Meet Todd Oldham, Style`s cover designer, whose spring show last week in a loft-like building in New York was one of the hottest tickets in town.
– Among the 1,200 or so in the audience: Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins;
Spike Lee (Oldham designs for his Lee`s sister, Joie Lee); Vanessa Williams
(she`s a pal and he designs for her, too, especially for her upcoming video work); Lady Miss Kier and Dimitri of Deee-Lite; Bryan Ferry and David Byrne.
– Known for: His unique prints that he designs; quality of workmanship and handwork (all jackets and pants are lined in silk, sometimes in matching prints, sometimes in a pattern totally different than outside prints; most of the beading, another signature, is done by hand and he`s especially proud of a beaded dress that has sequins stacked sideways); his wit and sense of humor;
his individuality as a designer and as a person.
– Spring show theme: State Fairs, thus striped barker suits, 4-H queen dresses (lots of patchwork), tattoo lady and roller coaster prints, ”fun house” suits.
– Introducing for spring: First line of jewelry (big butterfuly pins and buckles, dangly beaded earrings, chain belts and more); also, bags and belts. – In business: Has worked under his own name for four years.
– Price range: From $100 to $6,000, most suits under $1,000; Times Seven, secondary line of shirts and special pieces, generally in the $100-ish area.
– With honors: February `92, awarded Council of Fashion Designers of America special award for New Fashion Talent.
– Roots: Born in Texas, 31-year-old Oldham still travels between Corpus Christi and New York; works and lives in both places.
– Family ties: Family, especially Mom and brother, Brad, very involved in his work and his world.
– Special interest: PAWS (Pets are Wonderful Support) for people with AIDS.
– Hippie hiatus: Where was he in the `70s, the period now idolized by young designers? ”I was 12 or 13, in the Middle East, mostly Iran. My father was in computers, so we traveled a lot. I didn`t get the American dose of the `70s. I got a Middle Eastern strangeness, mostly my sense of color.”
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– His vision, philosophy: ”The spring collection is celebratory. I adore women and I like to do happy, sexy clothes for women who are in control of their lives.”