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Q1 Could you tell us about the projects that you are working on right now?
Currently I am working on the Fall 2007 "The Greenwich Village Story" a collection inspired by the 1963 film about the birthplace of Hootenanny... A mix of country & western details meets beatnik & cowpunk style. We will also be launching 5EP Women's collection which includes custom Stretch selvage jeans with details borrowed from Men's, but Fit a lady how a jean should. In addition, key styles include the "Kick Back Chino" a low slung chino with a boot cut leg, a duster coat in Denim & Stretch Velvet, as well as vintage inspired Knits & blouses, and all the "easy pieces" to complete the 5EP Woman's wardrobe.
For 5EP Mens, we will continue to offer our vintage inspired chinos in old time cottons, and a full range of shirts in Antique yarn dyes, workwear inspired outerwear, old time henleys in custom knitted Indigo ribbed jersey. And an expended selection of 5EP jeans will be offered in a wide range of fabric, finishes, and fits for both Mens and Womens.
The story is set in New York City in 1963 when Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan were making music in Greenwich Village...a mix of country, folk, and rock. I was also inspired by the photographs by Robert Otter. By chance, I met his son Ned selling his fathers photos of Greenwich Village from 1960-1967 I stopped dead in my tracks...His black and white images are amazing (www.robertotter.com).
Our new campaign is based on Bob Dylan's album "The Freewheelin" which ironically photographed in front of the building I currently live in 1963 (the year of my birth). The collection is what I call a Country Western, Rock-a-billy, Beatnik, Cow Punk style. It also is homage to the 80's Rock-a-Billy scene in NYC when I used to go to "Heartbreaks" a truck stop diner by day and night club on Sunday's (now Culture Club on Varick Street). |
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We would hang at the Peppermint Lounge, Danceteria, The Cat Club, and the Holiday Cocktail Lounge on St. Marks Place. We wore jeans with big turn ups (cuffed), Katy K crinoline petticoats (www.katyk.com), English creeper (shoes) and listened to the Cramps (Goo Goo Muck), Stray Cats (Runaway Boys), Robert Gordon (Black Slacks) and the Clash (Brand New Cadillac).
This season we will launch 5EP Womens. It came out of my own need to wear our jeans. There aren't many selvage jeans out there for womens and basically women prefer stretch (comfort). We have develop the first ever Japanese Stretch Selvage Denim with Kurabo Industries and will be shipping the first lots to stores in March 2007. In addition, we will offer all the other classification in sexy versions of vintage inspired knits, shirts, jackets, and chinos.
Q2 Why and how did you become designer?
I think it was literally in my "genes". My great grandmother came to America in the early 1900's and worked in the garment center as a seamstress. I had to wear a uniform to school and loved to get home and put on my jeans and we would go to Army & Navy stores and buy jeans, chinos, old military garb and then customize them. I like to say it was the time when "Old School" style was just called "school". It was in the early 70's and Levi's sponsored a design contest. |
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Q4 Could you tell us the process of working on your pieces?
I am on a constant quest to find interesting items rooted in Americana...an album, a book, a film.. I scour flea markets, vintage shops, and my own vintage collection. Sometimes I forgot what I have and its like finding treasure in your own backyard. I have even found great things on the street (New Yorkers love to throw away great stuff). I love searching through old books, photographs, vintage catalogs, E Bay, the internet, and even the NY Public Library which has a great picture section where you can see actual images of just about any subject (for free). |
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Films such as Five Easy Pieces, Cool Hand Luke, The Grapes of Wrath, The DeerHunter, and Sergio Leones films (Spaghetti Westerns) have all been influences on past mens collections. I like getting the movie stills and use them for not just the clothes, but also for color, and wash effects. I then research and develop fabrics that work into the concepts and build the line. I then start working on the actual pieces of the collection for fabric, fit, finish, the factory who will produce it and the fashion elements...I like to call this the 5 F's.
Q5 What do you feel is important when you are working on your pieces?
I think its is important to learn while designing the collection and use vintage pieces as my inspiration, I like to research the period of the piece, the functionality, the fabric origins, and the purpose of the design.
Q6 What do you think about the current fashion trend?
