eco” in such a profound way?
GYPSY ’05: We were in the dye business for some time before we started our line. Being people that love and feel connected to nature, we were always looking for ways to be friendly to the environment. We were always looking for ways to make a difference. In December of 2009 our Southern California headquarters went green. A true revolution for the garment industry, we were the first completely solar-powered dying, printing, and manufacturing facility in Los Angeles. It’s been our goal to make a mark in the fashion world, without leaving a carbon footprint on the rest of the world.
Jessica Alba in Gypsy 05 Farra Dress
IFDaily: You have so many celebrity clients, from Kate Hudson to Jessica Alba. How has the line caught on so strongly among celebs? Is it word of mouth; press? Do you think the line offers an opportunity for celebrities in particular to relax a little while still looking fashionable? And / or do you think that’s essentially this same factor that appeals to everyone?
GYPSY ’05: We feel that we make clothes for the people. We don’t design particularity for celebrities; but we take pride when they wear them. We’re making clothes that are colorful, comfortable, unique, and fashionable; therefore, they appeal to many different clientele.
IFDaily: Obviously you both share duties. You also have slightly different, but complementary backgrounds: Osi’s being advertising / marketing and Dotan’s being garment and dye. How do you divide the work now? How have your roles evolved? How do you work as a team?
GYPSY ’05: We are a brother and a sister team that grew up in a tight-knit family. Not only are we close, but there is a mutual deep appreciation and respect for one another. Our partnership compliments one another’s strengths with Osi being the designer and Dotan handling the business side. The roles do however cross over from time to time.
IFDaily: How does Osi’s background influence the marketing of Gypsy ’05 today?
GYPSY ’05: Osi has developed a great eye for visuals and a great understanding of advertising, which definitely helps in the course of our business to expand strategically.
Osi & Dotan Shoham
IFDaily: How did Dotan’s work with color innovators Pacific Blue spark some of the earlier inspiration behind the current colors and eco-consciousness of the brand?
GYPSY ’05: As it is we still develop washes and dye techniques on almost a daily basis. We’re bringing back some of the old washes we used to do years ago and we are trying to give them new looks and interpretations. As well in Pacific Blue we are always trying to find ways to use eco-friendlier chemicals and materials in processing of garments. Some will include soy-based softeners, seaweed based discharge paste, low-impact dyes, and we use solar energy as a power supply.
IFDaily: What’s the “one sentence” that describes your brand?
GYPSY ’05: Gypsy ’05 is a colorful, fashionable and EVOLVING brand.
IFDaily: It seems, roughly speaking, the evolution of the brand so far has been t-shirts to maxi dresses, and now sweaters and even footwear. Where will the brand expand to next? Is the sky the limit, or will it stay close to a core concept?
GYPSY ’05: Embodying the “gypset” lifestyle, Gypsy ’05 is an ever-changing brand that will continue to grow to evoke our free-spirit. Gypsy ‘05 is an artist brought to life, through interpretations of beauty, life, and culture. By gathering motivation from our surroundings — both Los Angeles and our native land — we tend to focus on elements which revitalize nature through fashion. This is apparent in our contemporary collection for men, women, and children.
Gypsyz knit stocking / boot hybrid
Our shoe collection, Gypsyz, launched for fall / winter 2010 as a new and unparalleled type of footwear. A hybrid between a knit stocking and a boot, Gypsyz are meant to be worn both indoors and outdoors and are offered in various heights, prints and colors. For fall 2011 we have created our Gypsyz Clogs in knit, as was seen on the runway.
We are very excited about the launch of this new style and are expecting it to do wonders in the market.
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