SHAPE SHIFTR : pyrimads standing
The New York-based fashion design duo SHAPE SHIFTR is a label dedicated to creating innovative clothing inspired by the constant change in silhouette. Meghan Lavery and J’aime Lizotte are a pair that work simultaneousness in achieving the balance of two triangles. Inspirations of both these women create dating fashion beyond our time of the present but searching the past of Ancient Egyptian culture to redefine the future fashions. In an industry that is subject to evolve, I believe SHAPE SHIFTR has a focused appeal to outlast the test of time. Geneva Jacuzzi and that whole sound relates to the mood of what I’m doing. I am constantly listening to intergalacticfm.com while working. I don’t want to say that I’m 80’s influenced, but I am. I like music with a lot of synthesizers. Like Classic analog synth sounds with vintage drum machines. I’ve been watching a lot of these videos where a guy just demos all these synthesizers and sort of collages it with weird random footage from old films and tv. DIRTY: As a design team, the two triangles of SHAPE SHIFTR, how do you share the load equally? J: Things just need to get done and we just do them. We never have a day off. We’re constantly doing it. There’s no division of labor, we both just have to do it all. Whoever gets to it first. Ironically, if we happen to have a day off, some huge thing comes up especially if we are on vacation. M: I think we both contribute so much…Shape Shiftr is our baby. We each design separate pieces and then sometimes we design pieces together. We both have different body types and styles so when meshed together it really works. We come up with our inspiration and colors together. We pick out all the fabrics and colors for each collection together. Like the other day J’aime picked up a sample from the factory and she tried it on, and she’s like, “Oh Meghan is going to want these armholes, lower I knew her.” And she was spot on, that’s the first thing I said, “Oh these armholes are way too small.” DIRTY: Are there more members of the SHAPE SHIFTR team we should know about? J: As of now, we do everything ourselves, we had an intern last season and are welcoming another this month. My friend Karla (parlezvousmae.blogspot.com) is doing the illustrations and collages for the current look book, under our direction using our inspiration, a hybrid of alchemy and mysticism meets Ancient Egypt. M: We are 1 year in and we are the “team, “ with an exception to my boyfriend Danny. He helps out so much he is always running to the garment center for me, picking up production, dropping off fabric, and is constantly going to the post office. He is actually on his way now to the factory. We also had an intern, last season and we are meeting with a new intern next week that will hopefully become part of the Shape Shiftr team! DIRTY: My first sight of SHAPE SHIFTR was the spiked military jacket seen on Nasty Gal. I found an interesting connection between the details and amazing shape with contemporary materials. While exploring accessorizing the well crafted garments do you find yourself referring to the schooling you earned in metals, Meaghan? Also, do you believe that in the process of going separate ways, you are now able to guide one another as well as learn from each other? How so? M&J: We stay true to our aesthetics and our designs and ourselves fuel off each other. We come up with a general idea, pick a color palette and then pick fabrics together. This is the thing about what we do. We don’t plan things; sometimes we don’t even see each other’s designs until the photo shoot. It’s nice to have two different perspectives on things. We both have two totally different personalities and training so it works well together. I think it would be boring if we were too much a like. M: Yeah totally, I am really into hard -wear and mixing soft with hard. We are going to be making some jewelry in an up coming season. I’m really attracted to silver. My fingers are always filled with a trillion rings and wrists draped in silver. DIRTY: How would you define yourselves as designers? M&J: I make things I want to wear. I’m into what I’m into. I don’t want to label myself. DIRTY: What would you like the public to associate with SHAPE SHIFTR when mentioned as a new label? M&J: I would like them to associate us with nice quality for the price. We try really hard to find the perfect fabrication for each piece and keep the price down and stay true to our selves. DIRTY: Can you tell me any future plans that SHAPE SHIFTR is in the process of creating? M&J: We have been thinking about doing a small jewelry line for next season, we would also like to start designing our own textiles for the line. There is so much going on right now with Shape Shiftr. You will be seeing a lot for of us in the near future. A lot of people have been reaching out to us. We will not be opening a store any time soon, but there are many new stores that are opening that have picked up Shape Shiftr as a brand. Right now is one step at a time. DIRTY: What were some of the challenges you faced with establishing the brand? M&J: I think putting ourselves out there was the first challenge, but it was the hardest on us financially especially in this economy. We were forced to make smart decisions; we wanted to reach our customer while still being innovative. I think what really worked for us establishing the brand was having a strong concept, a core vision and the drive to move forward. Something to stand behind. We are just lucky we have so many supporters that have really been there for us. The biggest challenge still now is time and money. DIRTY: In 10 years, what are the accomplishments you would like to have made within the brand and expanding? M&J: We want to keep exploring new ideas; we’re never really satisfied with what we do. I think its good to be that way. I want to keep being inspired by new things… always moving forward.
