Fashion Feature: CHRISHABANA Spring 2012

Chris Habana/image courtesy fo Chris Habana

For an accessories designer, catching the attention of editors and buyers from all over the globe can be tricky, but that is exactly what designer Chris Habana has been able to do pretty much from the very start of his career. Honored as one of Gen Arts Fresh Faces in Fashion,  back in 2004, and then again as the organization's New Guard in 2007 the designer has never lacked accolades for his creative, imaginative and often provocative pieces. 

But now Habana has his sights set on a new world: the web via online video campaigns.  Just days before his first video  for the collection MY ENEMY by CHRISHABANA hit the web Style Wylde spoke with the designer to discuss creative inspiration and  going viral.

Cross Cuff by CHRISHABANA/Image courtesy of CHRIS HABANA

SW: For Spring 2012 you’ve created a video campaign that draws heavily on mixed media art forms (music, graphics, pop culture iconography) for your collection. Can you tell us a little about the inspiration for the campaign? What is the concept for the video? Are these same themes (the apocalypse, etc) inspiration for your pieces? 

CH: This season marks the debut of MY ENEMY by CHRISHABANA. The line, which started as a collaboration with Urban Outfitters, will now be available to additional retailers for SS2012. There are a lot of bone, skulls and cross charms- all signature CHRISHSBANA shapes. We mixed up the materials for My Enemy and added color making it really youthful. It’s brash and unforgiving and we wanted the video to reflect that.  It’s fast and glitch-y. The images are all layered with three-dimensional models of the jewelry creating a subliminal effect. The collection is aptly titled after REM’S 90’S hit, “It’s the end of the World as we know it.”  Themes of technology and the apocalypse are strewn throughout to drive home that youth is fleeting.

 spiked ring By CHRISHABANA/Image courtesy of Chris Habana

SW: After completing your collection, what is the creative process of coming up with a video campaign? How do you hone-in on the story you want to tell for the collection? Are there parallels to the design process or is it entirely separate?

Spine Drop Earring by CHRISHABANA/Image courtesy of CHRIS HABANACH: The My Enemy video is heavily image based. It was really easy to take the theme and start layering images that complimented it. Some videos are a struggle but this one came together really naturally. The process is completely different from designing the collection itself in many ways. For starters the video is always a collaboration where as the collection is my designs. I’ve been designing accessories since 2004 where as I’ve only started working with videos for two seasons. I like to learn as I go. I have a really strong aesthetic in everything I do, but it’s about finding a way to make it work within the medium.

SW: Now that the video is complete, what is next for your work? Do you plan more videos in the future? How do you see video comparing to print campaigns for just starting out designers? Is video content more impactful as far as getting your collection seen?

CH: We have a second video for SS12 from the namesake CHRISHABANA line, which we’re preparing to release. The two videos are like night and day which is part of the CHRISHABANA ethos. The line always has a lot of contrast. The CHRISHABANA video entitled, “Now is Tomorrow” will actually be our third collection video and we plan to continue working in this medium for upcoming collections. Right now it’s important to have a viral presence. There’s something you can achieve with motion that just resonates more than with stills.

The CHRISHABANA  collections are available at indie boutiques and online retailers nationwide including Villians Vault in San Francisco and Vieve in West Hollywood. For more information on the designer visit the official CHRISHABANA WEB HOME, AND Check out the  full MY ENEMY by CHRISHABANA  video below.

My Enemy SS 2012 by CHRISHABANA from jesu.viccete on Vimeo.

Comments

[ihatewhaturwearing]

that blue ring is insane.