Interview with Mandy Caruso
If you have frequented the Tumblr Gothic fashion blogs within the past few years there is a very good chance you have come across the young designer that I’m interviewing today. Mandy Caruso is a recent graduate of Parsons the New School of Design in NYC. Her Tim Burton inspired senior thesis collection titled Phantasmagoria has piqued the interest of many Gothic bloggers and dark fashion fans. While the nod to Tim Burton’s signature look is obvious in her collection she still manages to make the inspiration very much her own.
Since she has just made it through a highly competitive design school and is now taking on the NYC costume design community I wanted to hear her thoughts about being an alternative designer in the normal fashion world. I also wanted to see if she had any advice for other designers hoping to begin their own design careers.
(Zellain) You’re a recent fashion design graduate from Parsons in NYC. Quite a few of your design projects have made the rounds on the Gothic fashion blogs on Tumblr. Is it more strange or gratifying to see your school projects recognized in that way?
(Mandy Caruso) It is so incredibly rewarding to see my work being shared and appreciated by all different kinds of people all around the world. When I look at any picture of a look I created right there on someone’s blog, I recall all of the hard work, long nights, self-doubt and conviction that were necessary to bring that vision to life. I truly pour my heart into my designs and when they’re done they’re like my odd little babies- like any parent I am so proud when my humble creations bring joy or inspiration to others. It’s more gratifying for sure- my senior thesis, though popular with students and adored by my professors and models, was pretty much ignored by the school when the time came for the board to select senior collections to feature in the fancy benefit and school fashion show (but it’s to be expected when you offer a collection full of poodles and eyeballs and dripping black party dresses to a university that has long since exalted the minimalist, utilitarian version of avant garde). But the fact that my thesis found welcoming acceptance in the Tumblr fashion community solidified that I made this collection to express myself, to help get me a job and to share with people like me who love creativity and fashion, not for an institution’s established image or politics. I’m happy I stayed true to myself and the positive online reception has been a reminder to always do so.
(Z)How would you describe your design style? Do you feel like your time at Parsons helped you refine it?
(MC) My professors at Parsons absolutely helped me refine and really discover my design style. I still don’t know quite what to call it, but I know that what has always been and probably will always be the root of my design is juxtaposition, putting opposing themes together to make a new statement that challenges preconceived notions. Sometimes the effect is humorous, sometimes it’s a social statement, and sometimes it’s just an experiment in finding beauty, but believe you me, it took a lot of time for me to find my key to designing well. I remember the first assignment in the fashion design program was to design a dress collection inspired by our nationality. I am mostly Italian, so I immediately thought about Italian horror movies of the 70’s and mixing that with fun party frocks- promising inspiration, right? I look at that collection now and cringe at a schlocky, restrained bunch of cheap looking dresses I wouldn’t put my worst enemy in. Of course I thought it was fierce shit and “sooo me” at the time, but this is just a testament to my growth during Parsons; you are given so much work that consumes so much of your life for 4 years that you have no choice but to practice, and when you practice you become better and when you become better you become more confident and confidence is the key to exploring your full potential and abilities. I was encouraged to evolve, grow and refine, never become someone entirely different.
(Z) Do you feel your design style “fit in” at Parsons? What advice do you have for other potential students with a similar style?
(MC) Not at all, but that was never a problem! I just didn’t spend time worrying what other people were doing or what was cool or what other students might personally think of my style- luckily I got all of that crap out of my system by the end of high school. Instead I listened to my teachers’ critiques and encouragement to commit and not water my stuff down and I never let myself compromise my aesthetic to align with the “Parsons aesthetic”. Designers like me will always ultimately be our own reason for why we do not fit in, but that does not have to mean we are misfits. I found great support from my peers and teachers regardless of their personal tastes and styles; I think being kind, engaging and helpful to everyone and being humble in yourself is the key to getting peoples’ support no matter how they personally respond to your designs. If you find you have a design aesthetic that cannot help but stand out, you have the gift of seeing things ahead of the curve and if you feed that gift with bravery and conviction, you will be all the more successful and respected. You simply cannot worry about how you compare to the others because you are not meant to be like the others.
(Z) What is the strangest place you have gotten inspiration from for a design?
(MC) I mostly get inspiration from my imagination involuntarily warping how I see reality, and the result is often pretty strange but also pretty morbidly funny. Last night I was watching that show “Toddlers and Tiaras” and as this little girl was on stage posing like Barbie and smiling like The Joker, I just imagined the camera zooming into her mind where we see this epic “Carrie” montage: the little girl suddenly snaps and locks all the doors and starts an electrical fire with her telepathy and watches everyone burn for what they’ve done to childhood. And then we zoom back to reality and she’s smiling and posing for the judges! I immediately pulled out my sketchbook and began designing these sparkly, bedazzled, frilly, voluminous and just totally burnt up, annihilated, completely flame-eaten mini party dresses sparked by this hilariously messed up fantasy. It’s totally cute!
(Z) What does the future hold for you after school?
(MC) During my senior year I realized that what I wanted to ultimately do in life was costume design for film. So immediately after graduation I began interning for a costume designer on an indie film, then interned in the costume department for a hit off-Broadway show. Through interning I realized in the costume field you have to work your way from the bottom up: it is about on-set experience and networking more than just a college degree to get your foot in the door and a paycheck in your hand. I was lucky to get an assistant position for a fabulous vintage-inspired fashion designer which is where I am now. Hopefully within the year I will be in a financial position where I can resume interning for costume designers on films and then establish a paid costume design position on a film!
(Z) Who would you love to work with and what is your dream project?
(MC) My queen, without a doubt, is Colleen Atwood, who designs the costumes for many Tim Burton movies. I admire her because you can tell she is an artist first and a designer closely second; she grasps the nuances of characters and can translate their personality and history into a three dimensional garment, which is the mark of an excellent costume designer. I see myself as someone with a similar approach to design, so she inspires me to work hard because there is a place for me to find success in that world if I do not give up. My absolute dream project since I was 9 years old has been to work with Colleen Atwood doing costumes on a Tim Burton film… if I survived the heart attack I’d most definitely get from the pure shock and joy of it, that is. An even DREAMIER project would be to BE the costume designer for a Tim Burton film, but that man is more faithful to Colleen than a golden retriever is to a damn Frisbee, but who knows what the future may bring? It’s still my biggest dream to say the least but I would never rule out something just because it started as dream- dreams have done more for my reality than reality has, after all!
P.S. If you would like to contact Mandy Caruso about doing commission design or styling work for you then email her [email protected]. You can visit Mandy’s Etsy store to pick up t-shirts and accessories she creates. Follow her on Tumblr under the name Beautilation to keep up to date on her recent sketches, design work and styling.
P.P.S. The gallery below has a few more images from her thesis collection and other design projects.
