Entrepreneur Portrait: Pierre Mendy, Fashion Designer
Born in Rouen, France, Pierre Mendy is a fashion designer whose original pieces have graced runways in New York, London, and Paris. He has designed for such powerful houses as Vivienne Westwood and Ralph Lauren.Pierre gained his initial fashion training through the Institut Superieur de la Mode and at the Albert de Mun Technical College, both in Paris. He now works for his own labels for men and women in New York and Paris.New York International: Tell us a bit about what you do. Pierre Mendy: I’m a fashion designer for men, women, and children, with a background in Haute Couture and ready to wear. I’ve had the opportunity to work for some of the most talented design teams around, like Xuly Bët, Nicole Farhi, Isaac Mizrahi, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Levi’s, and the NBA among others. I’ve also been a costume designer for movies.Now I have decided it is time for me to fly on my own as an entrepreneur designer: I’m actually working on my own clothing lines for men and women. One will be based in Paris – that will be upscale – and the other one in NYC will be sportswear.NY Intl: When did you first come to the U.S. and what made you move?
Pierre: My family’s from Normandy, but I studied in Paris. It was a big trip! I studied there – sometimes I was one of only two men in a class of 28 – but it felt good, like I was going to make it. Then I went to England and in Liverpool I interned with Bella Freud, the great-granddaughter of Sigmund Freud. That’s where I picked up all the jargon and technical language. It was also in England that I worked for Vivienne Westwood.I first came in the U.S. in 1999 and decided that after I’d worked in Paris and London for a couple years, I’d come back to work in NYC as a fashion designer. The real reason behind my move to NYC is the marketing factor; Paris has the elegance factor and le savoir –faire, and London has the eccentricity. I just wanted to get these three factors together before flying out on my own.Why New York? What about the industry here is different, and how does it compare to Paris?It’s simple. It’s a very cosmopolitan and open minded city full of opportunities. The industry is quite different from Paris - everybody has a chance to shine, starting from the bottom up, and if you’re willing to learn you can become great in your field and realize your own American dream.NY Intl: What do you think of life in New York? What are the challenges for an international here?Pierre: Life in NYC is great if you know how to "mix it" by going out and meeting people from all walks of life, and being open to other cultures. The main challenges as an international are to become integrated and have a stable social and professional life. You need to be able to say to yourself, “all my sacrifices are not in vain.” Everybody’s looking for a better life. The best thing about living in NYC is the constant change of people and the constant opportunities offered to you; the way people dare to try, never give up, and the optimistic spirit of this city.NY Intl: How would you describe your style? What inspires it?Pierre: My style is a mix of elegance and originality. The inspiration behind my designs is huge: different cultures, music, painting, social movements, and art history. I study history and culture and even just seeing paintings gives me inspiration. Take the Renaissance – seeing a Renaissance painting gets me thinking. Big historical changes always mean changes in fashion. Social movements affect clothes. Things like women dropping corsets, having shorter skirts, even wearing pants, all comes from historical events. For instance, you know the princess in Star Wars?Princess Leia?Her hair - it’s actually a style that came to France when the English were fighting them. Knights came over and brought their wives and that style got picked up by French women. So, I can be inspired by culture - even now social activism can give ideas for t-shirt designs, for logos, to support causes and change.
NY Intl: How did you get into design in the beginning?Pierre: I got into design because of my mother who used to sew at home. I come from a big family and sometimes my mother would make clothes, even for herself, and a lot of the time she’d repair ours. I grew up learning discipline and liking to see people be well dressed. As a teenager I bought my own sewing machine and started to make my own clothes. Though, when I moved to London my mother ended up using the machine much more than I did. It’s mine, but she uses it. It’s so old now!NY Intl: So what's hot right now in New York?Pierre: For fashionistas right now it’s to wear a two tone jacket, dresses or skirts with a pleated crease, and lace or tribal print details for going out at night.How about next year's fashion trends?The new trends for next year will be futuristic nature, monochromatic prints and baroque. Emerald green will be the star color, and some pastels and browns can already be seen this winter. White is present to refresh all graphics.NY Intl: Who's your favorite New York born designer?Pierre: For a New York born designer I would say Ralph Lauren because he is a great businessman. He understands branding. He has different labels – Black Label, Rugby – being sold from different stores, and there’s a lifestyle that goes with them. What makes his business side so good is his grasp of socioeconomics. Different people have different incomes and ways of living, and Ralph Lauren understands that and reflects it in his clothing sizes and cost. He mixes style and the image it has with the key – the socioeconomics. People dream to succeed and his different brands match that.NY Intl: How have you found the community here in the city?Pierre: New York is a microcosm of the world, a place where you can meet people from mixed backgrounds. I have friends whose parents are Latino and Irish and grandparents of Afro- American and Asian backgrounds ... I love this melting pot. The fashion industry is almost as mixed as the society.Any advice for people wanting to get into the NYC fashion industry?In order to succeed you need to have money. Talent alone doesn’t always pay off. You need good public relations, meaning if you get a chance to be published in the American Vogue, and sell a million copies a month, or get an article in The New York Times, the most famous newspaper in the world, it’s a very good beginning. Then it's up to you to stay at the top.