Ten Minutes with Sylvia Toth of WARMI

Snow is pretty and all that, but heading out the door every day looking like the little brother in A Christmas Story gets old way before Valentine’s Day. Leave it to a part-time Parisian to come up with WARMI, a cheeky line of knitwear that’ll make you actually relish the thought of six more weeks of winter. Handcrafted by Colombian artisans, Sylvia Toth’s knitwear is sophisticated with a sly sense of humor to boot. For proof, peep the over-sized rosettes of the Audrey collar or the folkloric feline on the Jaguar sweater dress. Read on to learn more about this designer for whom creativity is in the genes.

Oligoville: In five words or less, WARMI is. . .

Sylvia: Clothing with extra spirit.

Oligoville: How would you describe your ideal customer?

Sylvia: Feminine with a twist. A clothing lover but not a fashion victim.

Oligoville: How’d you end up as a designer?

Sylvia: I grew up in a very creative environment. Two of my uncles are architects as is my mother. My cousins work in industrial design or are artists. For me it was an evident that I would work in creation. From a very young age I knew I would be a product or graphic designer. Fashion design came a bit later, during my studies of industrial design. I found out clothes were the strongest way for me to express [myself].

Oligoville: What are your predictions for fashion in 2010?

Sylvia: I think fashion will be full of paradoxes: Strong and radical proposals along with (boring) basics, fast fashion vs. slow wear. A mismatch of colors and textures but also a liking for discretion. Fashion will be more than ever the reflection of our time.

Oligoville: Who and/or what inspires you?

Oligoville: The popular culture in Latin America, films from the beginning of the 20th century, contemporary architecture, illustrations from the Middle Ages. Depending on my moods, everything is a potential source of inspiration.

Oligoville: What’s 24 hours like in your life?

Sylvia: Lately, my days seem to have 25 hours! I work a lot and don’t get much sleep!

Oligoville: What’s in your closet? What are you wearing right now?

Sylvia: My closet is full of WARMI  prototypes; I wear and test all my collections. I also have some Comme des Garcons or Tsumori Chisato and to go with all that a big collection of shoes!
I just came back from the FW10 Look Book shooting. I am very relaxed wearing a Caleçon Fausta in Ocre from my newest collection, a V cashmere sweater and a pair of vintage silver Reeboks.

Oligoville: What’s in your bag right now?

Sylvia: My iPhone, a sketching notebook, a multicolor pen, an embroidery needle, and a bunch of thread.

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

Sylvia: There can be a lot of unexpected setbacks when doing this business: Your entire collection stuck in customs the day before a show, having the worst and only rainy day of the summer when your are shooting your SS collection. I’ve learned to back up and relax. If there’s no solution, which there usually is, I wait for the day to pass. Things go back to normal sooner than you think (even if it is easier to say it than to do it)!

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

Sylvia: Seeing your clothes worn by people in the streets.

Oligoville: Tell us where you expect to see your business in the next five years.

Sylvia: I expect to have a WARMI store in Paris and probably another in Bogota, obtain a fair trade certification for the artisanal process in Colombia, and build up a bigger team of artisans in Tausa as well as in the studio in Paris.

Oligoville: Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Sylvia: Go step by step and always believe.

Oligoville: What’s on your playlist right now?

Sylvia: Benjamin Biolay’s La suberbe and M – Mister Mystère. I’m in a very frenchy mood this week.

Oligoville: Any last words?

Sylvia: Thanks Oligoville!