Henry kerns Q&A with

Q: Let’s start at the beginning. How did you get to having your own brand?

A: I’ve always been interested in clothes but I didn’t think I’d be designing them. Actually, when I studied abroad in London, I saw all of these small pop up shops with indie designs in the storefront and I thought, ‘Oh, I could definitely do that too,’ and that is how I got started in fashion.

Q: So, who do you look up to in the design or fashion industry? Is there anyone that inspires you?

A: Some of my favorites have to be Marigela, Alexander McQueen, and Thom Browne – he keeps the ‘Notre Dame’ aesthetic in his work – and I also get a lot of inspiration from my friends or seeing people in the streets in New York. I draw inspiration from people that aren’t in fashion, too. People love dressing to impress here.

Q: Speaking of inspiration, how did you find your own brand, what makes you unique?

A: I’m trying to create clothes from scratch, and go back to the artisanal way of making clothes. A lot of people are manufacturing, which is great, and I manufacture things if I can’t make them here efficiently. But it feels good to make hoodies and pants from scratch and put them with manufactured pieces in a collection. I’m trying to, you know, be unique in that way. I’m also playing around with trying to blend formal and casual. I feel like a lot of people wear streetwear stuff, and then there’s like, the whole different group of people that only wear formal, and I feel like there’s a crossover between those that a lot of companies don’t necessarily do right now. I want to wear stuff out with my friends and also go to formal events, so I am trying to find that balance.

Q: If you’re making everything from scratch, does that affect what you can produce?

A: This is the first season I have tried to make everything from scratch. It’s definitely exhausting but really rewarding to have a well finished piece right away. I want to keep doing it this way. Ithink people will see that it’s a hand made piece and will value that more than just a screen-printed tshirt, that it took time.

Q:How does the sewing process go?

A: Learning to sew takes a lot of time and effort, and I don’t think a lot of people are willing to learn and do that. I have a setup in my studio now and I can make pretty much anything there. A lot of people want to go back to the roots and learn how to make clothes from scratch.

Q:How does the sewing process go?

A: I’m really happy with how everything looks... I’ve been making a lot of hoodies, been making pants, jackets, and I’m partnering with a friend who has a factory in Ecuador, they are making me some belts and jackets. Everyday, I’m really seeing what I can add and put on my site. A lot of the things are “1/1” pieces, so it might look like there’s a lot on there, but the pieces are one of a kind, so it is kind of an experiment to see how that goes. Buying in bulk with manufacturing means you commit to at least fifty of that piece, so I would only release like three pieces, but doing it this way making one of a kind I can do a lot more looks. I can do as many styles as I want!

Q:Where do you see yourself going in the next couple of years?

A: I want to still be working in New York. I still want my own label. And I would like to be in a fashion house working on a team. I’m working on design with Reebok right now, but it is like working two jobs! I would love to just be self-sufficient and run my own label, bring my work to fashion week, or have a show somewhere. I think that process is super fun.

Henry’s work can be found on his website, www.henrykerns.com.