interview with: Misha Gill from Dusty Dress

She's an Indian born girl who spent most of her life in California and finally moved to Stockholm, so it's no wonder her style is very personal and influenced by some of the most interesting avant-garde/modern/conceptual labels. She's been able to mix her personal taste with a northern European point of view and this is a huge compliment for me. I love her style, i always enjoy reading her blog and she's so inspiring when it comes to diy projects, they always makes me want to sit in front of my sewing machine and create something special like she does. Her blog "Dusty dress" is already quite famous and i'm sure its popularity will raise even more. It0s my pleasure to post the interview i made with Misha Gill, i'm sure you'll love it.

1-what pushed you to start your blog? (i know you have 2, so this question is valid for both blogs)

My first and closed blog is about my life in Sweden and is not strictly fashion related. I started that one to keep my friends and family back home updated... but my style/fashion blog is in a way more personal and a moodbook for me to post whats on my mind and if I feel like sharing my outfits but more importantly it's an integral part of me starting my own label. I think it's such a great tool for designers to be able to share their process and give shoppers/readers a closer look at themselves.

2-What was your first perception about Sweden and Europe in general when you first came here?

Before I moved here for a long period, I came and visited for two weeks. Incidentally and totally unrelated to me moving here, I had become very fond of a bunch of Swedish music (the knife, etc)- there was something about the music that was so spot on yet unique and not cheap but little did I know what was in store for me when I arrived. My 2 weeks here were spent in total amazement at the unusually stylish poeple here, I would see a 10 year old boy walking down the street in stonewashed skinny jeans, a vintage shirt and lace up industrial boots and think, wow I wasn't that sophisticated about style at that age & I'd turn around and see a 50 year old woman wearing an amazingly fitted Acne dress with the greatest pair of boots and hope to have her sense of style at that age. Although my view of Swedish fashion and style have changed since, I'm always in awe of the level of style and charisma that seems inherent to all Swedes. As far as the rest of life here goes, nothing beats overflowing cafe's, 5 weeks of paid vacation a year and free health care and great interior design.

3-When did you start being fond of sewing and creating with fabrics?

At a very young age as my mother was (and still is) an excellent seamstress. She taught herself to sew and would make my sister and I matching outfits- people always thought we both had great style as kids and would often ask my parents if we were foreign. From watching her work with fabric, yarn and other textiles, I started making clothes for my dolls and it just grew from there. I always wanted to make the clothes I wore and never wanted to fit in, in that way. From my childhood hobby grew a serious career once I hit college and realized I could spend all of my time at university focusing on something I thought was limited to just being an interest. It was fantastic when I realized that, I felt much happier, my grades improved significantly. I felt very focused and in control of myself.

4-what was it like your childhood?

I was born and raised in northern India surrounded by not only my own family but all of my uncles' families (we all lived in this huge open house together) so it was a very social upbringing. Then we lived in England for a year, again with a different uncle and his family and finally moved to California where I've lived mostly in the bay area and north until my move to Stockholm. I was a very hands-on child, always making something out of nothing like clay/dirt dishes or fake nails out of the tips of peacock feathers we found laying on the ground. We hardly watched television, instead we danced in the rain and ate delicious home made Indian food. I am extremely close to my family and my sister who is only a year older and my many cousins I was lucky enough to live with.

5-Is there any good sewing-patternmaking/fashion tip you'd like to give?

The best thing I ever heard was from my fashion design teacher- every time we were given a new project she told us to not just make another pretty dress, anyone can do that. The other thing is just to try, it's not like mathematics or chemistry where there is a right and wrong answer, so ANYONE can sew and design, it's just a matter of passion and time one is willing to dedicate to it. Also contrary to what some might tell you, everything doesn't need to start with a pattern, most of my favorite designs just start out being shapes in my head, then draped then sewn. Pattern making is a must for any serious designer but it's not necessary, especially if you're not focused on tailored garments. Personally I love pattern making but I've always been very fond of mathematics and numbers as well as science so it's an orgy of my favorite fields :)

6- What kind of garments do you like to sew/create the most? And what do you observe when you look among all the clothes displayed in shops, which details do you pay more attention to?
Ultimately I like to make things that I like to wear- my process works as such: i get an idea (usually while i am on the way to something or most often in the middle of the night) and i make the garment for myself, then I test it out and if it withstands a few days and I can stand behind it, I will put it up on my shop. Other times, I just let myself drape and the cohesion comes with fabric, right now I am really into draping a lot of lightweight fabric and mustard colored fabric. I get obsessed with ideas in my head, thats what usually happens. As far as shopping and details, lately I've been exclusively wearing my own designs, I've been pretty let down with merchandise lately, especially living in such a small city, you see 3 girls wearing the same thing on a daily basis, it gets really boring and uninspiring.

7-I know Sweden's full of great 2nd hand shops, flea markets, lovely and colourful new designers's shops. Could you name some of your favourites?

There are a lot of second hand shops but they are rediculously expensive so I barely ever go since I'm spoiled rotten with the best and cheapest ones in my hometown of Redding, California. My favorite shops here are Monki, Black Market, Dollys Tygg shop, Vegabond shoes, and Myrona second hand shops.

8- What's your point of view about the interest in fashion-bloggers that is growing these years?

I think its great that everyone can start their own project and have a sense of ownership in such a large space where one can feel completely lost. It's hard to keep up with it but as long as you're doing it to keep yourself challanged and motivated, it's great. I think it's quite interesting and refreshing to see the large impact some bloggers are having on fashion and the industry, it just goes to show no one element is too small to go unnoticed.

9-is there any blog you cannot stop reading right now?
Luxirare.com .i LOVE food, sometimes even more then I love fashion, so this blog is a treat.

10-If you could be hired as a junior designer for a specific label, which one would it be?
There are so many brands I would love to work for because I'm of the beleif that field experience is priceless. Margiela, Henrik Vibskov, 5th Avenue Shoe Repair, Weekday and Monki, SSWTR and Greyhound are all on my list but in a way I've done my share of corporate work and would love to spend some time at a very small independant company. I would also love to try a bit of shoe design although I am completely unexperienced at it.

11-I'm so happy to know we both love the same labels: Margiela, Henrik Vibskov, 5th avenue shoe repair are some of my all time favourite brands. They're so genius yet wearable and modern at the same time. Do you see the same kind of genius/freshness in any magazine or illustrator or person or blog you like?
I really love the idea of The Fashion Almanac, it combines everything I live for- a bit of science (initially, I was a pre-med major in college but I eventually switched to Textiles & Clothing Science)
http://www.thefashionalmanac.com/

Don't forget to check her blog: http://dustydress.blogspot.com