DORÉ

At the studio, we love to support emerging designers. Amid the commercialism and monotony that seem to be dominating the New York fashion scene, there are some exciting and innovative brands that are forging their own paths and inspiring us. When we stumble across one of them, we jump right on it. That’s why we were thrilled to have the opportunity to cover some of the nominees for the CFDA’s Emerging Designer of the Year award, Foundrae and Bode (who took home the honor at last night’s awards ceremony!). Both brands, and their respective founders, have a distinct voice and a unique point of view. In anticipation of the awards ceremony, we caught up with both of them to talk about inspiration and the industry right now.

Beth Bugdaycay (pictured above), founder and designer of Foundrae

What is your first memory of style or fashion?

Playing in my mother’s jewelry box and her jewelry drawers, and trying everything on. And also, in the back of her closet and she had this section that she didn’t really wear, that was for special occasions. She had these long maxi dresses from the early 70s with really bold prints on them… I’d say those two memories….

Can you tell us a bit about your career trajectory and how you got into jewelry?

I’ve always defined my personal style with my jewelry and it was always what I thought of first when I got dressed. First I was a CEO. I co-founded a company in fashion when I was twenty-three and I was a CEO for twenty years. But I needed a creative outlet, and so often I would buy vintage jewelry and repurpose it for myself. That really started the ball rolling in a more serious way and I got more and more interested in it.

So you’ve always been a jewelry a collector?

Yes, yes, yes.

How do you think your brand speaks to today’s modern woman? What do you think modern women today want to wear, and where do you fit in that?

Our customer can really create her own piece that memorializes the experiences and values that have built her life, and that fill her heart. With each medallion she adds, it’s not just about commemorating, but it’s also about pulling her forward and inspiring the next chapter.

What are the core principles that you founded the brand on when you first started?

Everything for me is about providing tools of self-expression and self-discovery. Every single piece of jewelry that we make is a real opportunity for a customer to reflect on what’s important in their life, and whether their living it.

Emily Bode (pictured below), founder and designer of BODE

What is your first memory of fashion or style?

My first memory of fashion affecting my life was, when I was a kid, we weren’t allowed to wear anything but our jumpers, our little vest-dresses. We’d be on the playground and it was freezing cold! I remember we petitioned to be able to wear the boys’ uniforms in the winter–we must’ve been in the first grade. It’s so crazy that it had been going on forever like that, no winter options, no trousers allowed. But, then we were able to wear the boy shorts.

How did you get into design and can you tell us a bit about your career trajectory?

I went to Parsons for menswear design. Throughout high school I was always taking extracurricular classes, but it was more art-based, less design focused. At Parsons I did the dual-degree program, so I got a Bachelor’s in Philosophy and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in menswear. Throughout college I had been interning, so I was interning both in design and also simultaneously working in retail. When I graduated, I knew that I wanted to launch my own company–I was recruited by a lot of larger design companies, but I decided to just do freelance until I launched Bode. But I’ve done everything from prop styling, to buying, to freelance designing…

You’re a menswear brand, but I feel like your clothes are beloved by women as well. What do you think that speaks to in terms of what both modern men and women are interested in wearing right now?

We are primarily a menswear brand but, of course, women buy our clothes. Some of our accounts buy it as well, both men’s and women’s.

I think people are reacting to the sentiment, the sentimentality behind the garment and the history of the textile or technique that we explain and portray in our clothes. A lot of the clothes are made from domestic textiles, antique textiles from in and around the home (made for the homes), so there’s an innate feeling of comfort in the clothing–both when you physically put it on and visually because it evokes a childhood nostalgia.