OC is now the (very proud) exclusive stockist of Christy's collection. With a strong focus on fits and fine materials, the pieces are full of surprising touches. "Menswear is all about details," she says, and hers more than most. We met Christy back at her alma mater, where she dazzled us with her knowledge of suiting and poultry.
Shop all Chris Lee here.
Photos by James Parker III
Alice Newell-Hanson: Can you start by talking me through the rooster idea?
Christy Lee: The faculty told me to create something [based on what] I did over the summer—whatever I did the most or what I had the most fun doing. I thought, what did I do most over the summer? I interned, but I didn’t want to make a collection that was fashion-related; I wanted to do something else. Suddenly I thought, well I ate a lot of chicken! So I went to the image library on 42nd Street and gathered all these images of roosters and chickens. I was also inspired by an exhibition on dandyism I went to see when I was in Sweden last year—and that's what I really love: it's all about the big chests, sort of like roosters', and that cockiness. I’ve tried to focus on the shape of the rooster and the way it moves with its chin up, its color, the wattle and the comb. I also made these big bags inspired by images of old Korean chicken salesmen from the 1920s. They used to carry these big backpacks!
ANH: You can really see it in the silhouettes you've created. How do the fabrics tie in?
CL: When I think about a rooster I think of something very organic, so I only used natural fibers. Natural fibers have a better texture and feel more lustrous. The knits are cashmere, for example. Then, as you say, it's the silhouette. I wanted to capture that feeling when you think about roosters: the long tails, the beautiful colors, the big full chests with the skinny legs. All my pants are very skinny.
ANH: And how do you fit the shirts and tailoring?
CL: I focused a lot on menswear tailoring and outerwear during my schooling. It took me thousands of tries because I wanted my jacket to fit well on everyone. We used four different fit models. I also learned a trick from a tailoring book I got in London—if you twist the shoulders a bit it will fit better and if you pull the back in it gives the wearer better posture. The lining also has a fun twist to it. I wanted to focus on the fun part of the rooster rather than whatever we've seen before.
ANH: I love the polka-dot and striped linings. They look so English to me!
CL: I think it is actually English silk. It's the same polka-dot silk I used on the shirt. I think men really appreciate little details rather than something that looks too crazy. All of my garments have shell buttons. And when you open the bags there are little tassels on the zips. Menswear is all about the details.
ANH: What's your design background? Have