I am the wrong person to ask about trends. I prefer not to look at current trends and rely on an instinct about what direction the collection should go in. I also believe there is really no fashion, but rather its how a person puts themselves together that creates style. Style is individual and not a trend. Trends come and go. |
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Q10 Are there any places or countries you would like to visit?
I have been very fortunate in my career that I traveled extensively, I also make time on business trips to take in some of the culture, and in fact have given me a lot of the inspiration for the 5EP brand. My dream is to one day buy an old Airstream camper and travel around the USA and visit places like Yosemite Park, Santa Fe, and Utah. I would also like one day to go to Egypt with my son to see the Pyramids. This year we will visit Turkey. |
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Q11 Have you been to Japan? What do you think about Japanese fashion scene?
I have been to Japan two times and visited Osaka, Kyoto, Okayama, and Kojima where we produce 5EP jeans. I have never been to Tokyo and hope to go there one day. I loved Kyoto the best...the mix of old and new. The shops were great and I have some good friends who live there. I also loved Kiyomizudera ("Pure Water Temple") and seeing a Geisha in 7-11 convenience store...such a juxtaposition to me. I think the Japanese have a good sense of style and they have a better appreciation of American vintage and jeans. This is why we chose to produce 5EP jeans in Japan because the respect the art of jeans making and consider it an art. Sadly in USA there are very few factories left to make the jeans the old fashioned way. We are working on bringing back this art in America.
Q12 what do you think about NY?
I love New York City. It is my home, my energy, my life. I would never want to live anywhere else. I love traveling to different places, but home is New York City. I have lived on Greenwich Village for over 20 years and think it is the best place in NYC. It is a neighborhood and everyone knows each others name. |
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Q17 Favorite words or phrases
I have 5 Easy Phrases ( 5EP ) which I live by
DESTINO – Italian for destiny...we all have a destiny and you need to live it
COICENDANCE – There are none...everything has a purpose
SERENDIPITY - No fortunate discoveries are by accident.
KARMA – Your actions in life will determine your destiny
INTEGRITY – Be Whole, undivided, and complete in all you do |
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Q18 What is your goal?
To make clothes that people really like to wear and collect like vintage, be happy and healthy, continue to do what I love, and give back to those who are less fortunate. We are planning a limited edition jean (pink line) with proceeds going to the SamandRuby Charity (www.samandruby.com) to provide practical help to rebuild a school and help a community that was affected by the Tsunami disaster. In addition we are working with several other charities to help build water wells in Africa and another agency which provide operations for children with facial deformities.
Q19 Any message?
When you wake up each morning count your Blessings. We seem to think about our problems too much and need to remember how fortunate we are for all we have.
Less then is equal to greater then with five easy pieces. |
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5EP is founded on the idea that every person needs five easy, high quality, pieces (5EP) which make up the foundation of the wardrobe choices, and one of which is a great pair of jeans. Launched in Fall 2004, the line is the love child of veteran designer Christine Rucci and motorbike customizer Barry Tumer – who serves as muse and house model. Hank Williams definitely wasn't lamenting the lack of unadorned, art-fully crafted jeans when he wrote his 1950 country hit "Moanin the Blues." But that's exactly how Christine and her husband interpreted it one champagne fueled night six years ago. "It was New Years eve" recalls Rucci, a denim veteran for 25 years, "We were sitting around listening to the record, and the light bulb went off. I just saw the picture perfectly."
What she saw was the idea for 5EP (which stands for "Five Easy Pieces"), a denim label with an aesthetic so 1940s – classic that it would appeal to her bike-customizer Barry Tumer, Hank Williams (were he alive), and every soulful, meat-and-potatoes man from way back when, and that day forth.
The jeans are made from Japanese custom woven selvage and each jean is hand cut and individually sewn. Drawing on the duo's significant vintage & denim archives, 5EP's unadorned and tightly edited collection also includes antique yarn dye shirting's, dead stock chino cloths, and indigo knits. In their own warehouse filled with antique clothing and jeans, Rucci and Tumer take much of their inspiration from vintage clothes – the classic "Straight Down" zip-fly & the slightly "Low Down" boot-cut style; lap lines naturally grown by men who spent stretches of time in saddles; the unadorned back patch; and the "Dark Worn Wash" color of a pair of jeans when years of sweat and grease have taken their toll. |
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I did my first design...and even as a small child I would design my dolls jeans.
