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| Alex Vaz and Alex 2tone - True Love & False Idols |
Alex Vaz and Alex 2tone first met on the LA club scene year ago, and did not get along. At all. In fact, they admit that they actually hated each other and ran in different circles. But when the two ended up as freelance designers at Howe Denim in Los Angeles, they had no choice but to work together, and the former enemies became friends and later, business partners. Alex 2tone designs the clothing for “True Love & False Idols,” while more ‘behind the scenes” business-oriented work is handled by Vaz, who has a degree in business and fashion and has freelanced at many fashion companies including Fred Segal before starting his own label, “True Love & False Idols" with 2tone. “True Love and False Idols”(http://www.trueloveandfalseidols.com/ ) is an artist-owned art and design driven collective in which the clothing’s basic philosophy is to enjoy life and have fun. The Alexs' plan to experiment with a women’s clothing line in the near future.
Sessions.edu’s Advisory Board Member Jolene Spry talks with Alex Vaz.
Q: You recently started your own label, "True Love & False Idols.” How long ago was that and how has business been?
Alex: We are about a year in now. Business has been great. We've grown so much in this first year. I look forward to us growing more and more as a brand every season.
Q: Do you design everything yourself?
Alex: My partner, Alex 2tone, does all the artwork and I design the bodies and help merchandise the line, which means spreading the artwork around to different garments. Everything we do is pretty much a team effort.
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T-shirts |
Q: What separates your line from everyone else’s out there?
Alex: It's fresh, innovative and new, we aren't really trying to follow any trends, just doing what we want. We aren't following a certain look or style, our stuff is all over the place. Our attention to detail is through the roof, we spend a lot of time designing these garments and you can tell that when you wear one.
Q: Where does the name, "True Love & False Idols" come from?
Alex: I wanted to call the company True Love and my partner wanted to call it False Idols, so we combined it. I've always believed that everyone is really searching for that one true love in their life, and what I'm doing here with this company is mine, hence the True Love. The False Idols part is about the world being full of things that people worship in a sense that really at the end of the day don't mean anything.
Q: Do you plan on branching out into women's clothing?
Alex: Our women's line comes out in January 07. it's a small offering to see if women will take to what we're doing.
Q: Where did you get your start in fashion?
Alex: I started at Paul Frank as an intern and worked my way up over the years.
Q: From where do you draw your inspiration?
Alex: I draw inspiration from high fashion, I look to the big designers of the world and try to interpret what they're doing at our level.
Q: Are there any other designers who inspire you?
Alex: John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, D & G, and Nigo the creator of “A Bathing Ape.”
Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
Alex: Not having set hours, being able to do whatever I want whenever I want and having every day be different from the next.
Q: Do you produce the clothing yourself?
Alex: We manufacture here in LA most of our goods, I run the production, but I'm not there sewing it myself.
Q: Some pretty big names have been spotted wearing your clothes. Is it exciting when you see that?
Alex: Yeah it's great to see that people are taking note of what we're doing. Turning on the TV and seeing someone wearing your clothing is a really great feeling. I even get stoked to see some random person I don't even know wearing it out and about.
Q: Who are some of the big-named people rocking “True Love & False Idols?”
Alex: Ryan Seacrest, Hayden Christianson, Jeremy Piven, Mike Shenoda from Linkin Park, Sugar Ray Leanord, Sean Paul, Arrested Development, Billy Morrison from the Cult, Carlos Mencia, Chingy, Chuck Lidell, DJ Scribble, Fort Minor, Papa Roach, Stephen Coletti, Tre Hardson, Sal Masakala, Everytime I Die, Eighteen Visions and Killswtich Engage.
Q: What kind of doors has owning your line opened up for you?
Alex: The biggest door is the freedom to do whatever I want and not have to answer to anyone. I like that more than anything.
Q: Does all that freedom mean you get to you travel more now?
Alex: I wish I could say I do, but I'm usually working, I am planning some trips in the near future though.
Q: What is a typical day like for you?
Alex: Once I get to the office I check my emails and then start dealing with whatever has to be done that day, whether it be designing, press checks, dealing with shipping, reviewing orders, going to the dye house, meeting with fabric vendors, checking on fits, and anything else you can think of.
Q: What else do you like to do when you're not designing?
Alex: I love to go to punk, hardcore and metal shows, I've been going since I was 15 and haven't stopped in the past 15 years. Also I love going out to eat, Indian food and Korean BBQ are 2 of my faves.
Q: If you didn't have your own line what would you be doing?
Alex: Doing private label designing for some of the bigger stores in the U.S.
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