Ten Minutes with Zula Khramov

Let’s face it: sometimes a girl just wants to feel like a girl. Thanks to the body-conscious cut of  Zula Studio’s romantic dresses and separates, a woman can be girly without looking at all girlish. Using a variety of tailoring techniques—draping, bias-cuts, three-dimensional appliques—Zula Khramov has created a line that is equal parts contemporary chic and vintage va-va-voom. Read on to learn more about this Lucky magazine favorite.

Oligoville: Fill in the blanks: In five words or less, Zula Studio is . . .

Zula: Smart, Sexy, Sophisticated and Unique

Oligoville: How would you describe your ideal customer?

Zula:  I design for the artistic minded person who appreciates an old-fashioned approach to technique and loves the handmade, vintage  feeling of the clothes, but at the same time doesn’t just hide her body under the clothes but celebrates the beauty of it through them in a sophisticated and intelligent way.

Oligoville: How’d you end up a designer?

Zula: I guess, creativity is too hard ignore, especially if it is backed up with education and experience. This is what I have done ever since I made the first dress for my doll.

Oligoville: How/when did you launch your brand?

Zula: ZulaStudio is three years old. It took off after winning the Fresh Faces in Fashion Miami’07 in the  competition for emerging designers for GenArt.

Oligoville: It looks like you used a lot of satin in the fall/winter collection.

Zula: Silk charmeuse in jeweled colors is the kind of fabric that brings an instant glamour to the garment. Shimmering and liquid, it has a fantastic quality to pick up the mood. There is no need to look all gloomy during recession. And if recession shopping means buying fewer pieces, then it is better for it to be a special. unique item rather than something basic.

Oligoville: Who and/or what inspires you?

Zula: The beautiful thing about inspiration is that you never know where and when it comes to you. It can be anything at all.

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

Zula: My 24 hours don’t differ much from any other working mom routine, just may be a bit more fashionable.

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

Zula: I am wearing my favorite pieces from the Organic Spring/Summer collection. Now I am in my basic black shorts paired with organic petal top and some really ba-a-d platforms.

Oligoville: What’s in your bag right now?

Zula: Moisturizer by Clinique, Coco Mademoiselle, and some lip gloss in a nude color, aside from fabric swatches, phone numbers, and other junk.

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

Zula: I have learned that this business involves much more than just a creative mind. I am still learning about every other aspect of it. The main thin is that, if you want to get established, you have to deliver quality at every level, and it will pay off.

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

Zula: The most rewarding part is my client’s approval, of course. That’s why I like sample sales; you get feedback that makes you feel pretty confident about your work. Also, it’s great when people you don’t know and have never met speak highly about what you do. It makes you want to go on.

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

Zula: There is no way of knowing what tomorow brings, so I am not planning that far.

Oligoville: Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Zula: Learn your craft, work hard, love what you do. And hope for better.

Oligoville: What’s on your playlist right now?

Zula: Aerosmith, Steven Tyler, old good stuff.

Oligoville: Any last words?

Zula: Love is all we need…

Sexy Steel Couture

“Steel Couture is what happens when rigid metals are manipulated to create soft and feminine shapes.”

Every girl loves jewelry—especially draping gold necklaces, dangling mixed-media earrings, and chain belts. Steel Couture brings together unique design and a fresh perspective on the traditional.

For over ten years jewelry designer Lisa Fortin has been designing jewelry for the crème de la crème of New York City. From costume designing to knitting, Lisa is constantly exploring different forms of design. Her pieces have been featured in Daily Candy, Lucky, and Nylon. Her and her husband recently expanded the Steel Couture brand in Brooklyn, New York to include belts, watches, and an entire men’s collection.

We adore The Lariat necklace—a braided mix of leather, metal, rubber, lace, gauze, silk and chain. It totally screams sexy cowgirl … yee haw!