However, it was August 1981 and I bought my first W magazine and I saw the first Ralph Lauren Roughwear advertisements. I vowed on that day that I would become a designer and work for him one day. I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC and I did part-time odd jobs to get fashion industry experience. After two semesters , I had was offered an opportunity to go to Italy to work for a company called Genius Group. So I packed my bags and moved to Asolo, Italy...a small town about two hours from Venice. It was there I got my formal training in denim working with Adriano Goldschmied (Goldsign), Renzo Rosso (Diesel) and Claudio Buziol (Replay). I later went on to work with François Girbaud (who taught me about washing), Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfiger, and the rest is history. I was very fortunate to finally work for Ralph Lauren on the RRL line before launching 5EP in Fall 2004.
Q3 When do you usually get the inspiration for your works?
I get my inspiration from old books, music, vintage clothing and films. I also am a collector. |
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| I love old vintage clothing, vintage toys, old textiles and blankets, antique handbags, and my favorite is of all are jean Jackets...I have a huge collection which I keep at my warehouse. I like to study people in the street, talk to my friends and industry peers, and the valuable feedback from key retailers who carry 5EP brand in their stores. |
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Q7 Which stores carry your products in US and Japan?
Stores who carry 5EP are Oak in Brooklyn NY, Hollywood Trading Co and American Rag in L.A. Factory People in Austin Tx, to name a few and Ships in Japan. You can visit our website for more listings. We just signed with a great sales showroom in NY & L.A. and plan to grow the brand in the USA, Japan, and Europe (www.properfools.com). We kept the distribution small due to my belief that most people want what is hard to get. We are introducing a non selvage range (blue line) which will retail from $140-198 for Fall 2007. The Japanese selvage(red line) product will be made to order and limited to only high end specialty boutiques and some key department stores.
Q8 Which celebrities are wearing your products?
We have been very fortunate that we have had a lot of fans of 5EP including Paul McCartney, Darly Hall (Hall & Oats ), Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20), Jeff Gordon (NASCAR) to name a few. What makes it special is that they found the product on their own and it was natural.
I would like to state that I sometimes hate this question, because to me a celebrity does not make a brand...it's the product. I like to know that a customer found our jeans and liked them enough to buy them and not because someone famous is wearing them. |
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Q9 What do you do on your day off?
On my days off, I spend time with my husband and 4 year old son Owen (my real gene line). I love the fact that I can play with Hot Wheels cars, run around, and act like a child. I try to keep a good balance of family and work. It was one of my main objectives when I started 5EP was to balance work and family. We are lucky living in NYC as we can go to the beach or the country and it's close to home. |
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Q13 What is your favorite cuisine? Could you tell us your favorite restaurants?
I love Italian food the most, I also like cheeseburgers from Washington Square Diner near NYU and John's Pizza on Bleeker St. My favorite restaurants are in New York are Bar Pitti on 6th Avenue and Bleeker and Rialto on Elizabeth Steet in Nolita.
Q14 Could you tell us anything what you think it's cool at the moment?
Cool is up to the individual. What is cool for me, may not be cool for the next. I think it's cool to find you own personal style and stick with it. What I think is not cool is changing with the trends like lemmings.
Q15 Are there any people who inspired you? Who do you respect?
Ralph Lauren is the person who inspired me to become a designer. It was during my time working on RRL that I had the privilege of working directly with him and he taught me a lot both about design and business. He said you must always look backwards to be forward and that vintage inspiration is important, but it must fit a modern person of today. I admire that he came from a simple background and built a fashion empire. But what I respect the most about him, is that he never forgot his roots, keeps true to the image of his brand, and gives back with all his charitable work. He is a remarkable human being. |
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Q16 Do you like any other designer? Where do you shop?
Ralph Lauren is by far my favorite. I admire the works of designers like Martin Margiala, Jean Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld, and Rei Kawakubo. I generally hate shopping (except vintage). I do like Barney's, and specialty stores like Oak in Brooklyn, 45RPM in NY, APC, Agnes B, and prefer small boutiques which carry unusual items, books, and clothes. I also love UES Mfg from Japan for childrenswear. We are planning to launch Lil' 5EP next year for Kids. |
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