MODA Designer Profile: Otis Gordon

Otis is a first-time designer and first-year in the college, pursuing degrees in visual arts, psychology and neuroscience. Last week, we met at our respective desks for a virtual conversation about his upcoming collection, the “romance” of solitude, and intersections of fashion and jazz.

Describe your collection in three words.

Contemporary. Romantic. Improvised.

What are some sources of inspiration for your collection? What people or eras do you have in mind when you’re designing?

I’m pursuing a visual arts degree here at the college! So I definitely come at fashion from more of a visual arts standpoint. I love fashion, but I don't actually know that many designers. I tend to draw inspiration from contemporary art rather than runway aesthetics. I also have a background in jazz music- I’ve played for many years, and I think the improvised nature of jazz has influenced the way I make art and the way I do fashion- not thinking about anything too far in advance, taking inspiration from my own experiences, or from artistic icons (Chris Burden, John Baldessari) rather than what’s trendy out in the world. 

Sample’s from John Baldessari’s digital collection

We’re working during a time of isolation. How has the pandemic influenced your creative process?

Yeah, I mean, I'm used to working alone in my room because that’s how I started design work back in high school. I took sewing classes, but I did it without my parents knowing since they wanted me to work on school and stuff. I had to be a little secretive, so I've been exploring arts and fashion in my own bedroom for a while now. I’m in the dorms currently, and it’s a little cluttered, but I’ve got my sewing machine here, my fabrics over there. I also play a lot of music, so I have my guitar with me and my speakers, and I have my art on the wall here. 

I think there's something romantic about being in your room and having your own personal studio space. My whole room is filled with everything, with music, with art, with personality. So I’m getting all these energies at once, being able to have my guitar two feet away from my sewing machine instead of traveling a mile to the Logan Center. I’ve got my friends next door too, so I don't feel like I need a different space to be inspired when I have everything here, you know? 

Can you tell us about a piece you’re working on right now? 

This is a mock-up of a muslin dress I’m putting together. The construction is pretty standard- square neckline, pop shoulders, and the traditional silhouette. But I’m bringing in those contemporary elements by creating a canvas with the design. I'm drawing on the fabrics with chalk, and then I just embroidered over some of the more sheer material. 

How do your creations pair with your day-to-day style? Is the person behind the clothes reflected in your looks? 

I tend to like making dresses for women. But...I don't actually wear dresses? So I don't know if someone could look at me on the street and immediately pair me with the fashion I create. I think if someone looked at my visual arts projects, even just the drawings, and stuff, then maybe they’d understand my design angle. I guess I make fashion that I would want to see in the world, even if that’s not necessarily what I have on. 

This is your first time designing for our fashion show!! What are your takeaways from the process so far?  

It’s hard to describe because I don’t have much to compare it with! I know the show is this big thing, but it seems like a very individual process right now, which is cool because I'm used to that. But I'm excited to learn more about what exactly MODA is, the community beyond the show. Because I'm sure MODA’s a lot bigger than what it seems to me right now. As a first-year, I hear all these stories about MODA as this legendary thing. And it’s crazy that I'm a MODA designer, but also I’m just doing some stuff in my room right now. So I don't know, I'm excited to experience MODA in full. 

Samples from Chris Burden’s digital collection

Is there a part of the process you find particularly rewarding?

I think for me, the rewarding part is just being able to complete something, that feeling of getting in the zone. I put the muslin dress together in a day, about four hours after I got my sewing machine set up here. And when you’re getting really into it like that, you're sweating, you're listening to music, and it's like the design just busted out of you. I really value having the freedom to just go for it.  

What aspect of the show are you most excited about? 

I'm actually pretty excited about the digital aspect! I’m hoping we can use tech to showcase smaller details, like my embroidery, things you might miss at a normal fashion show when it's quick, and people are walking pretty far from where you’re seated.  

What would you like your audience to take away from your work?

I’m just hoping people see something that they haven't seen before. It’d be really cool if my work could push people to look at fashion in a different sense, not just as clothing, but also as a kind of canvas or something. That’s what’s really important to me.