Ten Minutes with Designer Stephen Burrows

Photo courtesy of Style.com

Although he’s known for his sure hand with color, for his spring/summer 09 collection, award-winning designer Stephen Burrows demonstrates that he also works wonders in white. Dotted swiss goes sexy with a clavicle-framing neckline and amped-up dots, while an airy sundress is cleverly nipped in by a sculpted obi. What I love most about this collection is the way Stephen takes the “looks of the season” and tweaks them into something completely unexpected, like the jumpsuit that manages to riff on both kimonos and 1940s chic at the same time. And not to worry, the master of matte jersey (who proves comfort and couture don’t have to be mutually exclusive!) hasn’t abandoned color entirely. A sherbet-colored kaleidoscopic print, for example, makes appearances as an entrance-making, obi-sashed gown before reappearing as a flirty skirt and ultra mod tunic. Keep reading to learn more about this master who for forty years has dressed such stylistas as Diana Ross, Heidi Klum, Gabrielle Union, and Taylor Swift–not to mention Mick Jagger and Jimi Hendrix! (All photos courtesy of Stephen Burrows.)

Oligoville: Tell us about your brand and how it is different from your competition.

Stephen Burrows: My brand is something that has evolved over the last 30 years. The aesthetic is colorful, body conscious and comfortable, and is designed to appeal to a diverse cross section of women. What sets me apart from many of my competitors is my extensive knowledge of how to achieve a very special fit in all fabrics, but most expertly in matte jersey. What also sets my brand apart is my direct involvement in every aspect of the design process, from fabric and trim sourcing, to the actual pattern-making and draping.

Photo courtesy of Style.com

Oligoville: How did your career or interest in design begin?

Stephen: Both my grandmothers–maternal and paternal–were sample-hands at Hattie Carnegie. They both sewed at home, and so I would see them working with the fabrics that were popular at the time. When I was eight years old, I had a little girlfriend who lived upstairs in the house I was living in. I wanted to make her a birthday present so my grandmother helped me make a dress for her doll. I had no interest in sewing, but that was my first experience actually designing something and I really liked it. I grew up wanting to be an art teacher but being around my grandmothers exposed me to this medium of expression, and, well, I guess it really resonated!

Oligoville: Whom or what inspires your designs?

Stephen: I find inspiration everywhere–from the human body to what people are wearing on the street to whatever current events are swirling around the world at the time – everything affects the way I design.

Oligoville: Describe a typical day for you.

Stephen: Awake at 5am, check my email and what’s happening on style.com, listen to the news and the weather, head into the office where I have breakfast while reading the newspaper, and then it’s time to take care of whatever needs to be taken care of for the day to work toward completion of the season’s line! To that end, sometimes I’m sketching, or “spec-ing,” or meeting with fabric agents, reviewing swatches, working on patterns, and sometimes I’m even being interviewed! I have lunch at midday and then it’s back to more of the same. When the day ends I head home to relax unless I have a fashion event to attend in the evening. Being a member of the CFDA [Council of Fashion Designers of America], I get invited to a lot of events though I’m just not that into black tie affairs.

Photo courtesy of Style.com

Oligoville: Describe your fashion style.

Stephen: I think I answered that in question one, although I might add that I have always been attracted to bright colors, the mixing of bright colors through color blocking, and exploring the limitations of matte jersey and what innovative ways I can come up with to bend those limitations.

Oligoville: Tell us about some unexpected setbacks you have faced since starting your business and what you learned from them.

Stephen: My brand is a relatively small business, and I’ve found that in running a small business, cash flow becomes extremely important–the expenditure of each dime becomes more crucial than if you’re a big name with a little more freedom for maneuvering. The biggest challenge I face on a seasonal (if not daily) basis is that of being cost efficient, and to achieve that, I work extremely hard with a small but dedicated staff to achieve all the same tasks that are accomplished by much larger teams at other design houses. Another challenge that has arisen over the past four or five years lies in building and maintaining relationships with retailers–how to get them into my showroom just to see the product. I’m still learning the best way to tackle that particular issue and, as always, it’s a process.

Oligoville: What has been the most rewarding part of your career?

Stephen: I have been so blessed to find success in this career. I am so thankful for the ability to make a living from doing something I absolutely love–to earn money from expressing myself. Also to have met all the amazing people I have, and see the places I have seen by traveling the world for my work, not to mention having been recognized by my peers for my accomplishments. It has been an honor and a true source of pride to be awarded with three Cotys and a CFDA tribute.

Photo by Paul Van Ravenstein

Oligoville: Tell us where you expect to see your business in the next five years and what are some goals that you have for your brand.

Stephen: If I could answer that question I would be psychic!  (And believe me, I wish I was!) In this economy and in this business, the first objective is to maintain a business that grows at a steady rate. Besides that, expansion is certainly on my mind, possibly into shoes and bags, and possibly to open some freestanding stores.

Oligoville: What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Stephen: Do you mean specifically for fashion entrepreneurs or for entrepreneurs in general? The best advice I could give anyone hoping to build a business on something they do creatively is to learn the business side first. Being creative is one thing, but knowing how to operate a business is another. The realization of how commercial needs must be met within your own artistic vision is absolutely necessary in order to be successful and have a healthy business in this age.

Oligoville: What song never fails to make you happy?

Stephen: “Up the Ladder to the Roof” by The Supremes, after Diana Ross had left the group. Always gets me going!

Photo by Charles Tracy