Corridor40

Mary Meyer’s designs are fun, funky and wearable—which is why I was first drawn to her FW09 line, and I knew I needed to see more. I love her Oakland-to-Brooklyn aesthetic, and the way she meshes geometric prints with black-and-white in many of her designs. From scarves and totes to tanks and dresses, her spring line is all-encompassing—and amazing. What’s on the top of my must-have list from Mary Meyer’s collection? The Biggie, of course. What’s a Biggie, you ask? Read on to find out…

C40. What is your design background?

MM. My background is in Fine Art. I studied painting, print making, textile dying and weaving.

C40. Why did you decide to move from Oakland to Brooklyn? Are there big differences between an East Coast and a West Coast customer?

MM. In 2006, I moved to New York to push my line forward and hang with my friends. There are DEFINITE, big differences. The first is black; the East Coast is obsessed. The New York customer also certainly takes more risks, and is willing to spend more money on clothes. The West Coast customer likes effortless style, easy clothes and layers. Because I started the line on the West Coast, the elements of ease, comfort and layers are part of the backbone of the clothes I make—but the style, the edge, the look is all pushed forward by the East Coast.

C40. Where do you find inspiration for your designs?

MM. Honestly, in everything: Japanese and African textiles, art of all kinds, Andy Warhol, Keith Herring, TV, the internet, ads, great architecture, the beach, the woods, ceiling grates, patterns on the ground, font, music and my friends.

C40. What type of woman wears your clothes?

MM. She’s got a lot to do, and wants to look good doing it.

C40. What is unique about Mary Meyer Clothing?

MM. That my clothes are high-quality, easy to wear, on-trend and comfortable.

C40. What is the story behind your “triangle rising” print?

MM. That print came from an African textile I got at a secondhand store called The Thing.  It was named by my old intern, Jared.  He’s a real rocker, and I liked the name cause it sounded like a heavy metal song.

C40. What is the “Biggie”?

MM. The Biggie was my first signature piece.  It’s named after Biggie Smalls, and is a one-size-fits-all piece that is a perfect backdrop for my prints. It’s easy to wear a million ways, and it looks good on all kinds of girls. It’s been a best seller for four seasons, and I’ll be debuting its first redesign for FW10; it’s called Really Biggie.

C40. What do you have coming up for SS10 and FW10?

MM. Ahhhhhh! I’m too excited about this; SS10 is highlighted by the coded language I wrote—there are graphics that are statements you can read only by decoding; they come with a decoder hangtag. The idea is that people all want to say something, but they don’t want to subscribe to anything. Style-wise, SS10 is highlighted by crop tees, muscle tees and—for the first time—men’s pieces (which are also unisex)! As for FW10… lots of hot surprises. Wait and see!

C40. Where can your clothes be purchased?

MM. marymeyerclothing.com, baby.

C40. Where do you show your new collections?

MM. To my wholesalers, I show at my showroom, EM Productions; they are located in New York and Los Angeles, and we show in Vegas, too.

C40. Tell me more about your Step Right Up Program.

MM. I co-founded Step Right Up with two close friends in 2007; it is a theater after-school program. We work with groups of NYC public school students for about ten weeks. In that time, we start with storytelling games, develop a story, write a script for a play, cast the play, rehearse it, produce the costumes and sets and—finally—perform it. I love it.

C40. Where do you see your line in the next five years?

MM. In a large warehouse that includes a small storefront, our offices, stock storage, a design studio and a photo studio—and in which we can continue to throw my huge parties/events.

C40. Who are some of your favorite local designers?

MM. Shout-outs to Chris Habana, Bliss Lau and Round Design—um, can you tell I like jewelry?!

Images via marymeyerclothing.com