“I make things I want to wear. I’m into what I’m into. “ -SHAPE SHIFTR
DIRTY: What were the earliest signs that interest you in fashion design? J:I couldn’t find clothes I was really into, so I started making things that I wanted to wear. That’s really it, it’s that simple. I’d get up in the morning and think of what I wanted to wear and then I would make it. M: Very early, I always was really into clothing and fashion. Started with dress up and art classes. I got best dressed in the yearbook! I just could never find the things I wanted to wear. That’s when it started. I made clothes for myself and then started making for friends and then re-working vintage for a store in Portland. DIRTY: I love the concept of SHAPE SHIFTR, acknowledging the constant change in silhouette, besides geometric figures, what are other outlets of inspiration in designing? M: Everyday life really inspires me. I’m always making clothing that I want to wear myself and I’m hoping that is what others want to wear as well. I’m really into layering, and 90’s grunge right now. I was just flipping through a FRUiTSmagazine and the layering style is so sick. For our Fall 2010 we were really thinking about how each piece could be layered and worn with all the other pieces in the collection. J: Egypt is something I’ve always been into; the mysteriousness of Ancient Egypt for example the cats, the pyramids, and the funerary thing. How it was really about adornment of the body, mummies, preparing for the afterlife. Alchemy and mysticism. The imagery from that and how there are so many cryptic symbols and layers to decipher. That is connected to the music I listen to. It’s all about layers and changing forms. Geneva Jacuzzi and that whole sound relates to the mood of what I’m doing. I am constantly listening to intergalacticfm.com while working. I don’t want to say that I’m 80’s influenced, but I am. I like music with a lot of synthesizers. Like Classic analog synth sounds with vintage drum machines. I’ve been watching a lot of these videos where a guy just demos all these synthesizers and sort of collages it with weird random footage from old films and tv. DIRTY: As a design team, the two triangles of SHAPE SHIFTR, how do you share the load equally? J: Things just need to get done and we just do them. We never have a day off. We’re constantly doing it. There’s no division of labor, we both just have to do it all. Whoever gets to it first. Ironically, if we happen to have a day off, some huge thing comes up especially if we are on vacation. M: I think we both contribute so much…Shape Shiftr is our baby. We each design separate pieces and then sometimes we design pieces together. We both have different body types and styles so when meshed together it really works. We come up with our inspiration and colors together. We pick out all the fabrics and colors for each collection together. Like the other day J’aime picked up a sample from the factory and she tried it on, and she’s like, “Oh Meghan is going to want these armholes, lower I knew her.” And she was spot on, that’s the first thing I said, “Oh these armholes are way too small.” DIRTY: Are there more members of the SHAPE SHIFTR team we should know about? J: As of now, we do everything ourselves, we had an intern last season and are welcoming another this month. My friend Karla (parlezvousmae.blogspot.com) is doing the illustrations and collages for the current look book, under our direction using our inspiration, a hybrid of alchemy and mysticism meets Ancient Egypt. M: We are 1 year in and we are the “team, “ with an exception to my boyfriend Danny. He helps out so much he is always running to the garment center for me, picking up production, dropping off fabric, and is constantly going to the post office. He is actually on his way now to the factory. We also had an intern, last season and we are meeting with a new intern next week that will hopefully become part of the Shape Shiftr team! DIRTY: My first sight of SHAPE SHIFTR was the spiked military jacket seen on Nasty Gal. I found an interesting connection between the details and amazing shape with contemporary materials. While exploring accessorizing the well crafted garments do you find yourself referring to the schooling you earned in metals, Meaghan? Also, do you believe that in the process of going separate ways, you are now able to guide one another as well as learn from each other? How so? M&J: We stay true to our aesthetics and our designs and ourselves fuel off each other. We come up with a general idea, pick a color palette and then pick fabrics together. This is the thing about what we do. We don’t plan things; sometimes we don’t even see each other’s designs until the photo shoot. It’s nice to have two different perspectives on things. We both have two totally different personalities and training so it works well together. I think it would be boring if we were too much a like. M: Yeah totally, I am really into hard -wear and mixing soft with hard. We are going to be making some jewelry in an up coming season. I’m really attracted to silver. My fingers are always filled with a trillion rings and wrists draped in silver. DIRTY: How would you define yourselves as designers? M&J: I make things I want to wear. I’m into what I’m into. I don’t want to label myself. DIRTY: What would you like the public to associate with SHAPE SHIFTR when mentioned as a new label? M&J: I would like them to associate us with nice quality for the price. We try really hard to find the perfect fabrication for each piece and keep the price down and stay true to our selves. DIRTY: Can you tell me any future plans that SHAPE SHIFTR is in the process of creating? M&J: We have been thinking about doing a small jewelry line for next season, we would also like to start designing our own textiles for the line. There is so much going on right now with Shape Shiftr. You will be seeing a lot for of us in the near future. A lot of people have been reaching out to us. We will not be opening a store any time soon, but there are many new stores that are opening that have picked up Shape Shiftr as a brand. Right now is one step at a time. DIRTY: What were some of the challenges you faced with establishing the brand? M&J: I think putting ourselves out there was the first challenge, but it was the hardest on us financially especially in this economy. We were forced to make smart decisions; we wanted to reach our customer while still being innovative. I think what really worked for us establishing the brand was having a strong concept, a core vision and the drive to move forward. Something to stand behind. We are just lucky we have so many supporters that have really been there for us. The biggest challenge still now is time and money. DIRTY: In 10 years, what are the accomplishments you would like to have made within the brand and expanding? M&J: We want to keep exploring new ideas; we’re never really satisfied with what we do. I think its good to be that way. I want to keep being inspired by new things… always moving forward.
