March 30, 2012 - High above the magnificent city lights of New York City, directly overlooking the world famous Lincoln Center - home to fashion week where countless designers have made their mark in the world - is the Empire Hotel rooftop lounge. Herbert Fox Productions has been promoting Friday night fashion shows here since the beginning of 2012 and what a huge success his parties have been, fusing the pulse of nightlife with fashion runway shows. Herbert (an original member of Studio 54) has deep ties to the garment industry as his father owned a sew shop there for 67 years. He has connections to some of the world’s top designers but it is here that he gives emerging talented designers a chance to showcase their collections to a chic, upscale audience in an intimate setting with the city of New York as the backdrop.
This weekend Lawrence Pizzi is the featured designer for this Vogue Italia meets Vogue Nippon disco inspired evening. Described by his friends as a “fun, happy Italian guy that should be living in Tokyo,” I was delighted to be given the opportunity to interview him my blog: Urban Gypsy Tales.
Q: How did you come up with the concept of the Japanese/Italian fusion of clothing:
Lawrence: I am Italian and love Japanese culture; it is such a fun, happy lifestyle. My clothing captures that lifestyle along with beautiful tailoring, the expensive fabrics and all the detailing that make it Italian. I make sexy clothes – for my menswear collection, even the men in skirts look sexy!
Around this time, his models arrived out on the deck where we were seated and I had the chance to not only see the clothing, but touch the fabrics and enjoy the essence of his creations. Garments with lace, ribbons of leather and exquisite beading. Cardigans that look prim and proper from the front but as the model turns around, the back has a sexy laser cut with leather, which is like butter to touch. There are a lot of sequin pieces for men and women and cashmere knits. One of his assistants was wearing a leopard printed cardigan which is actually from the men’s collection showing just how versatile and unisex his clothing line is.
“The collection, he said, is about movement – not about fabric flowing through the wind type of movement; it is about humans and how we move on the planet earth. The clothes are modern for any culture. We have become a village, the whole planet - we are one.”
I also found out a little background info regarding his roots: His Mother was a computer genius and father was a nuclear physicist - Out of this was born Lawrence Pizzi - fashion designer extraordinaire! He went to school in Philadelphia for merchandising, and then on to Milan to learn how to make suits. “I love to wake up every day knowing I am doing what I love to do.” For more information on Lawrence Pizzi’s collection, visit his website.
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